Former Speaker of the House and Georgian Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, in 2022 were discussing the distinction between legal and illegal immigration that was getting clouded by a fraught political climate.
Their conversation led to a PBS documentary, “Journey to America with Newt and Callista Gingrich,” debuting Tuesday at 10 p.m. It’s a 90-minute celebration of American immigration with a focus on nine immigrants, some from the past and some current examples, many of whom the Gingrichs knew personally.
“We are making the case that there are a lot of people who come to this country legally who have contributed in very powerful ways to make us a more successful and dynamic country,” Newt Gingrich, 81, said in a Zoom call last month with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The couple is no stranger to documentaries. Through their production company, Gingrich 360, they have developed docs about George Washington, Ronald Reagan and John Paul II. “This was a field we felt comfortable with,” he said.
Credit: Chris Usher
Credit: Chris Usher
Former Atlantan Gingrich ― who now splits time between the D.C. area and Naples, Florida ― said he procured what turned out to be the final interview with his friend and diplomat Henry Kissinger, who died in November 2023.
Gingrich also featured Kam Ghaffarian, a neighbor of his in Naples and an Iranian-American who came to the U.S. in 1977 and became executive chairman of Axiom Space, the second-largest customer for Elon Musk’s SpaceX. “He is a classic example of someone who came here legally and created a remarkable series of companies that employ people and provide progress,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich gave time for Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan American he has known since he was United Nations ambassador during the George W. Bush administration. “He has a really sophisticated understanding of global politics,” Gingrich said of Khalilzad, who earlier served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and to Afghanistan.
Credit: PBS
Credit: PBS
He also included some notables from earlier in the 19th and 20th century, such as Jewish Austrian American actor Hedy Lamarr, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1937.
“I knew her as an actress,” Gingrich said, “But I didn’t realize she was an inventor. She invented an electronic device to help find German submarines. The device is now universal in every cellphone.”
And since Callista Gingrich is a devout Catholic, they did a segment on Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, who arrived from Italy in 1889. “She led a truly amazing life,” Gingrich said. “She ultimately became a saint. She founded a movement that is now in 20 to 30 countries focused on helping the poor.”
Credit: PBS
Credit: PBS
Gingrich said America remains a magnet of great opportunity despite its myriad flaws and problems, a home to entrepreneurs who can build great companies to the betterment of society as a whole.
“I think we make a pretty convincing case that America has greatly benefited by having people come here legally from all over the world,” Gingrich said. “We need to retain a legal open immigration process.”
And despite some rhetoric that emanates from President-elect Donald Trump, Gingrich believes he is a strong supporter of legal immigration. “Trump has married two people who are first-generation immigrants,” Gingrich noted. “His mother was an immigrant from Scotland. He favors immigration. He favors finding a solution for the Dreamers (immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children without authorization). He has a more nuanced governing position than the way he campaigns.”
Others featured in the documentary are former Nixon and Ford national security adviser Henry Kissinger; anti-Marxism and anti-communism activist Xi Van Fleet; Maria Daume, the first female graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps School of Infantry; famed physicist Albert Einstein; and former U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
IF YOU WATCH
“Journey to America: With Newt and Callista Gingrich”
10 p.m. Tuesday on PBS stations, including GPB’s WGTV on Channel 8 in Atlanta
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