Yoko Ono unveiled a tribute to John Lennon in New York City on Wednesday (29.07.15) to mark the 40th anniversary of him becoming an American resident.
Yoko Ono with Bono and The Edge
The 82-year-old artist, the widow of the Beatles legend, unveiled the tapestry that depicts a yellow submarine - inspired by The Fab Four song and film of the same name - and it will remain on display in Ellis Island to recognise John's fight to get a Green Card to work and live in America.
The day, July 29, was also declared John Lennon Day
At the event, Yoko said: "This is a very happy moment for the family. Let's claim him. In fact, let's claim all the Beatles not as immigrants but as Irish."
Yoko - who was married to John for 11 years before he was shot dead outside their New York apartment in 1980 - also recalled the moment John was granted his Green Card in 1971.
She said: "I heard his heart beating fast, I remember how proud he was."
The art work was commissioned by Amnesty International to thank Yoko for donating the rights to record cover versions of John's songs, from which they have raised $5 million since 2004.
U2 stars Bono, 55, and The Edge, 53, were both present for the event and the singer praised John's philanthropic nature.
He told assembled media: "People who serve justice and equality, we kiss their ass. People who stand in its way, we kick (their ass).
"That's why it is fitting to do this here, because John Lennon was an immigrant. He didn't sail across the Atlantic in an ocean liner or a yellow submarine. He didn't come in on a third-class ticket looking for a job in Hell's Kitchen. He didn't climb up out of steerage with all his potatoes in a single suitcase. But John Lennon was an immigrant all the same."