Anderson, Stuart.  Immigration.  Greenwood, 2010.  228p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780313380280, $55.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2010dec CHOICE.
48-2350    JV6456    2010-7888 CIP

This timely book offers a concise and lucid overview of the volatile subject of immigration in the US. Beginning with the Colonial period in America, Anderson (executive director, National Foundation for American Policy) displays a solid grasp of a complex problem. His analysis demonstrates that US immigration policy is characterized by hostility toward ethnic groups, social manipulation, and ineffective laws. In the 1870s, for example, public sentiment resulted in open violence against Chinese immigrants and their eventual exclusion from entry into the US. Anderson documents the many contributions immigrants have made to American society, such as the fact that they account for more than 20 percent of Medal of Honor winners in the armed forces. In a chapter devoted to legal immigration, he describes the lengthy procedures by which some individuals might qualify for citizenship under a point system that is actually “pointless.” Moreover, the current outcry against illegal immigration promotes further dysfunctional measures and fails to address the reality of US labor markets. Immigrants do not take jobs away from Americans but rather tend to expand the “economic pie.” Overall, this excellent study adds a dose of reality to a debate driven by ideology and political opportunism. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels of students; faculty; researchers; professionals; general readers. — R. L. Hogler, Colorado State University

Daniels, Roger.  Guarding the Golden Door: American immigration policy and immigrants since 1882.  Hill and Wang, 2004.  328p bibl index afp ISBN 0-8090-5343-8, $30.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2004oct CHOICE.
42-1129    JV6483    2003-7714 CIP

Daniels (Univ. of Cincinnati) has written many excellent studies of immigration history, but this is surely one of his best. His penetrating scholarship and skill with demographics make this study of the myths and realities of US immigration history fascinating reading and a compelling expos^D’é. (expose.) Despite Americans’ cherished self-image as a “nation of immigrants” with a “Golden Door,” modern immigration policies, established by uninformed, sometimes misinformed legislators and administrators, have been racist, nativist, and ideological. Ironically, the Immigration and Naturalization Service consistently worked against its designated clientele. Daniels supports these powerful charges with rock solid evidence. Part 1 demonstrates how the Golden Door barred most Asian, Jewish, and communist immigrants between 1882 and 1965 and established quotas for many others. Part 2 deals with piecemeal efforts (during 1965 to 2001) to admit immigrant refugees, displaced persons, and bracero-type short-term workers. Most of the new laws, including some surprising amnesties, had unintended consequences that expanded rather than controlled immigration. A short epilogue ponders the impact that 9/11 will have on future immigration. Excellent tables and graphs reinforce this very readable and well researched and documented study that belongs in every public and academic library, and that should be mandatory reading for all elected and appointed government officials. Summing Up: Essential. All libraries. — E. L. Turk, Indiana University East

Encyclopedia of immigration and migration in the American West, ed. by Gordon Morris Bakken and Alexandra Kindell.  Sage Publications, CA, 2006.  2v bibl index afp ISBN 1-4129-0550-8, $250.00. Reviewed in 2006sep CHOICE.
44-0052    HB1965    2005-25714 CIP

Encompassing most of the states west of the Mississippi, this encyclopedia offers many examples, primarily from the 19th and 20th centuries, of the interaction among varying people, landscapes, climates, natural resources, and events. Over 100 authors, mostly from educational institutions and museums, contributed to this work, which is edited by two professors from California State Univ.–Fullerton. Particular strengths reside in separate entries on Indian tribes and on the internal migrations of African Americans and women. The encyclopedia devotes less coverage to its urban sketches, which are presumably meant to be representative rather than comprehensive, and to its articles on European and Asian groups. Although Frisians, Basques, Italians, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans receive separate essays, information on Germans, Poles, Russians, Filipinos, and others must be gleaned, with the help of the index, from larger articles. Although the straightforward, noninterpretive entries will satisfy most readers, others might wish for more information (such as the origins of the names of several towns and the inclusion of other communities). Nevertheless, as the West is currently the fastest growing part of the US and arguably where the future of America lies, this is a noteworthy contribution to regional research that will be indispensable for area studies collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. –  F. J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress

Ettinger, Patrick.  Imaginary lines: border enforcement and the origins of undocumented immigration, 1882-1930.  Texas, 2009.  244p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780292721180, $60.00. Reviewed in 2010sep CHOICE.
48-0461    JV6453    2009-13817 CIP

