Immigrant Struggles, Immigrant Gifts

Book excerpt: The latest book from the Immigrant Learning Center addresses some of the most prominent immigrant groups and the most striking episodes of nativism in American history. The introduction covers American immigration history and law as they have developed since the late eighteenth century. The essays that follow--authored by historians, sociologists, and anthropologists--examine the experiences of a large variety of populations to discover patterns in both immigration and anti-immigrant sentiment. The numerous cases reveal much about the immigrants' motivations for leaving their home countries, the obstacles they face to advancement and inclusion, their culture and occupational trends in the United States, their assimilation and acculturation, and their accomplishments and contributions to American life. Contributors Wayne Cornelius, University of California, San Diego * Anna Gressel-Bacharan, independent scholar * Nancy Foner, Hunter College * David W. Haines, George Mason University * Luciano J. Iorizo, SUNY Oswego * Alexander Kitroeff, Haverford College * Erika Lee, University of Minnesota * Deborah Dash Moore, University of Michigan * David M. Reimers, New York University * William G. Ross, Cumberland School of Law * Robert Zecker, Saint Francis Xavier University Distributed for George Mason University Press