Decade by Decade: The American Immigrants That Built Generation-Defining Tech

For 200 years, immigrant minds have fueled America’s tech dominance. With each new wave of migration, generation-defining innovations follows. Today, this legacy continues as immigrant founders dominate fields from semiconductor manufacturing to artificial intelligence. 

Here are their accomplishments: decade by decade, breakthrough by breakthrough.

Timeline

1840s–1850s (Early Industrial Era)

Antonio Meucci (Italy)

• Invented the first functional telephone (1850s); filed patent caveat (1871).
• Impact: Pioneered voice transmission; Congress recognized his work in 2002.

In 1856, Italian immigrant Antonio Meucci invented the telephone but was denied patents due to poverty leaving the door open for Alexander Graham Bell to patent his idea. Meucci’s story exposes systemic barriers that excluded immigrant inventors during America’s industrial rise. Congress ultimately acknowledged his role in 2002.

1860s–1870s (Infrastructure)

Andrew Carnegie (Scotland)

• Built Carnegie Steel (1860s–1870s); later U.S. Steel.
• Impact: Enabled modern infrastructure.

Carnegie Steel, which powered the nation’s railroads and skyscrapers, was built from nothing by Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie – revolutionizing American industry in the process . His rags-to-riches journey epitomized the American Dream, while his later philanthropy (funding 2,500+ libraries) transformed U.S. education. Carnegie proved how immigrant ambition could build both personal fortune and national infrastructure.

1880s–1890s (Electrical Revolution)

Nikola Tesla (Austrian Empire/modern Croatia)

• Pioneered AC power (1880s) and wireless transmission.
• Impact: Enabled modern electrical grids; overshadowed by Edison.

Serbian immigrant Nikola Tesla pioneered AC power and wireless technology, powering America’s industrial revolution. Tesla died penniless, a symbol of immigrant genius exploited by corporate America. But his work remains foundational to modern electricity, robotics, and radio technology.

1900s–1910s (Radio and Aviation)

Igor Sikorsky (Russia)

• Designed early helicopters (1910s); founded Sikorsky Aircraft (1925).
• Impact: Revolutionized air transport and military operations.

Igor Sikorsky developed the modern helicopter, reimagining how humans operate within airspace. After fleeing the Russian Revolution, he built Sikorsky Aircraft in 1923—completely redefining global aviation in the process.

1920s–1930s (Broadcasting and Computing)

David Sarnoff (Belarus)

• Led RCA (1920s–1950s), later launching the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).
• Impact: Built the first broadcasting empire and reshaped communication.

Belarusian immigrant David Sarnoff pioneered American broadcasting, turning RCA into a media empire and later launching NBC – the foundation of modern TV and radio. Arriving in America as a Jewish refugee, he championed innovations like color TV and electronics, shaping U.S. cultural infrastructure and communications for decades.

John von Neumann (Hungary)

• Developed foundational computer architecture (1930s–1940s).
• Impact: Blueprint for all modern computing.

Hungarian immigrant John von Neumann designed the von Neumann architecture for digital devices while advancing game theory, nuclear physics and quantum mechanics. Fleeing Nazi Europe, his genius helped shape America’s technological dominance from the atomic bomb to Silicon Valley.

1940s–1950s (Atomic Age and Post-War Tech)

Enrico Fermi (Italy)

• Built the first nuclear reactor in 1942.
• Impact: Kickstarted the atomic age in the U.S.

Enrico Fermi created the world’s first nuclear reactor (1942), launching the Atomic Age and securing America’s scientific dominance. Fleeing fascism, the Italian immigrant advanced quantum theory, particle physics and the Manhattan Project — mentoring a generation of U.S. scientists.

Hedy Lamarr (Austria)

• Co-invented frequency-hopping (1942); basis forWiFi and GPS.
• Impact: Hollywood star and Mother of WiFi.

Austrian immigrant Hedy Lamarr arrived in America after fleeing the Nazis. Her looks quickly allowed her to blend among the Hollywood starlets. But Lamarr always preferred tinkering with gadgets, later becoming a pioneer in frequency-hopping technology — the foundation for modern Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.

1960s–1970s (Semiconductors and Computing)

Morris Chang (Taiwan)

• Founded TSMC (1987); pioneered the “foundry model.”
• Impact: Enabled Apple/Nvidia; modernized chip manufacturing.

Originally from Taiwan, Morris Chang founded TSMC in 1987 and proceeded to change the semiconductor industry forever—becoming the world’s leading chip manufacturer. After decades at Texas Instruments, his “foundry model” democratized chip production, enabling giants like Apple and Nvidia to thrive.

1980s–1990s (Software and Internet)

Pradeep Sindhu (India)

• Co-founded Juniper Networks (1996).
• Impact: Broke Cisco’s monopoly with high-performance routers.

An Indian immigrant and co-founder of Juniper Networks (1996), Pradeep Sindhu was the underdog story of the century – breaking Cisco’s monopoly with high-performance routers that powered the early internet. Sindhu showed how the little guy could disrupt the system and reshape digital infrastructure.

Min Kao (Taiwan)

• Co-founded Garmin (1989).
• Impact: Commercialized GPS technology (aviation, wearables).

Min Kao modernized GPS technology, making it accessible to consumers worldwide. The Taiwanese immigrant and a co-founder of Garmin (1989) was a game-changer for aviation and maritime navigation, as well as advancing wearable technology.

2000s (Web 2.0 and Mobility)

Tony Hsieh (Taiwanese-American)

• Built Zappos (1999; acquired by Amazon for $1.2B).
• Impact: Transformed e-commerce customer service.

Taiwanese-American Tony Hsieh upended the e-commerce sector with Zappos (sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion), transforming customer service and company culture. His “Delivering Happiness” philosophy influenced a generation of startups. Though his life ended tragically, Hsieh’s legacy as a visionary founder remains an example of humane capitalism.

Jyoti Bansal (India)

• Founded AppDynamics (2008).
• Impact: Defined application performance monitoring.

Jyoti Bansal moved from India to the U.S. with only $500 in his pocket. The founder of AppDynamics was the architect of application performance monitoring (ATM) – then sold it to Cisco for $3.7 billion. Through Harness and Unusual Ventures, he now empowers the next generation of founders.

2010s–Today (AI, Cloud, & Future Tech)

Jensen Huang (Taiwan)

• Co-founded NVIDIA (1993); GPUs power today’s AI.
• Impact: Chips underpin modern artificial intelligence.

Taiwan-born Jensen Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993, pioneering the GPU technology that now powers everything from ChatGPT to autonomous vehicles. Arriving in the U.S. as a child refugee, Huang transformed a gaming chip startup into a $2 trillion AI empire—becoming the defining architect of the AI revolution.

Alexandr Wang (China)

• Founded Scale AI at 19 years old (2016).
• Impact: His infrastructure of nearly every major AI model.

Alexandr Wang founded Scale AI at only 19, creating the data-labeling infrastructure that trains AI systems for OpenAI, the U.S. military, and Fortune 500 companies. The Chinese-American’s $7.3 billion startup demonstrates second-generation immigrants’ growing impact on U.S. technology.

About the Author: Tess Danielson is a journalist and writer focusing on the intersection of technology and society.