Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has drawn on his own family story to launch a campaign challenging negative thinking on immigration.

Mr Zuckerberg is one of the key figures behind the creation of FWD.us, a group of Silicon Vallery entrepreneurs who are calling for the US government to pass immigration reform.

Writing in the Washington Post about the group, the Jewish entrepreneur spoke of "the American story" of new immigrants building new lives in the US.

"My great-grandparents came through Ellis Island," he said. "My grandfathers were a mailman and a police officer. My parents are doctors. I started a company.

"None of this could have happened without a welcoming immigration policy."

Mr Zuckerberg, 28, grew up in upstate New York before enrolling at Harvard and building his social networking site.