An Immigrant Class documents the immigrant experience through 20 first-person stories and duotone photographs of recent immigrants to Chicago from around the world. Each immigrant reveals the unique elements of life before immigration, the circumstances that motivated the move, the experience of immigrating, and the impressions of life and identity that continue to unfold and change in the United States. Through the voices and images of those who have made this journey, An Immigrant Class shares the hopes, fears, tragedies and triumphs that make up the complexity of the immigrant experience. Some share their expectations and encounters with success, freedom and opportunity. Others tell of their disappointments, frustrations and regrets, but all have come, like many before and many after them, to make a new home in the United States.
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Editorial Reviews
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Jeff Libman does a true service in recounting these poignant and often overlooked human stories. -- Studs Terkel, Oral Historian
Jeff gives us a porthole through which we can view the pure and unfettered stories of newcomers to this country. -- Alex Kotlowitz, Author
These profound and insightful stories can not soon be forgotten. An Immigrant Class is a fascinating, important and heartfelt work. -- David Isay, Radio Documentary Producer
Jeff gives us a porthole through which we can view the pure and unfettered stories of newcomers to this country. -- Alex Kotlowitz, Author
These profound and insightful stories can not soon be forgotten. An Immigrant Class is a fascinating, important and heartfelt work. -- David Isay, Radio Documentary Producer
About the Author
Jeff Libman received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he developed a non-profit organization, Michigan Video Productions, engaged in video production and student training in all aspects of video production. In New York City, he worked as an Associate Producer in the production of documentary programming for Public Television. After leaving New York City, Jeff taught English in Nepal, volunteered for CARE in Bangladesh, investigated the logging industry and its impact on indigenous populations in Malaysia, and visited a United Nations refugee camp for Vietnamese refugees in Indonesia. Upon his return to the United States, Jeff became the Executive Director of the Tibetan Resettlement Project-Chicago, an organization that coordinated the resettlement of Tibetan refugees from India and Nepal to Chicago. Jeff has been a facilitator and guide for Facing History and Ourselves, a teacher training organization. He has been a small business owner and currently teaches English as a Second Language at Truman College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. In addition, he is an acclaimed singer-songwriter. An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories From Chicago’s Newest Immigrants is his first book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stories that will expand your world.,
By Elena Cuomo (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants (Hardcover)
If you're a teacher, if you care about education, if you come from a family of immigrants, if you care about how immigrants affect and change this country, you should read this book. You can also read it as a sort of travel book -- a journey through many countries across the globe, with a local guide who tells you about how people really live there.
Libman teachers English as a Second Language at Truman College in Chicago, and in for this book he has interviewed a wide range of former students. This book is a collection of their stories, told in their own words, about where they came from, how they came to the U.S., and the struggles they faced along the way. I have recommended this book to people who work with immigrants, to teachers, and to people who have very little contact with immigrants and don't understand the challenges they face. Each person offers a brief, but vivid picture of his or her life. They may remind you of stories from your own family or they may inspire you to explore a new place or find out about the immigrants who live all around you. Here is an excerpt from one person's story, which I think gives you a taste of the book: "What I think is to be immigrant--what an immigrant feel, only an immigrant can really understand. But really, when you know that you are closing the door you have behind, it is closed, and you are opening a door that you doesn't know what is in front of you, you doesn't know your destiny, it is really hard, really hard. You have to change the way you think sometimes. You have to change some of your culture. You're obligated to change. Not everything. I don't mean you have to Americanize, but I mean you have to make a lot of change. And it is really hard. Everybody are not so lucky like us" You can also view excerpts and pictures from this book at: http://www.animmigrantclass.com/index.html
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story about all of us,
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This review is from: An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants (Hardcover)
Jeff is able to capture and without filtering report on life stories of individuals like you and me who are on their way to becoming American citizens.
Great compilation of stories that everyne can relate to, makes you stop and think. Great read!
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