Immigration for All Grades

According to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) estimates, well over one million legal and illegal immigrants are entering the United States annually. Communities across the land are divided over the economic and cultural impact of immigration and the policies that should be adopted to deal with the influx. As organizations take up opposing positions and bolster their arguments with statistics, a good factual grounding is important to shape opinions. The following books will give students a solid introduction to the current controversies and the historical background, and help them to understand the experiences of classmates or neighbors who have left their homelands for one reason or another and are undergoing tremendous changes or upheavals in their lives.

For older students, Helen Cothran's Illegal Immigration and Stephen Currie's Issues in Immigration impartially cover the current situation. Roger Daniels's American Immigration belongs in the most basic collections and should be supplemented, as needed, with volumes that treat immigration histories of specific ethnic groups. With immigrant teens flooding classrooms, Marina Budhos's Remix and Charles Shields's Amy Tan offer invaluable insights. Look to Edwidge Danticat's Behind the Mountains, An Na's poignant A Step from Heaven, and Jim Murphy's Pick & Shovel Poet for personal accounts of new Americans and the sometimes devastating toll such an experience takes.

Younger children will find many stories concerning the voyage over, be it in 1635, at the turn of the 20th century, or in modern times. The immigration experience in the early 20th century is best summed up in Ellen Levine's richly detailed If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island . Two books that appeal to a wide age range, Russell Freedman's Immigrant Kids and Raymond Bial's Tenement, provide a picture of the often appalling living conditions new arrivals experienced. The tug of two lands, so often a part of the immigrant experience, is beautifully expressed in Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey.

That immigrant experience belongs to everyone in the United States, whether immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Books like those listed below help young people to better understand and appreciate our country's ever-changing diversity and rich cultural heritage.–Diane S. Marton

Fiction

BUNTING, Eve. Dreaming of America: An Ellis Island Story. illus. by Ben F. Stahl. BridgeWater. 2000.
Gr 2-4 –On January 1, 1892, her 15th birthday, Annie Moore of Ireland became the first immigrant to enter the United States through the new Ellis Island facilities, the culmination of a voyage across the Atlantic with her two younger brothers to join their parents in New York. An afterword gives what little information is known about Annie and includes a photo.

BUNTING, Eve. How Many Days to America? illus. by Beth Peck. Clarion. 1988.
Gr 1-4 –After soldiers come one evening, a family flees their Caribbean island home "because we do not think the way they think," the father says. Crowded onto a small fishing boat with many other refugees, these modern-day pilgrims endure a perilous voyage marred by deprivation, sickness, gunshots, and thieves and finally arrive in America on Thanksgiving Day. Attractive, full-color double-spread illustrations capture both the mood of the story and the quiet dignity of the people.

CHENG, Andrea. Grandfather Counts. illus. by Ange Zhang. Lee & Low. 2000.
K-Gr 3 –Tensions caused when a Chinese-speaking grandfather comes to live with his family in the U.S. gradually give way to growing bonds between granddaughter and grandfather as they begin to share and learn one another's language. Bold, impressionistic paintings reinforce the authenticity of the relationship.

JASPERSOHN, William. The Two Brothers. illus. by Michael A. Donato. Vermont Folklife Center. 2000.
K-Gr 3 –In this tale based on a true account, two brothers from Prussia, coming to the U.S. five years apart in the 1880s, unknowingly settle on adjacent farms and are reunited while mending fences. Oil-painting illustrations reinforce the dignified, straightforward text.

KAY, Verla. Tattered Sails. illus. by Dan Andreasen. Putnam. 2001.
K-Gr 3 –Taut, rhythmic text and absorbing illustrations perfectly capture the excitement, beauty, and hardships of one family's voyage from "London crowded, Choked with crime" to the "Freedom, fresh air" of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. A handsome offering and fine read-aloud.

KURTZ, Jane. Faraway Home. illus. by E. B. Lewis. Harcourt/Gulliver. 2000.
K-Gr 3 –When Desta's father must return to Ethiopia to attend his sick mother, the young girl worries that he might not come back. Evocative, realistic watercolors of life here and in Africa combine with the lyrical text to give fresh meaning to the terms family, separation, and home.

