Publisher's Synopsis
Drawing on hundreds of richly textured interviews conducted from one
end of the country to the other, veteran journalist Sanford J. Ungar documents
the real-life struggles and triumphs of America's newest immigrants. He
finds that the self-chosen who arrive every day, most of them legally,
still enrich our national character and experience and make invaluable
political, economic, social, cultural, and even gastronomic contributions.
"First-class journalism, a book scholars will use decades from now
to find out what it 'felt like' to be an immigrant in the 90s. I do not
know of a better description and analysis of contemporary immigration."
-- Roger Daniels, author of Coming to America: A History of Immigration
and Ethnicity in American Life
"An excellent overview of contemporary immigration issues set within
the context of developments in the past fifty years. Ungar makes a strong
case for the contributions of recent immigrants and for maintaining a
relatively open door in the face of sometimes shrill opposition."
-- Thomas Dublin, editor of Immigrant Voices: New Lives in America
"Exactly the right book at the right time. [Ungar] looks at the
national controversy over immigration policy with a clear eye, producing
a history and a convincing argument why this is no time to reverse a liberal
welcome to newcomers that has alwaysin good times and badmade
this a better and more prosperous democracy." -- Ben H. Bagdikian,
author of Double Vision
end of the country to the other, veteran journalist Sanford J. Ungar documents
the real-life struggles and triumphs of America's newest immigrants. He
finds that the self-chosen who arrive every day, most of them legally,
still enrich our national character and experience and make invaluable
political, economic, social, cultural, and even gastronomic contributions.
"First-class journalism, a book scholars will use decades from now
to find out what it 'felt like' to be an immigrant in the 90s. I do not
know of a better description and analysis of contemporary immigration."
-- Roger Daniels, author of Coming to America: A History of Immigration
and Ethnicity in American Life
"An excellent overview of contemporary immigration issues set within
the context of developments in the past fifty years. Ungar makes a strong
case for the contributions of recent immigrants and for maintaining a
relatively open door in the face of sometimes shrill opposition."
-- Thomas Dublin, editor of Immigrant Voices: New Lives in America
"Exactly the right book at the right time. [Ungar] looks at the
national controversy over immigration policy with a clear eye, producing
a history and a convincing argument why this is no time to reverse a liberal
welcome to newcomers that has alwaysin good times and badmade
this a better and more prosperous democracy." -- Ben H. Bagdikian,
author of Double Vision
