For decades the Murthy Law Firm and the MurthyNAYAK Foundation have been major sponsors of a special gala of the American Immigration Council, celebrating the contributions of talented and gifted immigrants to the United States. Held annually, during the national conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Held in New Orleans, this year’s recipients of the American Heritage Award are world-renowned artists Franco Alessandrini, ItalianAmerican painter and sculptor, and Andrei Codrescu, Jewish, RomanianAmerican poet and home-de-lettres. Alessandrini’s works of art can be found in collections across Europe, North and South America. Woldenberg Park on the bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans is the site of his sculpture, which is a monument of immigrants. Codrescu’s voice was heard regularly, providing insightful commentary on National Public Radio. Raised in Communist Romania, he escaped to Israel when he was a young man, eventually reaching the U.S. in the late 1960s. He was the Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009.
Murthy is speaking at the 2017 gala, where the Immigrant Achievement Award, Stephen K. Fischel Distinguished Public Service Award, and Immigrant Youth Achievement Award also will be presented.
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