LEVINSON, Riki. Watch the Stars Come Out. illus. by Diane Goode. Puffin. 1995.
K-Gr 3 –At the turn of the 20th century, a young girl and her 10-year-old big brother sailed to New York to rejoin their parents. When the little girl became a mother, she told this childhood story to her daughter every Friday night at bedtime. The daughter, now a grandmother, repeats the tale to her own star-gazing grandchild. Soft pastel illustrations echo the child's simple perspective.

MACHLIN, Mikki. My Name Is Not Gussie. illus. by author. Houghton/A Walter Lorraine Bk. 1999.
Gr 2-5 –Fictionalized vignettes portray Golda, a turn-of-the-20th-century Jewish girl, from the time she leaves her grandparents in Russia until a few months after settling in a New York City tenement. Humor abounds, whether Golda is telling about shipboard life, her name being changed at Ellis Island, or her brother's confusing the words "milliner" and "millionaire." Each spread is self-contained, with a vignette on the left and a bright busy watercolor on the right.

PARK, Frances & Ginger Park. Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong. illus. by Yangsook Choi. National Geographic. 2002.
Gr 1-3 –Eight-year-old Jangmi hates leaving the familiar faces, places, and experiences of her Korean home. After settling in Massachusetts with her familiar belongings and discovering the possibilities for new friends and good times, she understands that she may someday love her new country as much as her homeland. Simple, subdued oil paintings effectively convey the child's emotions and some of the differences between the two cultures.

SAY, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. illus. by author. Houghton. 1993.
K-Gr 4 –In this fictionalized account, Say describes his grandfather's love for his native land and the lure of life in America, feelings the author experienced firsthand when he emigrated from Japan to the United States. In so doing, he sums up the quintessential immigrant experience, "the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." Carefully composed, exquisite watercolors, resembling photographs in an album, match the quiet restraint and elegance of the text.

TARBESCU, Edith. Annushka's Voyage. illus. by Lydia Dabcovich. Clarion. 1998.
K-Gr 3 –Annushka tells of leaving her grandparents and Russian homeland and sailing with her little sister to New York City, where Papa awaits. Grandma's Sabbath candlesticks held high keep the girls together as they disembark the crowded ship and later help Papa spot them at Ellis Island. This story is based on the experiences of the author's mother and aunt, pictured at book's end with a historical note.

Nonfiction

BIAL, Raymond. Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side. photos. by author. Houghton. 2002
Gr 4-8 –A spare text, stunning color pictures taken at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and reformer Jacob Riis's archival photographs transport readers back to the cramped quarters and crowded Manhattan streets of the early 1900s, home to numberless immigrants.

FREEDMAN, Russell. Immigrant Kids. Puffin. 1995.
Gr 4-8 –An informative text and early 20th-century archival photographs, many taken by New Yorkers Lewis Hine and Jacob Riis, picture immigrant children at home, school, work, play, and also on the voyage to America from Europe.

LEVINE, Ellen. If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island. illus. by Wayne Parmenter. Scholastic. 1993.
Gr 3-6 –Utilizing a question-and-answer format, impressionistic artwork, and numerous personal anecdotes, this title remains the best basic introduction to immigration through Ellis Island at the turn of the 20th century. It explains why immigrants left their European homeland, conditions on the voyage over, and the Ellis Island experience itself, including the physical and mental examinations, and the food and accommodations for detainees.

SCHANZER, Rosalyn. Escaping to America: A True Story. illus. by author. HarperCollins. 2000.
K-Gr 4 –One Jewish family's escape from the turmoil in Poland in 1921, their journey across the ocean in steerage class, and a joyful reunion with relatives in America mirrors the experience of many of today's immigrants. Lively illustrations, rich in vibrant blues, burst forth onto white margins, inviting readers to search out details along the journey.

Fiction

DANTICAT, Edwidge. Behind the Mountains. Scholastic/Orchard. 2002.
Gr 6-10 –Despite charming mountain villages with "rainbows during sun showers," Haiti's poverty and violence impel many inhabitants to leave. A young teen's journal relates the modern immigrant experience as she describes the move to Brooklyn with her mother and older brother to join her father who had left five years earlier.

GÜNDISCH, Karin. How I Became an American. tr. from German by James Skofield. Cricket. 2001.
Gr 4-7 –"Johnny," Johann in his homeland of Austria-Hungary, weaves together an upbeat and entertaining tale of the adventures, joys, and tragedies of his family, early 20th-century immigrants to Youngstown, OH, where his father worked in the steel foundries.