The Chinese were the first major group of illegal immigrants; they came to the US through Canada and Mexico in violation of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Border officials found out as early as the 1890s that it was impossible to prevent determined people from making illicit crossings into the US along the country’s long borders. Nativist impulses also created fear about increasing immigration from southern and eastern Europe, beginning early in US history. Ettinger (California State Univ., Sacramento) examines the history of immigration restriction by looking at the laws and the politics that produced them; he also looks at social attitudes toward less-preferred racial and ethnic groups, paupers, and the sick. While the Chinese were the first group of unwanted immigrants from Mexico, other groups, like the Japanese and Lebanese, disguised themselves as Mexicans. And during the Mexican Revolution, Mexicans themselves crossed the border in increasing numbers looking for safety and work. Smuggling became an issue at this time, too. The conclusion brings readers up to date with the ingenuity of immigrants and official policy makers who try to outsmart them. The research includes oral histories and government documents, with an impressive array of secondary sources. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. – 
J. A. Stuntz, West Texas A&M University

Immigrant families in contemporary society, ed. by Jennifer E. Lansford, Kirby Deater-Deckard, and Marc H. Bornstein.  Guilford, 2007.  336p bibl index afp ISBN 1-59385-403-X, $40.00; ISBN 9781593854034, $40.00. Reviewed in 2008apr CHOICE.
45-4698    JV6033    2006-34075 CIP

Immigrants represent an expanding presence in the US; as their numbers grow, so does research on various aspects of their American experience. There is growing recognition that the immigrant family is particularly important because it shapes immigration in profound ways. For instance, family-related migration clearly dominates contemporary migration to the US. Recognizing such realities, the editors present a cogent collection of readings meant to illustrate how family frames immigrants’ assimilation into a number of societies. The book’s three sections aim at being broad based. Consequently, section 1 pulls from a variety of disciplines to provide a theoretical overview; section 2 illustrates diversity in family processes; section 3 examines the diversity of social contexts affecting families. Some articles omit well-known sociological theories of assimilation, inclusion of which would sharpen discussion of that process. But, on the whole, these articles are short and sharp, presenting a great deal of information in a small space. They are highly readable, and their cross-cultural focus is a major strength of the book. Readers will learn a great deal about the immigrant family and why it is so important. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. – 
M. Vickerman, University of Virginia

Immigrants outside megalopolis: ethnic transformation in the heartland, ed. by Richard C. Jones.  Lexington Books, 2008.  319p index afp ISBN 0-7391-1919-2, $80.00; ISBN 9780739119198, $80.00. Reviewed in 2009feb CHOICE.
46-3561    JV6465    2007-47336 CIP

New immigrants to the US almost all settle in urban areas, but not necessarily the usual concentrated urban areas or megalopolises, such as New York, Los Angeles, etc. Rather, they are now prominently dispersed throughout the country in heartland cities such as Dallas and San Antonio, Portland (Oregon), New Orleans, and Iowa City, as well as in small towns such as Utica, New York, Leadville, Colorado, and Garden City, Kansas. The 11 original case studies in this important collection by geographers and other social scientists each focus on one new immigrant group in one location; they all address how each group forms new social landscapes and negotiates social-economic integration into mainstream society. In addition to Mexicans, other immigrants covered are the Vietnamese, South Asians, Central and South Americans, Bosnians and Eastern Europeans, Hmong, Cubans, and Iranians. Without minimizing conflict and tension in shared spaces, the editor concludes that after assessing the costs and benefits of immigration, its impact on mainstream US society is, on the whole, a positive one. These essays may not calm the furious debate over new immigrants, but the concrete data they provide cannot be simply ignored. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — E. Hu-DeHart, Brown University

Immigration and asylum: from 1900 to the present, ed. by Matthew J. Gibney and Randall Hansen.  ABC-Clio, 2005.  3v index afp ISBN 1-57607-796-9, $285.00. Reviewed in 2006feb CHOICE.
43-3162    JV6012    2005-13788 CIP

This three-volume work is unique in its emphasis on refugees and asylum seekers. Its scope extends from the 20th century to the present, including the 9/11 period. The first two volumes cover the laws, processes, and barriers facing asylum seekers, as well as topics such as racism and public health. Entries are included for Angola, Colombia, and the other ten countries that produce the largest number of refugees. In addition, Filipinos, Turks, and people in other diasporas are included, as are those who have been forced to migrate. Although Gibney and Hansen are both at Oxford and most of the contributors hail from the commonwealth or Europe, the main focus of the entries is the US; as the editors note, it is the “premier country of immigration.” As with any such work, there can be any number of arguments over what was included and what was not. This set represents judicious selection. The entries are several pages in length and include bibliographies. The third volume is a valuable compilation of national and international documents pertaining to immigration and asylum. The set is very well indexed. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduate collections. — D. Liestman, Seattle Pacific University

Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930, by Harvard University Library.  Internet Resource.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2007dec CHOICE.
45-2220
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/ 

[Visited Sep’07] Harvard University Libraries provide online access to their US immigration resources, which include approximately 1,800 books and pamphlets, 9,000 photographs, and over 10,000 pages from manuscript and archival collections. Perhaps the richest part of the collection are the books, most of which were published between 1900 and 1930 and cover all aspects of immigration. The full text of each book can be printed or saved to disk as a PDF file, in whole or in part, and the thousands of manuscript/archival pages are available for print or downloading. These materials range from personal papers to institutional materials and provide rich detail about specific aspects of immigration history. The collection’s third major component is the photographs. Although not all of the 9,000 photos are available as viewable images, those that have been digitized are valuable in terms of their quality and range of topics. The Web site is functional, if not overly user-friendly. There are excellent help files, so experienced researchers will have little problem figuring it out. The collection’s catalog records are available and searchable, but the text of the documents and books is not. All material can be browsed, and the browse feature is the best way to get a quick sense of the collection’s contents. Browse menu material is organized by genre (books, manuscripts, photos) or by subject. Subjects include topics, themes, people, and organizations, as well as a time line that contains links to relevant material in the collection. There are also links to other online collections of immigration materials and to the other Harvard online resources. This Web site provides valuable material for students and scholars working in immigration history. For those working in areas addressed by the manuscript materials, or for those surveying 19th- and early-20th-century publications on immigration, this collection and its accessibility is a treasure. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — C. D. Wintz, Texas Southern University

Inheriting the city: the children of immigrants come of age, by Philip Kasinitz et al.  Harvard/Russell Sage Foundation, 2008.  420p bibl index afp ISBN 0-674-02803-1, $45.00; ISBN 9780674028036  $45.00. Reviewed in 2008dec CHOICE.
46-2392    JV6600    2007-36136 CIP

Mining survey data, census, and in-depth interviews, the authors (CUNY and Hunter College sociologists) examine how immigrant children are being integrated into US society. The New York City study sample includes immigrant Russian Jews, Chinese, South Americans, West Indians, and Dominicans, and native-born comparison groups of whites, blacks, and Puerto Ricans. The book depicts how the second generation’s immigrant parents came to New York and settled into life in the US, but the primary focus is on the second generation’s process of selective acculturation in the context of the impact of their families, neighborhoods, schools, and college experience. The authors also explore immigrant children’s participation in the labor force, marriage and parenting, and politics, and the prejudice and discrimination they encounter. This study demonstrates how children of immigrants combine US and parental cultural beliefs and practices in achieving their educational and occupational aspirations, and the variations and differences across immigrant and native-born groups. The research explodes many myths about immigrants as represented by the mass media and public opinion, resulting in a valuable study that makes a significant contribution to the growing literature on immigration. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — D. A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

Johnson, Kevin R.  The “huddled masses” myth: immigration and civil rights.  Temple University, 2004.  254p index afp ISBN 1-59213-205-7, $59.50; ISBN 1-59213-206-5 pbk, $19.95. Reviewed in 2004nov CHOICE.
42-1639    KF4819    2003-50792 CIP

Legal scholar Johnson (Univ. of California, Davis) wades directly into the troubled waters of the dark and harsh underbelly of US immigration history. Despite welcoming more “huddled masses” than any other country in history, the US has also been quick to enact multiple laws of exclusion based on race, class, gender, sexuality, political ideology, criminality, and now, perhaps, religion. The author argues that there is a troubling link between immigration status and race. Despite mid-1960s immigration reform, which presumably lifted race-based exclusions, there remains the persistent construction of Mexicans as illegal aliens, the interdiction of Haitians before they can enter US waters, and Proposition 187 in California, which sought to deny basic human rights to some immigrants. The author concludes that such attacks mask racist intentions against US minority citizens. With equal passion, Johnson exposes historical and recent exclusion of political dissidents, the poor, “criminal aliens,” and women and sexual minorities, and argues passionately for a new civil rights agenda. In this post-9/11 moment, when hundreds of Muslim “enemy aliens” (as well as US citizen Jose Padilla, a Puerto Rican convert to Islam) have been interned at the Guant^D’ánamo (Guantanamo) Bay army base, this is a most timely study. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — E. Hu-DeHart, Brown University

Keeping out the other: a critical introduction to immigration enforcement today, ed. by David C. Brotherton and Philip Kretsedemas.  Columbia, 2008.  410p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780231141291 pbk, $24.50; ISBN 9780231141284, $74.50.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2008dec CHOICE.
46-2157    JV6483    2007-46568 CIP

