Reviews (2)

Best ethnography on undocumented aliens ever written
Anthropologist Leo Chavez presents a very descriptive and detailed account that takes readers into the lives and experiences of illegal immigrants living and working in the farms and orchards of San Diego County. Chavez avoids the technical and complex jargon so common among contemporary audiences, so this book will be readable by anyone. Detailed accounts are given concerning peoples' decisions to migrate, their experiences of crossing the border and living in the United States without documentation. Although the entire book is great, the best chapter by far is the Epilogue, where the author contextualizes the lives of undocumented immigrants within the larger political and social environment that has recently sought to crack down on illegal aliens.
A case study of human survial
Chavez provides a clear unbiased look at the harsh and often dangerous life of undocumented immigrants mainly in Southern California.Chavez engages the reader through accurate portrayals of people who remain on the fringes of American society for fear of deportation. Their stories are moving; their tenacity amazing.North American readers will be reminded of just how protected and sheltered they are by the virture of living in America.A must read for anyone trying to understand the complexities of illegal immigration or in the postion to make policy on the topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Anthropology - General    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. California    5. California, Southern    6. Emigration & Immigration    7. Illegal aliens    8. San Diego County    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Anthropology    12. Civil rights & citizenship    13. Gender studies    14. Immigration & emigration    15. Social Science / Anthropology / General    16. USA   

Reviews (1)

Everything you wanted to know about immigration to the USA
Densely written and footnoted, based on substantial research, this study of immigration to the United States from before the Revolution up to yesterday is a hard book to read but certainly rewarding for the serious student of the subject.Marred a little by too many infelicitous grammatical constructions and several historical errors (the author after all is not an historian but a "political scientist") the book is still a substantial narrative and reference work on this important subject.
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Subjects:  1. Emigration & Immigration    2. Emigration and immigration    3. Government policy    4. History    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. United States    8. United States - General    9. Central government policies    10. Immigration & emigration    11. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration    12. Social history    13. USA   

Reviews (6)

Mixed-bag
This book is a mixed bag- there are interesting and important arguments for a brand of multi-cultural citizenship, and for the idea that national minorities are morally distinct from immigrant groups.However, there are also serious problems.The historical analysis is often at least somewhat off- it's very odd to make a big deal that 19th centruy liberals supported nationalism w/o noting, at all, that this was largely due to their insidious racism and support for colonialism, even by liberals like Mill.That this isn't even mentioned or considered is a shocking omission.That's just one of many examples.Often the book seems to vastly over-generalize from the Canadian experience, w/o making this clear or noting what's being done.Much of the discussion of immigrant groups doesn't really fit that well w/ the facts, and lacks the sympathetic insight that Kymlicka displays towards national minorities.Several of the main thesies are challanged by the experience of the EU, and no mention of that is made at all.(Some of that is surely due to the book being nearly 10 years old, but even at that time some of the claims about what people want, what's possible, etc. were already being challanged by developments in the EU.)SO, the book should be read and considered, but the arguments are too full of gaps to be anywhere close to convincing now.

A strong argument for multiculturalism
Kymlicka's arguement is both forceful and articulate, making Multicultural Citizenship a valuable work for both specialists and those simply currious about political thought and multiculturalism. While by no means perfect, this book does an admirable and subtle job of reconciling individual and group rights within the context of the liberal-democratic state.

Individual and collective rights
Kymlicka covers the issues related to each of individual and collective rights, as well as comparing them to each other.He provides a really interesting outlook on the ways in which the quest for rights for any group of people can result in conflict.I suppose I like this book so well because it follows my own philosophical view on people claiming rights in general, that at some point if we were to claim all rights we believe we're entitled to, we would eventually come into conflict with someone else's human rights.As such, we must necessarily make sacrifices of some rights in order to live peaceably among all people.Kymlicka doesn't really say that as I do, but much of what he discusses seems to be related to it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History & Theory - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Civil rights & citizenship    7. Cultural studies    8. Ethnic studies    9. Immigration & emigration    10. Political Science / Political Ideologies / Conservatism & Liberalism    11. Political science & theory    12. Politics | Political Theory | Political Philosophy   

Reviews (5)

