Publisher's Synopsis
This encyclopedia contains 50 thorough profiles of the most numerically significant immigrant groups now making their homes in the United States, telling the story of our newest immigrants and introducing them to their fellow Americans.
One of the main reasons the United States has evolved so quickly and radically in the last 100 years is the large number of ethnically diverse immigrants that have become part of its population. People from every area of the world have come to America in an effort to realize their dreams of more opportunity and better lives, either for themselves or for their children.
This book provides a fascinating picture of the lives of immigrants from 50 countries who have contributed substantially to the diversity of the United States, exploring all aspects of the immigrants' lives in the old world as well as the new. Each essay explains why these people have come to the United States, how they have adjusted to and integrated into American society, and what portends for their future. Accounts of the experiences of the second generation and the effects of relations between the United States and the sending country round out these unusually rich and demographically detailed portraits.
- Comprises contributions from 50 sociologists, anthropologists, historians, social scientists, and political scientists, many of whom are from the countries they discuss
- Offers appealing sidebars featuring young people who represent the newest generation of American immigrants throughout the book
- Provides maps showing where each country is located and photographs that accompany each essay, depicting cultural events and a young immigrant from that nation
- Includes a glossary of important terms, a bibliography of sources, and a "Further Reading" section with each essay
- Contains appendices of census statistics on American immigration
- Presents a chronology of major historical events in each of the sending country's history