Fifteen well-documented critical essays examine the process and problems associated with enforcement of US immigration laws and regulations. The essays express empathy toward the idea of humanity and accord justice to the foreign nationals seeking asylum or permanent residence. The authors–academics, lawyers, community activists, and journalists–raise key questions about immigration policy and the treatment of noncitizens. The essays use interview data, case studies of deportation, and rich descriptions of how the immigration system functions to provide insights into policy trends, political and ethical questions, human rights and social justice issues, the role of the media, etc. The authors critically examine the US system of secret prisons, impact of 9/11, national security measures, racial profiling, detention and deportation of “aliens” without due process and the rule of law, and bureaucratic practices based on a presumption of guilt directed at Muslims and other minorities. They demonstrate the interlinkage of immigration enforcement, democracy, social justice, and civic participation. The editors provide a succinct introduction and a cogent conclusion by delineating the liberal and reactionary features of US immigration policy and critically reviewing immigration policy enforcement issues. This timely, valuable book significantly contributes to the field of immigration policy and practice, and political studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — D. A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

Lee, Erika.  Angel Island: immigrant gateway to America, by Erika Lee and Judy Yung.  Oxford, 2010.  394p bibl index afp ISBN 0-19-973408-9, $27.95; ISBN 9780199734085, $27.95. Reviewed in 2011may CHOICE.
48-5292    JV6926    2009-54343 CIP

Arriving on the heels of Robert Eric Barde’s Immigration at the Golden Gate (CH, Mar’09, 46-4016), Angel Island is a valuable contribution to the emerging interpretation of the history of the immigration station at San Francisco. Lee (Minnesota) and Yung (emer., Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) probe their subject more broadly and deeply than do the authors of other works on the subject. While they cover some of the same ground as Barde in addressing the comparatively understudied entry of Chinese on the West Coast, these authors go further by probing the diversity of the immigrant experience. Theirs is an expansive, inclusive, and empathetic treatment that encompasses the experiences of Japanese, South Asian, Korean, Jewish, Mexican, and Filipino arrivals, as well as the Chinese. Thoroughly researched and documented, the book is published in conjunction with the restoration of the entry point as a historic site. Lee and Yung’s attention to class and gender as well as race provides both personal and scholarly context for the many newcomers who have until recently been ignored and underrepresented in popular and academic studies of US immigration. Summing Up: Highly recommended. For a wide variety of academic and public libraries as well as general readers. — C. K. Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Lee, Jennifer.  The diversity paradox: immigration and the color line in twenty-first century America, by Jennifer Lee and Frank D. Bean.  Russell Sage Foundation, 2010.  234p bibl index afp ISBN 0-87154-041-X, $37.50; ISBN 9780871540416, $37.50. Reviewed in 2011may CHOICE.
48-5399    JV6475    2010-3237 CIP

This very timely study is long overdue in view of the swelling numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America since 1965 (both categories exhibit enormous ethnic and even racial diversity within) who are changing the demographics, race relations, and ethnoracial identities of the US in the 21st century. Using both quantitative analysis based on census and survey data and qualitative analysis based on in-depth interviews, the authors (both, Univ. of California, Irvine) interrogate whether the new immigrants reinforce or disrupt the historical white-black racial dynamic through close examination of patterns of intermarriage and multiracial identifications. They discover a “diversity paradox”; as the US becomes more diverse, Asians and Latinos, who identify as multiracial or even pass as white in growing numbers, experience and define increasingly fluid and fuzzy racial boundaries both structurally and culturally speaking. African Americans, however, remain closely identified with the black racial label and resist, or are denied the option of, multiraciality, a phenomenon the authors term “black exceptionalism,” even as blackness itself in the US also becomes more heterogeneous by class and immigration. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — E. Hu-DeHart, Brown University

Martinez Jr., Ramiro.  Immigration and crime: race, ethnicity, and violence, ed. by Ramiro Martinez Jr., and Abel Valenzuela Jr.  New York University, 2006.  238p bibl index afp ISBN 0-8147-5704-9, $70.00; ISBN 9780814757055 pbk, $22.00; ISBN 9780814757048, $70.00; ISBN 0814757057 pbk, $22.00. Reviewed in 2007jan CHOICE.
44-2987    HV6181    2006-2281 CIP