A Balanced Look at Immigration
If you only read one book about immigration this year read Lockout.It does have a bias towards allowing immigration but both sides of the argument are explored.She quotes John F. Kennedy saying: "Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible." Lockout is filled with very good historical data about how we got into the immigration mess that we are in today.It is not primarily about the low skilled Mexican illegal immigrants. It is focused much more on the difficulties encountered by skilled, highly educated people who would like to work in the United States.Michelle Wucker makes a very good argument that the labyrinth of immigration law that we have created is hurting our competitiveness in the world.
One sided view of acomplexproblem
It is too easy to write a book which has one sided view about a complex problem. This book is on the liberal side of immigration policy. The real issue is why we failed as a nation enforcing our immigration laws. Just painting sorry stories about immigrants but forgetting that we have serious economical problems to solve. Today's manufacturing GDP in USA is about 12.7% according to Clyde Prestowitz; soon America will stop being the honey pot. We are diluting the standard of living of average Americans, and Mexico is just dumping their unemployment problem into our country.
Eloquent Advocacy of a Sensible Immigration Policy for the United States
My favorite camera store in Tucson, AZ had two wonderful Mexican-American women employees who became close confidants and surrogate mothers of mine. We spent hours discussing not only photography, but also politics and immigration, noting with much dismay, the porous border existing between southern Arizona and the adjoining Mexican state of Sonora (For example I can recall at least two instances where young pregnant Sonoran women had moved into my apartment complex, staying long enough to deliver their babies in a Tucson hospital, before returning, almost immediately, to Sonora.). Both were proud to be American citizens, recognized the necessity of speaking in English in public, and were strongly opposed to government funding of bilingual education in public schools (But in private, amongst themselves, their families, and close friends, they enjoyed speaking the Mexican Spanish they had known since their youth.). If theirs were views widely held by Tucson's Mexican-American community - and I have much reason to believe that they were - then I'm not surprised that eight years after I had moved back to New York City, the citizens of Arizona voted in favor of Proposition 120 by a 56% to 44% margin, requiring public officials to verify the legal status of those seeking public assistance or the right to vote, and to deny them to those unable to offer such proof. I have no doubt that my Tucson friends would greet Michele Wucker's "Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Out Prosperity Depends On Getting It Right" with ample interest, but also harbor some reservations about her positive, somewhat practical, view of immigration to the United States, both now and in the future. These may be reservations that I too might share, but I would also add that Wucker's latest book is one deserving of wide readership, regardless of how one perceives this issue.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economic Conditions    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration And Immigration    5. General    6. Government policy    7. Immigrants    8. Law    9. Public Policy    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. Sociology    12. United States    13. Central government policies    14. Immigration & emigration   

Reviews (1)

Superb anthology
This anthology successfully synthesizes the work of leading social scientist in the diverse and growing field of gender and immigration.This book teaches readers about how immigrants (both men and women) are impacted by immigration policy, socialization, religion, and transnationalism. In addition, the essays also look at generational conflict, as well as ways that second and third generation minorities develop a cultural identity. All in all, this textbook is an invaluable resource for teachers and students. I highly recommend this book for course adoption, especially for those who teach about immigration, race, gender, and work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration and immigration    4. Essays    5. Ethnic Studies - General    6. Gender Studies    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Women immigrants    11. Ethnic studies    12. Immigration & emigration    13. Social Science / Sociology / General    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    5. History    6. History: American    7. Migration, Internal    8. Migrations    9. Sociology    10. Southern States    11. United States    12. United States - 20th Century    13. Great Migration; southern diaspora; southern exodus; civil rights; evangelical religion; Detroit; Chicago; Harlem; Miami Valley; Uptown; Bakersfield; San Joaquin Valley; hillbillies; Okies; black churches; black politics; white backlash; country music; Ku Klux Klan; Black Legion; George Wallace; Merle Haggard; Aretha Franklin; Lily Tomlin; Willie Morris; Willie Brown; Jesse Unruh; C. L. Franklin; Billy Graham; J. Frank Norris; Albert Murray; Harriette Arnow; Robert Penn Warren    14. Immigration & emigration    15. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration    16. Social history    17. USA   

