Lev Sviridov is a model American. Literally.
A portrait of the Soviet-born Sviridov, director of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter, is one of 43 oil paintings by President George W. Bush (No. 43, remember?) on display through January 1 at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, D.C.
“Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants” showcases individuals who, like Sviridov, have migrated from other countries to join the American experiment. The exhibit’s name refers to the Latin motto that appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on our money: E pluribus unum. A story accompanies each portrait.
Among the famous faces in the exhibit are two refugee secretaries of state: Henry Kissinger, from Nazi Germany, and Madeleine Albright, from Nazism and later communism in Czechoslovakia. But there are many less-famous characters, too, including immigrants who became doctors, businesspeople — and, of course, educators.
“I’m honored to be representing the commitment of millions of immigrants who contribute to the greatness of America,” Sviridov commented on LinkedIn.
As we do at Hunter!
For 155 years, Hunter has served as an engine of economic mobility and social integration for generations of immigrant New Yorkers. A third of Hunter students are immigrants, more than 70% are students of color, and 37% of our undergraduates are the first generation in their families to attend college. Our students represent 154 countries and speak 70 different languages. Our Immigrant Student Success Center provides resources, advising, programming, scholarships, and advocacy for our immigrant and undocumented students.
President George W. Bush
Bush, who famously said, “family values don’t stop at the border,” certainly meant for the exhibit, which he launched in 2021, to stand as a reproof of nativist and xenophobic elements in his party and the larger body politic.
“My message is, let’s look at each immigrant here in the country and honor them as a child of God,” Bush told a Dallas outlet at the time, as reported by northernvirginiamag.com. “Let’s recognize the powerful influence that the newly arrived can have on our soul.”