In the current debate about the positive and negative impacts of immigration, the relationship between immigration and crime is often mentioned. A view that public discourse perpetuates is that immigrants are overrepresented among the ranks of criminals. This edited volume dispels such a view by providing both theoretical and empirical evidence that there is a negative relationship, or no association, between immigrants and violence. A number of the contributors conclude that first-generation immigrants especially are less likely to engage in criminal behavior than the native population. Moreover, when first-generation immigrants do engage in crime and violence, factors such as economic deprivation and residential instability are more important than their immigrant status. Using different theoretical and methodological approaches, the contributors examine immigrants as both criminal offenders and victims. They cover topics such as juvenile violence, violence against day laborers, and the impact of class, race, and ethnicity on criminal involvement. The only topic missing from this excellent volume is a more substantial discussion of gender violence. Nevertheless, this book is a must read for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in criminology and immigration. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — G. Rabrenovic, Northeastern University

Massey, Douglas S.  Brokered boundaries: creating immigrant identity in anti-immigrant times, by Douglas S. Massey and Magaly S^D’ánchez R.  Russell Sage Foundation, 2010.  305p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780871545794, $39.95.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2010nov CHOICE.
48-1781    JV6465    2010-4027 CIP

This book offers an important contribution to what is rapidly becoming a saturated academic field. Massey (sociology, Woodrow Wilson School) has long been a venerated expert on immigration; his sound quantitative data and analyses provide some of the most dependable information to the heated and emotional debate about immigration reform in the US. This book offers new, fresh, revealing data with a known imprimatur of reliability. The authors offer quantitative corroboration of what many analysts have been saying for years: immigrants maintain transnational ties, negotiate their aspirations with the often harsh realities of life in the US, and develop an emergent sense of Latino identity and a contingent sense of being American, tempered by experiences of exclusion and exploitation. The authors also offer some novel findings: remittances and transnational gift giving do not directly correlate with time in the US, status as a first- or second-generation immigrant, or even financial and employment status. The book ends with a profound admonition in these volatile times: “Immigrants inevitably must bear most of the burden in brokering boundaries in the United States, but we do not have to make it so difficult for them.” Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — A. F. Galvez, Lehman College/CUNY

Myers, Dowell.  Immigrants and boomers: forging a new social contract for the future of America.  Russell Sage Foundation, 2007.  356p bibl index afp ISBN 0-87154-636-1, $35.00; ISBN 9780871546364, $35.00. Reviewed in 2007nov CHOICE.
45-1757    JV647    2006-33289 CIP

Myers (policy/planning, Univ. of Southern California) presents past and future trends of demographic transition in the US. He includes an in-depth analysis of the native-born and immigrant population of California and the big picture of historical and recent patterns of immigration in the US, and examines the impact of the aging population and the challenges posed by the increasing diverse ethnic mix of immigrants. The author evaluates key demographic facts such as aging of the baby boomers, growing racial/ethnic diversity of immigrants and their children’s upward mobility, and issues related to political participation and democratic institutions, fiscal crisis, and the housing market. Myers argues that a new social contract can be rebuilt through an emphasis on the mutual self-interest of intergenerational and interethnic cooperation. He reviews choices and policy implications, and suggests how interactions between immigrant progress and baby boomers’ aging can benefit all of the US. This story of hope for both immigrants and native-born Americans is a well-researched, insightful, and illuminating study that provides compelling evidence to support a policy of homegrown human investment as a new priority. A timely, valuable addition to demographic and immigration studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — D. A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

North American immigrant letters, diaries and oral histories. Contact Alexander Street Press for subscription information.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2006sup CHOICE. 
43Sup-0654
http://www.alexanderstreet2.com/imldlive/index.html
 
[Visited May’04] This source includes 342 authors and consists of approximately 37,500 pages of information, most of it previously unpublished. A formidable source for personal views of immigration to the US and Canada, 1800-1950, it emphasizes the 1840s and the period 1890-1914. Originally released in 2001 and updated since (Alexander Street Press issued Release 2 in November 2003), it includes a welcome and unabashed list of errata awaiting changes in the next renewal. Produced in collaboration with the University of Chicago, it draws on the editorial talents of many leaders in immigration studies, among them Joel Wurl (Univ. of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center, whose Web site http://www.ihrc.umn.edu/ is the only online rival to NAIL); Hasia Diner (New York Univ.); and Donna Gabaccia (Univ. of North Carolina–Charlotte). Loading and maneuvering the database are virtually effortless. Users are invited not only to e-mail for technical support or to report factual errors but also to submit items for admission (for which they may be paid royalties). Materials may be searched through multiple facets–author, source, year, place, nationality, personal events (childbirth, death of a relative, graduation, starting a job, marriage), and institutional subjects (labor unions, churches, schools, immigration societies.) Both beginning researchers and advanced scholars will benefit from this site’s collection of primary and secondary documents, which take various formats–e.g., immigrant guide books, audio interviews, and anti-immigrant cartoons from Puck, Harper’s Weekly, and Judge’s Library. For first-time users, the Help link gives a ten-minute guided tour through the site’s basic features and searching techniques earmarked to different levels. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections. — F. J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress

Orrenius, Pia M.  Beside the golden door: U.S. immigration reform in a new era of globalization, by Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny.  AEI Press, 2010.  157p bibl index ISBN 0-8447-4332-1, $32.95; ISBN 9780844743325, $32.95. Reviewed in 2011feb CHOICE.
48-3372    JV6483    2010-19592 CIP

In a politicized environment, US immigration policy is stymied by entrenched positions that defeat reasonable proposals and compromise. In 2006, for example, a comprehensive immigration bill passed in the Senate but failed in the House because it appeared to offer “amnesty” to some illegal immigrants and was rejected on that ground. The fastest route now to a permanent resident visa and eventual citizenship is to marry a US citizen. Orrenius (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) and Zavodny (economics, Agnes Scott College) argue for abandoning such outdated approaches and creating a pro-growth strategy using a model driven by labor markets. They propose increasing immigration for workers with desirable skills and reducing visas issued to individuals with family ties. To control illegal immigration, policy should focus on interior enforcement through a combination of visas for low-skill workers and better employment verification. Further modifications would include provisional rather than permanent immigration, differentiation of work permits by skill level, an auction system for permits, alternatives to existing family-oriented approaches, and options for dealing with the current population of illegal immigrants. This book lays out a sensible, inclusive reform program that should be taken seriously by anyone concerned with the subject. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; students, upper-division undergraduate and up; researchers and professionals. — R. L. Hogler, Colorado State University

Roediger, David R.  Working toward whiteness: how America’s immigrants became white: the strange journey from Ellis Island to the suburbs.  Basic Books, 2005.  339p index ISBN 0-465-07073-6, $26.95.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2006apr CHOICE.
43-4875    E184     MARC

Since the days of Benjamin Franklin, Americans have struggled to define themselves in ways that both suit their sense of self-identity and help them delineate those of the proverbial “others”–those in their midst, yet seemingly different. Twentieth-century efforts largely have divided US society into two groups, those who are white, and those who are not. Roediger’s brilliantly written work, intellectual history at its finest, examines how immigrants fit into this dynamic. On the basis of extensive research in both primary (although mostly published, as opposed to manuscripts) and secondary sources, the author (Univ. of Illinois) argues that immigrants initially occupied a status “in between” black and white, but that by the New Deal and WW II, they had “worked” their way into the ranks of whites. This, in turn, reinforced the still popular notions of a racially bifurcated US society. Not everyone will agree with all of Roediger’s interpretations and conclusions, but this should not detract from his careful reasoning, based on solid evidence, and clear presentation. This work will join the author’s previous book, The Wages of Whiteness (CH, Mar’92, 29-4105), and Matthew F. Jacobson’s Whiteness of a Different Color (1998) as the standard texts dealing with matters of ethnic identity. Summing Up: Essential. All academic readers/libraries. –
 R. F. Zeidel, University of Wisconsin—Stout

Rubin, Rachel.  Immigration and American popular culture: an introduction, by Rachel Rubin and Jeffrey Melnick.  New York University, 2007.  302p bibl index afp ISBN 0-8147-7553-5, $70.00; ISBN 0814775527 pbk, $21.00; ISBN 9780814775530, $70.00; ISBN 9780814775523 pbk, $21.00. Reviewed in 2007dec CHOICE.
45-2109    JV6465    2006-17648 CIP

Immigration is an issue that dominates the current and historical landscape of the US. American studies professors Rubin (Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston) and Melnick (Babson College) examine 20th-century immigration’s relationship with popular culture. The authors present the material not in a conventional narrative fashion, but rather as case studies, devoting separate chapters to specific immigrant groups and the cultural activity that illuminates their culture in a particular time and place. This organizational structure yields a compelling, dynamic exploration of immigrants as both creators and subjects of popular culture. Chapters address such representations as the Jewish gangster in Hollywood films, Puerto Ricans in New York City as depicted through West Side Story, the Jamaican contribution to hip-hop and global music, and Asian American cyberzines. Stated as such, this simplifies the authors’ careful analysis of immigration history and policy as well as the evolving nature of immigration. In fact, Rubin and Melnick have crafted a thought-provoking examination of immigration history, emphasized through the imagery and production of popular culture in the US. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. — J. J. Moss, University of Iowa