Reviews (4)

As if Studs Terkel met Asian America
Studs Terkel meets Asian America.The author, affiliated with Queens College at the time the book was compiled, records oral histories from first through fourth generation Asian Americans from China, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, and Pacific Islands. (Chinese immigrants began to officially arrive in 1848; they were not allowed to apply for citizenship until 1943.Japanese and Koreans were not allowed citizenship until 1952; Filipinos and Asian Indians beat them by six years) These histories are grouped into three major section: Living In America; Americanization; and Refections on Interracial Marriage.In "Living In America", selections include Will Hao on being a true Hawaiian, and Andrea Kim on being born and raised in Hawaii, but not being Hawaiian.Sam Sue, a Chinese American lawyer, talks about growing up bitterly in Clarksdale Mississippi during a time of segregation.The Americanization section includes stories of escape and exodus, the bumpy road of acculturation, 3 stories just on run-ins with traffic cops (driving while Asian), and over 9 stories on Americanization, racism, tension, being Asian versus being American, and even on being a minority within a minority.Cao O discusses life as an ethnic Chinese in Vietnam and being Chinese-Vietnamese in America and dealing with social service agencies in Chinatown that is staffed by Hong-Kong born Chinese.In "No Tea, Thank You", Setsuko K. discusses the subtleties between the generations, such as politeness and their hidden meanings (when "no" means "yes", and "yes" means "no").In a sub-section of nine stories about family, Cao O discusses the idea of `obligation', while Hideo K talks about the "Company as Friend".Tony Ham discusses Mah-Jonng as a family social focus.In a sub-section on religion, there is an interesting piece on Koreans and church membership.In one of eight stories on "Interracial Marriage", Jody Sandler writes talks about "So He's Not a Jewish Doctor", in which a 23 year old Woodmere Long Island Five Town girl marries an Asian America and faces pressures from family and friends, and contrasts Tony's values with those she grew up with in Five Towns.

Profound study of Asian-Americana
This book by Joann Lee is an excellent book on Asian-Americans. It tells the life stories of Asian-Americans without so much stereotypical baggage found elsewhere. Asain Americans: An OrAl History
An excellent overview of what it is to be Asian American in America today.Joann Lee writes beautifully and puts you in touch with the individual struggles and victories of her subjects.A must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asian Americans    2. Biography    3. History - General History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    7. Oral history    8. Social conditions    9. United States - General    10. ASIA    11. Civil rights & citizenship    12. Cultural studies    13. Immigration & emigration    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

A lively, intimate look at some flesh-and-blood Third-Culture Kids
Through personal interviews with well-chosen 13 subjects, Linda Bell gets to explore in some depth the strange experience of growing up American overseas, and then of having to readjust to life in the States after coming "home."Her interviewees range from age 29 through late 50s, and they come alive in these pages. Those of us who have had analogous upbringings will feel shocks of sympathetic recognition as we read the life stories of these adult "Third Culture Kids." Such familiar issues as "Who I Was, When," and "Living on the Surface," and "Why Do I Feel So migratory?" (all of them titles of chapters) spring vividly to life here. Issues of language inevitably crop up. And the absence, among these subjects, of any sense of attachment to a landscape came as a newinsight to this reader. As Linda Bell herself says of her subjects, "they didn't seem to take much notice of where they were living... It just didn't come up as a topic. Also, not one of the voices seems really attached to the geography where they find themselves now."This is a fresh and highly readable addition to a growing literature on the still scarcely acknowledged matter of being raised American in foreign lands and how it can affect one's psyche and personality.