NA, An. A Step from Heaven. Front St. 2001.
Gr 8 Up –America hardly proves "a step from heaven" for one Korean immigrant family. Young Ju chronicles the frustrations, small joys, tragedies of acculturation—and her eventual success, as she matures from preschooler to college student. Vignettes touch upon the difficulties some immigrants face, be it adjusting to strange customs and a new language or sinking into the depths of physical abuse and alcoholism.

Nonfiction

BUDHOS, Marina. Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers. Holt. 1999.
Gr 6 Up –Young adults from across the country tell of the changing relationships within their own families and ethnic communities as well as their struggles and adjustments with peer groups at school and individuals in the neighborhood. In so doing, they provide insight into contemporary American teenage culture.

COTHRAN, Helen, ed. Illegal Immigration. (Current Controversies Series). Gale/Greenhaven. 2001.
Gr 8 Up –This volume presents the pros and cons on four major issues: Is illegal immigration a serious problem, is it harmful, are illegal immigrants treated fairly, and how should the government respond? It covers not only the oft-reported situation at the Mexican border, but also the problems along the Canadian border and with visa abusers. A lengthy annotated list of related organizations is included.

CURRIE, Stephen. Issues in Immigration. (Contemporary Issues Series). Gale/Lucent. 2000.
Gr 6 Up –In this thoughtful, well-organized, and evenhanded presentation, the author questions whether or not assimilation should be a priority for immigrants, if immigration harms U.S. workers, if new arrivals should be denied access to government services, if efforts to halt immigration should be strengthened, and whether or not policy should be reformed.

DANIELS, Roger. American Immigration. (Oxford Student Companions to American History Series). Oxford Univ. 2001.
Gr 6 Up –This comprehensive encyclopedia discusses the history of different ethnic groups and major legislation; key terms and concepts, such as "green card" and "nativism"; the differing categories of immigrants, such as "indentured servants" and "refugees"; and various religious groups and churches. Each entry is followed by numerous cross-references and short bibliographies.

HOOBLER, Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler. The Irish American Family Album. (American Family Albums Series). Oxford Univ. 1998.
Gr 5-10 –Selections from diaries, letters, interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, and books provide an arresting picture of the Irish in America, from conditions causing them to leave their homeland through their integration into American life. Each chapter opens with a summarizing essay and includes numerous period photographs and informative sidebars. Like others in this fine series, this title offers sufficient report material and fascinating browsing.

JOSELIT, Jenna Weissman. Immigration and American Religion. (Religion in American Life Series). Oxford Univ. 2001.
Gr 6 Up –Chapters devoted to Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, and the Asian religions show how they evolved in the United States due to the influence of various immigrant groups. The interesting text, rich in quotations from immigrants and their religious leaders, tells as much about these new Americans as it does about their religions.

MURPHY, Jim. Across America on an Emigrant Train. Clarion. 1993.
Gr 5 Up –Robert Louis Stevenson wrote of his journey by ship from Scotland in 1879 to this country and then across America to California on an "emigrant train." Expanding upon the writer's journal, Murphy describes not only the travelers and their experiences, but also the building of the railroad and its effect upon the territory it crossed.

MURPHY, Jim. Pick & Shovel Poet: The Journeys of Pascal D'Angelo. Clarion. 2000.
Gr 5 Up –Murphy describes the life of Pascal D'Angelo, who came to America in 1910. Like countless other immigrants of that period, he found only low-paying work doing heavy manual labor, helping to build roads and railroads. But D'Angelo also taught himself to read and write English, and after discovering poetry, he began writing his own, drawing on his Italian childhood and work experiences.

NAFF, Alixa. The Arab Americans. (The Immigrant Experience Series). Chelsea House. 1998.
Gr 6-10 –A clearly written text presents a well-balanced, detailed account of the Arabs' homeland and culture, their immigration to the U.S., and assimilation into American life while striving to maintain an ethnic identity. Concluding with profiles of prominent Arab Americans, this series entry has an eight-page, full-color insert and black-and-white photographs scattered throughout. An excellent choice for report writers.

SHIELDS, Charles J. Amy Tan. (Women of Achievement Series). Chelsea House. 2001.
Gr 5 Up –Second-generation American Amy Tan, who journeyed from rebellious youth to successful writer, provides an encouraging example for immigrant teens and children of immigrants who are struggling to cope with their bicultural heritage and parents who they feel are not accepting of American youth culture.