What Would Team USA Be Without Immigrants?

We have mentioned a few times (and here) the number of immigrant members of the US Olympic team.  Wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo’s parents were undocumented immigrants from Mexico; decathlon gold medalist Brian Clay’s mother is an immigrant from Japan, and there are many more examples. Thirty-three American athletes are themselves immigrants, including flag bearer Lopez Lamong, beach volleyball player Phil Dalhausser, and gymnasts Nastia Liukin, and Alexander Artemev. Some of our American athletes, like gymnast Raj Bhavsar, are also getting attention in the home countries of their parents. Paul Waldman, a columnist for the American Prospect, wrote about his impressions of the diversity of the American team here, and the Center for American Progress wrote about immigrant American Olympians here.

KJ