THEY CAME TO AMERICA

Premiered on PBS, January 2003
Running Time: 60 minutes plus over 20 minutes of additional interviews and footage.

They came to America leaving poverty, persecution, war and oppression. They came to America seeking work, safety, human rights, and of course, freedom. And they still come.

They Came to America tells the story of the 23 million people who immigrated to America between the 1880s and 1920s from dozens of countries and backgrounds with one common goal: the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Narrated by Roger Rosenblatt and including interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, Holocaust Survivor Tom Lantos, and actor Cheech Marin, They Came to America shares the experiences of those who put everything they had into coming to America in search of a better life and the hardships and struggles they faced.

Reviews

“The producers knew what they were doing… An impressive 90 minutes… and a consistently affecting one.” – DOROTHY RABINOWITZ

Awards

Cine Golden Eagle, 2004

Acknowledgments

Production funding provided by PBS. Produced by Santa Fe Ventures, Inc. Executive Producers: Neil B. Mahrer, LienaJ Partners and Anthony Tiano, Santa Fe Ventures, Inc. Field Producer/Writer: Andrew Goldberg. Narrator: Roger Rosenblatt. Original music by John Rinehimer.