Young Irving Berlin arrived in America as a poor Russian immigrant. He went on to create some of the nation's most iconic songs even though he never learned how to read music. His story helps tell the tale of immigrant life in the United States.

Follow his journey through maps, charts, videos and lyrics in this Social Explorer project, plus video commentary from Social Explorer's Andrew Beveridge on immigration trends in America.

For more on immigration history, if you visit Ellis Island, be sure to try Social Explorer's interactive exhibit U.S. Population: A Map of Diversity at the newly opened Peopling of America Center.