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American immigration : our history, our stories

2020

Format:	Book
Author:	Krull, Kathleen, author.
Title:	American immigration : our history, our stories / Kathleen Krull.
Edition:	First edition.
Publisher, Date:	New York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2020]
Description:	xxviii, 260 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 22 cm
Summary:	Award-winning author Kathleen Krull takes an in-depth historical look at immigration in America--with remarkable stories of some of the immigrants who helped build this country. With its rich historical text, fascinating sidebars about many immigrants throughout time, an extensive source list and timeline, as well as captivating photos, American Immigration will become a go-to resource for every child, teacher, and librarian discussing the complex history of immigration. America is a nation of immigrants. People have come to the United States from around the world seeking a better life and more opportunities, and our country would not be what it is today without their contributions. From writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to scientists like Albert Einstein, to innovators like Elon Musk, this book honors the immigrants who have changed the way we think, eat, and live. Their stories serve as powerful reminders of the progress we've made, and the work that is still left to be done.
Target Audience Note:	Ages 8-12.
Subjects:	Immigrants -- United States -- History -- Juvenile literature. Immigrants -- Biography -- Juvenile literature. Immigrants. United States -- History -- Juvenile literature. United States -- Emigration and immigration. United States -- History.
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-250) and index.
Contents:	No place like America -- Who was here first? -- Women take the lead -- From New England outward -- Hamilton versus Jefferson -- America opens its arms -- Annie Moore and the millions who followed -- Poems on the walls -- More ebbs and flows into the 1900s--and why -- A dark chapter -- Open arms, then closed -- The sixties bring an epic change -- The history of Mexicans in America from 1846 onward -- Helping children -- The food chapter -- The attacks of 9/11 and immigration -- The never-ending immigration debate -- The future.
LCCN:	2019950258
ISBN:	9780062381132 006238113X
System Availability:	1
# Local items:	1
Call Number:	E 325.73 Krull American
# Local items in:	1
# System items in:	1
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Publishers Weekly Review

This volume tackles the seesaw history of U.S. immigration: "Debates over immigration have been noisy and emotional.... This book tries to explain why." Krull (The Only Woman in the Photo) begins by pointing out that the people often thought of as "settlers" were actually immigrants. From there, she traces continuous waves of immigration to the country--German groups in the 18th century, Chinese and Irish Catholics in the 19th century, and Cuban refugees in 1980, among others--tracking the oscillation of public opinion and government policy between acceptance and rejection. Key pieces of U.S. legislation, shaped by fear and inclusive idealism, are discussed, from the white-men-only 1790 Naturalization Law through the 1965 Hart-Cellar Act abolishing racial quotas, up to President Trump's family separation policy. Capsule biographies of U.S. immigrants (from Trump's grandfather to Larissa Martinez, an undocumented high school student) punctuate the chapters. Throughout, Krull's efforts are complicated by choices that range from problematic to debatable (an uncritically positive view of "assimilation," for example), dulling the luster of Krull's otherwise persuasive argument that "America came from nothing to be what it is today because of immigrants." Ages 8--12. (June)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5--8--Krull explores the history of immigration in America and strives to offer a comprehensive view of an issue that continues to impact many young people. The text traces the country's complicated relationship with immigration and immigrants up to the current rulings of the Trump administration. Breaking chapters up with "Immigrant Story" and "Pro and Con" subsections, the narrative moves quickly. However, factual errors, misrepresentations, and oversimplifications prevent the book from achieving its full objective. For example, chapter 12 states "America won the (Mexican-American) War and promptly swallowed, or took over, present-day Texas." Texas was annexed by the U.S. in 1845 and became the 28th state before the war started the following year. The admittedly brief section regarding Andrew Jackson's treatment of Native people omits the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Throughout the text, and particularly beginning in chapter eight, the word "Muslim" is used as a term denoting both religious and ethnic identity. The interchanging usage of the word without proper explanation could confuse young readers. The text also lacks a substantive discussion of the role the U.S. played in creating the military and humanitarian crises that have driven and continue to drive waves of immigration from around the world. There is little to no mention of U.S. sanctions, coups, puppet governments, or many other destabilizing interventions. VERDICT An admirable attempt to address complicated and timely issues concerning immigration throughout U.S. history up to the present day, but the text is unfortunately marred by factual errors, misrepresentations, and oversimplifications.--Ted McCoy, Austin Public Library, Austin, TX

