By Katilyne Logan

 As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hamilton’s debut, fans everywhere are reliving the musical’s unforgettable lyrics and choreography on the big screen theaters. Yet, what’s often overlooked in all the fanfare is the story of the man at the center of it all: Alexander Hamilton, a Caribbean immigrant whose legacy helped shape the U.S.

“Immigrants, we get the job done!” The iconic line brought audiences to raucous applause when it premiered in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical America’s $10 founding father.

In a 2025 Today interview, Miranda reflected on the evolution of that moment.

“When I wrote the line immigrants we get the job done it was a laugh line now, it’s become or of a rally cry because immigration has become such a loaded word,” Miranda said. “To me one of the great joys and promises of the American Experiment is that you can come here from somewhere else no matter where, and you can work really hard and your kids will do better than you.” 

The musical, based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography, struck a chord with audiences and history teachers alike. Praised for its lyrical genius and nuance, Hamilton traces the story of the young immigrant who helped found the nation through writing the federalist papers, establishing a national treasury, and arguing for a strong national government. By 2009, it was being performed for President Barack Obama at the White House, years before its Broadway debut.

Two of the show’s central characters, Alexander Hamilton and French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette, are portrayed as immigrants who played important roles in the American Revolution. Hamilton, born in the Caribbean, rose from poverty to serve as Washington’s right-hand man and a delegate at the Constitutional Convention. Lafayette fought alongside George Washington, helping secure French support that turned the tide at Yorktown.

Yet, although Hamilton celebrates the immigrant spirit in America’s origins, the current climate stands in stark contrast. As of June 15 56,397 people have been detained by ICE according to ABC. Meanwhile, anti-immigrant rhetoric continues to stigmatize Latino communities dismissing them as burdens on the US economy. When it comes to taxes, however, immigrants contribute about $96.7 billion annually according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy. They also account for approximately 57% of the agricultural workforce according to the American Immigration Council. 

We fly our star spangled banner as if it’s the only one of its kind— as if Venezuela, Cuba, Chile or Puerto Rico aren’t marked with the same white stars too. We only harm America by straining the immigrants out of America’s Great Melting Pot.

We cannot claim their accomplishments, profit off their labor, and also uproot them from their homes. 

In a University of Pennsylvania graduate speech, Miranda reminded us that “a broke orphan immigrant from the West Indies built our financial system.” 

America needs to do more than sing along to the Hamilton lyrics. We need to acknowledge that immigrants are and were a vital piece of the founding of our nation.