Schrag, Peter.  Not fit for our society: nativism and immigration.  California, 2010.  199p index afp; ISBN 9780520259782, $26.95. Reviewed in 2011mar CHOICE.
48-3942    JV6121    2009-42976 CIP

The want of a better quality of life is innate within all peoples. It has been at the heart of every great migration within human history, from the earliest nomads pursuing better hunting grounds to modern refugees seeking political asylum. With any influx of immigrants comes the inevitable changes in customs and values, most of which are not accepted by the “original” inhabitants. In turn, nativist hostility toward new immigrants inspires legal discrimination ranging from targeted restrictions to unconcealed apartheid. Such social inner tension has been a myopic characteristic of the US mind-set throughout its history, and it has continued to heighten, as evidenced by the current illegal immigration controversies along the US border with Mexico. In his latest work, Schrag (visiting scholar, Berkeley) investigates this US tradition with more than an allusion to contemporary controversies. With an easy, direct writing style, the author has created a noteworthy intellectual rumination on the nature of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US. Schrag unravels the past, subtly seeking a solution to present animosities by reiterating the irony of an anti-immigrant nation created out of immigrants. As such, this book is both frustrating and infuriating, yet it provides a consistently interesting read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General, public, and undergraduate libraries. — M. J. C. Taylor, Paine College

Twenty-first-century gateways: immigrant incorporation in suburban America, ed. by Audrey Singer, Susan W. Hardwick, and Caroline B. Brettell.  Brookings, 2008.  331p index afp; ISBN 9780815779278 pbk, $26.95; ISBN 9780815779261  $62.95.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2009feb CHOICE.
46-3570    JV6475    2007-48076 CIP

One of the most significant trends in US communities is the growth of immigrant populations in suburban areas. This pattern is particularly important for a number of southern, western, and midwestern cities that have not historically been sites of immigrant settlement. This anthology is among the best on this subject, and will be widely read. Among its numerous topics, the book examines how economic development, housing costs, residential segregation, and local government policy shape the formation of immigrant communities in cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Sacramento, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Chapter authors are recognized experts in their fields. Especially commendable is that they wisely distinguish between immigrants and refugees. Maps, photographs, and simple graphs and tables provide excellent visuals and enhance the text. The writing is jargon free and well edited, making the volume accessible to all relevant audiences. Students will appreciate the superb organization of each chapter. Faculty will identify national and regional trends relevant to their research. Policy makers, particularly at the city and county levels, will gain insights into government programs that have succeeded or failed to facilitate the local incorporation of immigrants. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — J. Hein, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Van Nuys, Frank.  Americanizing the West: race, immigrants, and citizenship, 1890-1930.  University Press of Kansas, 2002.  294p bibl index afp ISBN 0-7006-1206-8, $35.00. Reviewed in 2003may CHOICE.
40-5413    F596    2002-7538 CIP

Americans have long struggled with the “other” in their midst. Drawing on extensive research, Van Nuys explores this theme as he superbly narrates and analyzes the assimilation of immigrants during the early 20th century. Although the author focuses his study on the West and emphasizes how some of its unique characteristics influenced particular developments, his work nonetheless provides keen insight into national efforts to resolve what contemporaries colloquially called the “immigration problem,” and his choice of venue allows him to discuss reactions to Asians and Mexicans as well as Europeans. As Van Nuys correctly concludes, the story of immigrant interaction with “white society” was complex and complicated, including a host of often-contradictory components. An epilogue notes that many of the same issues that bedeviled westerners 100 years ago have once again become the topics of emotionally charged debate. The work joins Matthew Frye Jacobson’s Whiteness of a Different Color (1998) as one of the finest recent studies of the US historical response to immigration. A valuable addition to the overall understanding of US ethnic history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic and general readers. – R. F. Zeidel, University of Wisconsin—Stout

Vigdor, Jacob L.  From immigrants to Americans: the rise and fall of fitting in.  Rowman & Littlefield, 2010 (c2009).  217p bibl index afp; ISBN 9781442201361, $34.95.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2010aug CHOICE.
47-7157    JV6450    2009-35049 CIP

