We Are Americans: Voices Of The Immigrant Experience [Hardcover]

Thomas Hoobler (Author), Dorothy Hoobler (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Series: We Are Americans

Through letters, diaries, and oral histories, WE ARE AMERICANS profiles the often challenging but ultimately rewarding experiences of US immigrants during the last 20,000 years.

Every child will find an ancestor or contemporary in this collection of personal narratives that tells the story, chronologically, of immigrant groups in this nation.

From the first human residents of North America, to the mass of Europeans in the 1800's, to today's modern Americans, each group has made significant and lasting contributions to the ever changing culture of the United States.

Through the letters and oral histories, first person accounts and biographies, children will reflect on the many different

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-This ambitious book covers the immigrant experience from prehistoric times to the present day, including the movement and establishment of various Native American communities. The Hooblers also do a thorough job of tracking waves of immigration to the United States from around the globe. They explore how the immigrants struggled in their new land, and how their hard work benefited the country as a whole. Personal stories, writings, and anecdotes appear in sidebars throughout and excellent-quality, black-and-white archival photos and reproductions highlight the text. This thoughtful, well-researched overview will be a solid addition to most collections and is most notable for the diverse array of voices that it contains.
Carol Fazioli, formerly at The Brearley School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. The authors of the 10-volume Family Album series offer a single-volume overview of American immigration that is also a broad history of this country. Packed with detailed information and moving personal testimonies, the chronological account reveals the comprehensive story of the changing patterns of immigration through the centuries, including why people left home, what the newcomers found when they got here, how they changed the U.S., and how the laws related to them have changed. Beginning with the people who came to prehistoric America, the history includes the "unwilling" immigrants who entered as slaves and desperate illegal arrivals, past and present. The documentation is disappointing. There's a general bibliography, but notes, which are only for direct quotes, are crammed into a single column in type so tiny as to be almost illegible. But the Hooblers contribute fascinating discussions on religion, school, work (from sweatshop to high-tech), and more, and the close-up focus prevents any generic babble. The spacious design works for browsing as well as research, and archival photos and personal accounts appear on every double-page spread. Of course, any book on immigration is already partly out of date, but the wealth of historical background here will help fuel debates about the USA Patriot Act and its controversies. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Nonfiction (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439162971
• ISBN-13: 978-0439162975
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,208,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Young Immigrants Featured Review, December 5, 2004

By 

Mitali Perkins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: We Are Americans: Voices Of The Immigrant Experience (Hardcover)

The Fire Escape normally doesn't review non-fiction, but I had to bring this chronological story of America to your attention. If you're looking for one "textbook" to teach upper elementary or middle school students about immigration in America, the Hooblers have provided it. The book begins with speculation about immigration in prehistoric times and ends with an overview of what's happening today. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the stories, letters, and photos of immigrants who recount their own stories. As the jacket flap puts it, "Every child will find an ancestor or a contemporary in this moving story of the immigrant experience." I couldn't put it down, and especially liked the "people movement" take on American history.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for a study of immigration, October 5, 2009

By 

American Immigration Council's Community Educ... (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Are Americans: Voices Of The Immigrant Experience (Hardcover)

We Are Americans is a coffee table book for the classroom, presenting the history of American immigration chronologically, from the new theories of prehistoric immigration to the groups arriving in the present day. Using archival images, artifacts, data charts, and personal narratives, the book explores the factors responsible for immigration, the hopes of immigrants, the hardships of the journey, and adjustments to a new culture, as well as the contributions these new Americans made to our nation. While they learn about the groups and individuals from every culture and continent that formed our country, students will find connections to their own immigration history. This well researched and well produced book offers a detailed index and a further reading list, and is an excellent resource for a study of immigration.