Booklist Review

Introducing this very readable history of American immigration, Krull describes the United States as a country united by shared values formed during the Age of Enlightenment and stated in the founding documents. The chapters that follow offer numerous examples of times when specific groups of immigrants were made to feel unwelcome based on criteria such as race, national origin, language, or religion. Particular attention is paid to women as immigrants, both in an early chapter and in later ones. While describing waves of immigrants, the reasons they came, and the difficulties they faced here, the book also includes a great many features introducing noteworthy individuals, pertinent quotes, or relevant ideas, events, or books. Appearing within the main text, yet with a different typeface and narrower margins, these features simultaneously support the main narrative and interrupt its flow. Illustrations include archival documents, prints, paintings, and many photos. In the closing chapters, Krull discusses some of the the issues surrounding immigration today, then looks toward the future. A clearly written, informative, and timely discussion of immigration.

Kirkus Review

Beginning with the arrival of the continent's first Indigenous inhabitants and ending with events following the 2016 election, this book chronicles the social, cultural, and political trends that have shaped the United States' historically fraught relationship with immigration. Krull contextualizes important pieces of legislation such as the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, tracing how everything from labor demands to world wars shaped American attitudes toward newcomers. The text is peppered with profiles of immigrants, ranging from the children onboard the Mayflower to cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who immigrated to the States from China via France, and Apple founder Steve Jobs, whose birth father and adoptive mother were both immigrants. Laudably, Krull categorically dismisses the classification of slaves as immigrants, and she frankly recounts the genocide of Native Americans. Too often, though, Krull approaches immigration from a deficit mentality. For example, she characterizes immigrants who are learning English as poor performers in school rather than framing them as bilingual; uncritically recounts America's openness to "any able-bodied immigrant"; and praises the fact that "all" newcomers to America "have assimilated," without acknowledging the cultural loss that entails. Most problematically, she asserts without any context that "it's human nature to be suspicious of people different than us," seemingly excusing the very xenophobia the book clearly wishes to fight. This comprehensive take on American immigration history is strong on facts and weak on analysis. (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Summary

Award-winning author Kathleen Krull takes an in-depth historical look at immigration in America--with remarkable stories of some of the immigrants who helped build this country.

With its rich historical text, fascinating sidebars about many immigrants throughout time, an extensive source list and timeline, as well as captivating photos, American Immigration will become a go-to resource for every child, teacher, and librarian discussing the complex history of immigration.

America is a nation of immigrants. People have come to the United States from around the world seeking a better life and more opportunities, and our country would not be what it is today without their contributions.

From writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to scientists like Albert Einstein, to innovators like Elon Musk, this book honors the immigrants who have changed the way we think, eat, and live. Their stories serve as powerful reminders of the progress we've made, and the work that is still left to be done.