The scholarly contribution of this book is in its breadth: it assesses immigrant adaption over a 150-year period. But the most impressive aspect is the extraordinary clarity that Vigdor (Duke Univ.) brings to economic analysis, making complex issues understandable in a way that reminds this reviewer of the writings of Milton Friedman. Comparing the assimilation of immigrants today with that of earlier generations, he draws on historical census data available through the IPUMS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Services) project, and argues convincingly that immigrants today are often assimilating as quickly as those of a century ago. Vigdor believes, however, that a significant segment–disproportionately from Mexico–faces dim prospects for successful adaptation, and he offers some ingenious albeit unlikely policy recommendations for addressing that challenge. The book is especially valuable for college classes because of Vigdor’s remarkably succinct and accessible methodological discussions, addressing complexities appropriate for graduate classes but using language that even lower-level undergraduates will be able to understand easily. While some readers will take issue with his rational choice perspective, Vigdor’s balanced analysis is important reading for anyone interested in immigrant adaptation in the US. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. — A. L. Aoki, Augsburg College

Visions and divisions: American immigration literature, 1870-1930, ed. by Tim Prchal and Tony Trigilio.  Rutgers, 2008.  379p bibl afp; ISBN 9780813542348 pbk, $26.95. Reviewed in 2008aug CHOICE.
45-6643    PS508    2007-19968 CIP

Rather than taking the conventional approach of immigrant literature and highlighting the Horatio Alger theme, this anthology examines “the new chill”–a view articulated by Henry James when he wrote that immigrants of his day were “a chilling prospect for the United States.” The arrangement of the book is thoughtful, fresh, and effective: its four divisions take up “debates” (or “visions”) about, respectively, the US’s open-door policy, assimilation, America as melting pot, and notions of cultural pluralism. Of special note is the first section, in which one finds selections that strongly illustrate how Chinese immigrants on the West Coast were perceived to be robbing Americans of jobs. The fear that immigrants would steal work from US citizens was a common one, but rarely is so much space devoted to Chinese immigrants as an embodiment of it. Each section of the anthology includes essays, poetry, and short fiction relevant to the topic at hand, and each opens with commentary by Prchal (Oklahoma State) and Trigilio (Columbia College, Chicago). Including the work of writers both familiar (Emma Lazarus, Mary Antin) and less known (Sui Sin Far, Onorio Ruotolo), this book is particularly timely, given current debates on US immigration policy. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, general readers. — J. A. Dompkowski, Canisius College

Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2006nov CHOICE.
44-1311
 http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/yearbook/index.htm

[Visited Aug’06] Located at the US Department of Homeland Security Web site, this database aggregates data tables on foreign nationals who: (1) have been granted lawful permanent residence for being admitted as immigrants or becoming legal permanent residents; (2) have been admitted on a temporary basis (students, workers, tourists); (3) have been granted asylum or refugee status; and (4) are becoming naturalized citizens. Each category is divided into subsets including immigrants’ country of origin, type and class of admission, gender, age, marital status, and occupation. The database also provides statistics on immigration law enforcement actions such as alien apprehensions, removals, and prosecutions. The Yearbook divides these categories further, providing tables by region and country of immigration.
Some of the general tables and supplemental tables are available separately from the Yearbook in Excel spreadsheets. These might be useful in a ready reference situation; however, they do not provide the Yearbook’s level of detail. Unfortunately, the Yearbook, which is over 200 pages long, is in PDF format; this not only precludes linking and lessens the ease of searching, but it may well require several minutes to load, depending on Internet connections. Nevertheless, this important primary source provides a rich trove of information. As a side note, the Office of Immigration Statistics’ Annual Flow Reports and Annual Reports now replace the chapters included in earlier editions of the Yearbook. A particular disadvantage is that the tables are arranged by federal fiscal year (October-September). Accordingly, the 2004 edition is the most recent Yearbook available in its entirety. The general tables offered for 2005 consider legal permanent residents; refugees and asylees; and naturalizations. Despite such shortcomings, this is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking statistical information about immigration to the US. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — D. Liestman, Viterbo University

Zolberg, Aristide R.  A nation by design: immigration policy in the fashioning of America.  Harvard/Russell Sage, 2006.  658p index afp ISBN 0-674-02218-1, $39.95.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2006oct CHOICE.
44-1150     JV6483     2005-44742 CIP

In this timely and important book, Zolberg (New School) offers a refreshing and penetrating look at immigration policy in the US from the antebellum period to the present. By focusing on the comparative nature of immigration policy and the relationship between the desire to encourage preferred immigrants and restrict the settlement of those considered objectionable, Zolberg shows in great detail how the foundation of immigration policy in the 21st century has deep roots in the nation’s early national period. This masterfully researched, finely written book explores the many ways that US policy makers actively engaged in a process of nation building attentive to issues of race, religion, territoriality, language, and national character, even before early-20th-century immigration restrictions and regulations took on a modern form. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers and library collections. — M. S. Rodriguez, University of Notre Dame