TCKs
This is useful for parents living overseas and wishing to know how 'Third Culture Kids' struggle to re-enter their 'home' countries after being raised overseas. It can also provide useful background reading for ethnographic researchers as Bell provides extracts from original transcripts. Bell is clear that she is a journalist and not an academic, so do not expect in- depth analysis drawing on lots of other sources. However, the extracts are very effectively compiled to demonstrate common trends.
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Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Foreign countries    5. General    6. Intercultural Communication    7. Interviews    8. Migration (Social Aspects)    9. Pluralism (Social sciences)    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Sociology - General    13. Communication Studies    14. Cultural studies    15. Immigration & emigration   

Subjects:  1. Emigration & Immigration    2. Emigration And Immigration    3. Europe    4. European federation    5. Government policy    6. Immigrants    7. International Relations - General    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Public Affairs & Administration    12. Public Policy    13. Social Science    14. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration   

Subjects:  1. Economic conditions    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration and immigration    4. Ethnic Studies - General    5. Immigrants    6. Social Science    7. Social conditions    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Cultural studies    11. Immigration & emigration    12. Social & cultural anthropology    13. Social Science / Sociology / General    14. USA   

Reviews (4)

Outstanding History
Roediger does a great job refrenceing his case in other historians.This is VERY importnat when discussing challenging topics like this.
Joseph R. Goldman, University of Minnesota
This is one of the finest sociological treatises on American immigration of a former "underclass"- -working Whites from southern and eastern Europe who came to this country in droves between the 1880s and 1930s.Roediger presents a solid analytical framework for readers to use as a compass through the complex history and transformation of "foreigners" of the same color into "gradual natives" whose color is a badge of acceptable passage over time.Here we see Jews, Italians, Poles, Ukrainians and other "undesirables" sweat their way across factory floors, climb to academic heights, even get elected to high national offices beyond the dreams of their ancestors.The data are presented clearly; the interpretations are crisp and penetrating.Roediger does a great service to his subjects who happened to be "Americans in the making".A must study for any scholar of race and assimilation, and a good read for anyone interested in how some of us got to be "Americans" even with the wrong religions, national origins, or accents as impediments fueled by homegrown bigots of an earlier time!

Roediger focuses on Southern & Eastern European immigrants
David Roediger has been toiling for years in the historical trenches, documenting the social construction of race.This is another solid entry in that category.It's not exhaustive, but compiles material on how Eastern and Southern European immigrants to the U.S. "became white."The category of "white people" is treated as a given, and as a constant in the U.S. today, but Roediger and others reveal the shifting meaning of the category, and the fight that various groups have waged to gain entry into the "white club" with its privileges.Just one example:the club was established by the British, of course, and from their point of view the Irish were certainly not white.The ruling WASPs had the power to keep the Irish out, viewing them as practically subhuman, and it took the Irish many decades to fight their way in.So "white" is a marker of group boundary between the more and less powerful, pure and simple, a marker of division, not an inherent biological OR cultural category.
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Subjects:  1. Emigration & Immigration    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. United States - 19th Century    9. United States - 20th Century    10. 20th century    11. American history: from c 1900 -    12. Ethnic studies    13. Immigration & emigration    14. USA   

Editorial Review

New York City, the melting pot of the United States, contains the nation's largest West Indian immigrant population. Since the immigration explosion of 1965, the Afro-Caribbean influx has impacted the social dynamic of the United States and its native-born African Americans, often with volatile results. Read more

Subjects:  1. Emigration & Immigration    2. Ethnic Issues    3. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    4. Folklore & Mythology    5. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Black studies    9. Immigration & emigration    10. Multicultural studies    11. Social Science / African-American Studies    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. British Columbia    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Northwest, Pacific    7. Religious refugees    8. Russian Americans    9. Russians    10. Sociology    11. United States - State & Local    12. United States - State & Local - General    13. Civil rights & citizenship    14. Eastern Europe    15. History / United States / State & Local    16. Immigration & emigration    17. Religion: general    18. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    19. USA   

Reviews (1)

important issues
The point here is that plently of people do not migrate even when economics would seem to suggest migration should sky rocket.The works concentrate on European regions or generalize across the globe--but the point is important and suggest we don't always focus on the "big" picture when we talk about migration -- someone always stays home.For US scholars working on Mexican/US migration this is crucial stuff to consider ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Economic aspects    2. Economic development    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration and immigration    5. Ethnic Studies - General    6. Human Geography    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Anthropology    10. Civil rights & citizenship    11. Immigration & emigration    12. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration and immigration    5. History    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Population geography    8. Refugees    9. Semiotics & Theory    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Theater - General    13. HISTORY, MODERN_20TH CENTURY    14. Immigration & emigration    15. Social & cultural anthropology    16. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration   