Table of Contents

	Introduction: No Place Like America	p. xi
	What Unites Us
	The Golden Door
	Immigrant Story-Emma Lazarus
	Controversy
	Not All of Us Are Immigrants
	Why It's Important
Chapter 1	Who Was Here First?	p. 1
	New News from Old Bones
	Before We Were Even a Country
	New England
	Immigrant Stories-Children of the Mayflower
Chapter 2	Women Take the Lead	p. 15
	Immigrant Story-Anne Bradstreet
	Immigrant Story-Anne Hutchinson
	Immigrant Story-Margaret Brent
	Immigrant Story-Elizabeth Glover
	Immigrant Story-Anna Zenger
	Immigrant Story-Mary Musgrove
	Immigrant Story-Ann Lee
Chapter 3	From New England Outward	p. 26
	Middle Colonies
	The Frontier
	The South
	Slaves, Not Immigrants
	Immigrant Story-Claude McKay
	Servants, Not Slaves
	What the Founders Said
Chapter 4	Hamilton versus Jefferson	p. 40
	The Law Steps In
	Perhaps the Ultimate Immigrant Story-Alexander Hamilton
Chapter 5	America Opens Its Arms	p. 45
	Immigrants Welcome!
	Brief History of Germans in America
	Immigrant Story-Levi Strauss
	Immigrant Story-Edward Stratemeyer
	Immigrant Story-Frederick Trump
	Immigrant Story-Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
	Brief History of the Irish in America
	Those Who Know Nothing
	Immigrant Story-Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
	What the Civil War Meant for Immigration
Chapter 6	Annie Moore and the Millions Who Followed	p. 60
	Ellis Island Opens
	The Statue of Liberty, Another Immigrant Story
	Reasons an Arrival Could Get Rejected
	Immigrant Story-Isaac Asimov
	Like a Little City
	Where Next?
	Immigrant Story-Annie Moore
	How the Other Half Lives
	Immigrant Story-Nikola Tesla
	Blowback
	Immigrant Story-Júlia Warhola
	End of Ellis Island
Chapter 7	Poems on the Walls	p. 78
	Gold!
	Immigrant Story-Wong Chin Foo
	Immigrant Story-Chang and Eng Bunker
	A First in American History
	The Purpose of Angel Island
	Sons of Paper
	"America Has Power, But Not Justice"
	Apologies
	Immigrant Story-Judy Chu
	Immigrant Story-Yo-Yo Ma
Chapter 8	More Ebbs and Flows into the 1900s-and Why	p. 99
	Immigrants from South and East India
	Muslims in America
	Immigrant Story-Zarif Khan, Hot Tamale Louie
	Immigrant Story-Luther George Simjian
	Immigrant Story-Steve Jobs
	Wars Intervene
	Immigrant Story-Peg O'Connor
	Emergency Quota Act of 1921
	Immigrant Story-Bela Lugosi
	Immigrant Story-Ralph Baer
Chapter 9	A Dark Chapter	p. 115
	Japanese in America
	The Roundups Begin
	The Camps
	Immigrant Story-Madeleine Sugimoto
	Life at Manzanar
	Immigrant Story-George Takei
	Aftermath
	Immigrant Story-Yoshiko Uchida
	Other Enemies
	Apologies
Chapter 10	Open Arms, Then Closed	p. 133
	Refugees
	Immigrant Story-Albert Einstein
	Another Kind of War
	Immigrant Story-Sergey Brin
	Immigrant Story-Gloria Estefan
	The Push-Pull Continues During the Cold War Years
	Immigrant Story-Nadia Comaneci
	Immigrant Story-Martina Navratilova
Chapter 11	The Sixties Bring an Epic Change	p. 144
	People Behind the Change
	What the Hart-Celler Act Did
	Immigrant Story-Jerry Yang
	Some Examples of Changes After 1965
	Immigrant Story-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
	Immigrant Story-Elon Musk
	Women Again Take the Lead
	More Refugees
	A Clustering Phenomenon
Chapter 12	The History of Mexicans in America from 1846 Onward	p. 161
	Up and Down
	Immigrant Story-Amelia Morán Ceja
	Needing Documents
	Immigrant Story-Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa
	Immigrant Story-José Quiñonez
Chapter 13	Helping Children	p. 170
	Immigrant Story-Henry Armetta
	Operation Babylift
	Immigrant Story-Andy Hoang
	The Lost Boys
	Immigrant Story-Alephonsion Deng
Chapter 14	The Food Chapter	p. 177
	Immigrant Story-David Tran
	From German to Chinese
	Immigrant Story-Henry John Heinz
	Immigrant Story-Dr. Yamei Kin
	And Much More
	Immigrant Story-Ranji Smile
	Immigrant Story-Roy Choi
	Immigrant Story-Reuben and Rose Mattus
	Can Food Be More than Food?
	Immigrant Story-Hamdi Ulukaya
Chapter 15	The Attacks of 9/11 and Immigration	p. 188
	American Response to 9/11
	Backlash Against Immigrants
	The Weaponizing of Immigration
Chapter 16	The Never-Ending Immigration Debate	p. 194
	Mini Melting Pots
	Immigrant Story-Zahraa Naser
	Immigrant Story- Ruhatijuru Sebatutsi
	Playing by the Rules
	The Push-Pull of the Obama Years
	Immigrant Story-Indira Isias
	Immigrant Story-John Lennon
	Enter Trump
	Immigrant Story-Wolf-Leib Glosser
	Border Wall
	Immigrant Story-Guadalupe Garcia Aguilar
	Immigrant Story-Larissa Martinez
	The Zero-Tolerance Border Policy
	The Facts
	Immigrant Story-Juan
	Manuel Montes
	Immigrant Story-Melania Trump
Chapter 17	The Future	p. 234
	Changes to Come
	Refugees
	Immigration Benefits
	Immigrant Story-Mike Krieger
	Immigrant Story-Max Lechvin
	Changing Attitudes
	Immigrant Story- Khizr Khan
	Sources	p. 247
	Photo credits	p. 251
	Index	p. 253
	Timeline	p. 256

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