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. North American    6. American history    7. Ethnography    8. History / General    9. Immigration & emigration    10. Ireland    11. Northern Ireland    12. Social & cultural anthropology    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    2. California    3. Cambodian Americans    4. Civics & Citizenship    5. Civil rights    6. Emigration & Immigration    7. Ethnic Studies - General    8. Ethnic identity    9. Oakland    10. Social Science    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. Cambodia    14. Ethnic studies    15. Immigration & emigration    16. Social & cultural anthropology    17. Social Science / Anthropology / General    18. USA   

Reviews (4)

an interesting treatment of another aspect of conflict
Beginning with the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, followed by its replacement by the United States in 1945, the military governments established a series of bases, and from around these bases grew camptowns, a section of businesses that offered everything from souvenirs to alcohol to prostitution.For her own extended metaphor, Yuh refers to the shadow, or influence, that is cast by these camptowns not only across the Korean landscape but also within the Korean people, most specifically the women who worked, often as indentured servants, within these camptowns and went on to marry soldiers.Yuh makes explicit her change in referring to these women as military brides over war brides.This does not obfuscate, however, the historical value of war brides as being equivalent to war booty and hence configured more as property, even as the remnants of this idea manifest in certain social attitudes (i.e., domestic subservience) that many of the American servicemen may have had toward their Korean wives.
Powerful and Well Written
As the author points out, there is very little work on international military wives, and Korean military wives in particular.By such a logic, this book is a welcome project indeed. A moving and eye-opening account
This book fills a need by covering Korean women who married American military men and their experiences in life, the prejudices they've encountered from other Koreans and white Americans, and how they stake out a place of meaning for themselves through church activities with other Korean military wives.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Cultural assimilation    4. Emigration & Immigration    5. Ethnic Studies - Asian American Studies    6. History    7. History: World    8. Korean American women    9. Korean Americans    10. Military - Korean War    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. Women's Studies - General    14. Cultural studies    15. Ethnic studies    16. Immigration & emigration    17. Korea    18. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    19. USA    20. War & defence operations    21. Women's studies   

Reviews (7)

Operation Gatekeeper
Very well-documented.A useful and must-have source for anyone interested in Southwestern U.S. border enforcement issues.

A fantastic book
This book provides a great overview of the U.S.-Mexico border and a compelling analysis and explanation of how we arrived at the point we now find ourselves in terms of immigration and boundary enforcement. I had to read the book for an undergraduate class and found it to be a great way to conclude the course. The book totally challenged me in a way that few other books have.

From a 13 year Border Patrol veteran and first hand witness to Gatekeeper
All books have some value. That is the only value of this book.
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Subjects:  1. Border patrols    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Government policy    5. Illegal aliens    6. Mexican-American Border Region    7. Operation Gatekeeper (U.S.)    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. United States    12. Immigration & emigration    13. Mexico    14. Political Science / General    15. USA   

Reviews (2)

Required Reading
I was required to read most of this book for grad work in Urban Education. Interesting material (for a required reading). The best of the books I've been required to read so far.

pretty good account of immigrant children
Children of immigrants covers the experiences of children of immigrants and their families through the past few decades when the United States has been receiving immigration from non-European countries and many of these new immigrants are non-English speaking so there are plenty of osbtacles in their way. The authors deal with such important issues of how immigrants arrive in this country. There are some families that come toghether while others may be split up. One spouse may come before the rest of the family or sometimes children are sent to live with family members before their parents come over. The question of identity is important. What culture do the children of immigrants feel closer to? What determines this? There are several factors such as parents, schools, peer groups and the larger society. Education is anouther big topic. Immigrants tend to put a high emphasis on education though immigrant children have varied education achievements. They can often be the best at school or towards the bottom. The authors look at how people such as parents, principals and teachers all affect education for immigrant children. Read more

Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Children of immigrants    3. Children's Studies    4. Developmental - Child    5. Emigration & Immigration    6. Emigration And Immigration    7. Multicultural Education    8. Psychology    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Sociology Of Children    12. United States    13. Child & developmental psychology    14. Children    15. Immigration & emigration    16. Social Science / Emigration & Immigration    17. USA