4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for Russians, not just for immigrants, September 17, 2004
This review is from: Welcome to America: The Complete Guide for Immigrants. (Hardcover)
As others have noted, this is a very complete guide to many of the complexities of dealing with life in America, not just from the standpoint of coming to America, but also for those of us who already live and work here - there is information on governmental offices and responsibilities, basic financial rights and obligations, education opportunities and resources, and much more.
According to author and publisher Vitaliy Demin, there are nearly a million legal immigrants to this country every year - America has long been the land most sought in immigration, and the beacon to peoples around the world for a better life economically and politically. As Demin states, this book, written by immigrants for immigrants, approaches the subject from the standpoint an immigrant (and those helping the immigrants) would most need; there are too many aspects of American life that those of us more acclimatised to the culture take for granted. A good example of this is highlighted in the sections that deal with numbers, time, money, shopping and holidays - these are so ingrained, that it is sometimes hard to realise that there are others who won't understand the meanings or customs readily.
I recall one friend arriving from Britain, whose culture and language are very similar, still having problems shopping - prices listed in Britain are after tax; prices listed in American shops are generally before tax. My friend would count out the money carefully to make sure he could afford the items, get to the cashier, and find he didn't have enough. Another friend from the then-Soviet Union was very perplexed at the number of choices for toothpaste - `I only wanted toothpaste!' she exclaimed, and instead was presented with an almost staggering array of marketing choices that Americans have learned to look past. Clothing sizes, shoe sizes and more are different in different countries.
This is a very practical guide, which includes everything from filing taxes to renting or purchasing a home to writing a resume - the one-page resume on page 330/331 would serve as a good model for anyone. Information on opening banking and other accounts is worthwhile for any reader, immigrant or `home-grown' person. The instructions are clear and useful, designed for applicability as well as comprehension.
The authors Vitaliy Demin and Olga Demin Lambert represent a family who went through the immigration and adjustment periods first-hand. When they arrived in America, they spoke no English, and thus had to learn to get by not only as foreigners, but as non-English speaking foreigners in a land that is not noted for being `user-friendly' toward those who do not speak English.
The book is written in Russian and in English on facing pages (note: those English speakers who want to expand or brush up on their Russian, or Russian speakers who want to do the same with their English, can use this text as a way of working with very practical words, sentence constructions and topics). While this book is written with the Russian immigrant in mind (evidenced by both the authors and the second language present), it in fact presents information that any immigrant would find useful and helpful. There is undoubtedly a market for dual-language or multi-language editions of this book.
Like many books of this sort, there are some pieces of information that go out-of-date quickly; perhaps a future edition of this book would come with a website for updates? The bulk of the advice, however, is sound and useful, and not likely to be outmoded any time soon.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb Bi-Lingual Guide for Russian and Other Immigrants, September 7, 2004
This review is from: Welcome to America: The Complete Guide for Immigrants. (Hardcover)
Although my family has lived in the United States since before the American Revolution, I have always been intrigued by the special problems of immigrants to this country. When the size of immigration was larger, many immigrant groups combined to create their own institutions to help new immigrants adapt. With legal immigration now quite limited, resources for new immigrants are scarcer while the complexity of modern life in the U.S. is greater than ever before.
To fill that void, you can rely on the fine work that Vitaliy Demin and his daughter, Olga Demin Lambert, have provided in this extensive and exhaustive volume. They write from direct experience of having come to the United States in 1993 from Russia.
They have been very successful here. Mr. Demin is the Hardware Engineering Manger for Intelligent Controls, Inc. He has been with the company since 1994. Ms. Lambert has a B.A. in French and Psychology from Bates College and an M.A. in Language and Linguistics from the University of New Hampshire. She is now working on a doctorate in Language and Linguistics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
The format of the book provides a page of text in American English on the left hand page while the same text appears in Russian on the right facing page. Since I do not read Russian, I can only comment on the English section.
Although this book is designed to be most helpful to Russian immigrants, I would be astonished if it was not just as valuable to immigrants from other countries as long as they possess enough language skill to read the English version.
The book deals with the official and the unofficial equally well. I was especially impressed with the sections on learning English (in the context of my many years of service in English as a Second Language programs provided for immigrants), rental housing, car buying, employment, education, welfare and retirement programs and medical care. There's also good advice on cultural issues like the preference for people to bathe and change clothes daily, use deodorant, brush and floss teeth twice daily and so forth.
This book is so good that I found myself learning things I didn't know in the parts on rental housing and car buying.
The material is easy to follow, with many tables of abbreviations, definitions, measurements and sources.
The section on learning English could have become the basis of a personal memoir that would have quite good sales just for its human interest value. The personal example of Mr. Demin in that section was very moving to me and set a helpful tone for the whole book.
I also tested the material for accuracy, and found surprisingly few errors. The weakest section is on U.S. income taxation. The material won't get you into trouble, but it also doesn't give you as much advice as you need. For example, the book insists you have to file by April 15. But some years, the date is later. Also, if you pay the taxes you owe by April 15 (or the appropriate later date that year), extensions for filing the return for no penalty may be available until as late as October 15. People who read this book should consider getting help in this area from a low-cost tax preparer.
The material in the education section on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is dated. The test has been completely changed now, and you should get the latest information.
The book's biggest weakness is that the authors don't seem to be up-to-speed on the Internet as a way to deal with the issues they address. Although they reference the Internet frequently, many problems they describe here as requiring visits to see people (such as looking for housing, mortgage brokers and certain types of shopping) can actually be done faster and cheaper on the Internet. To supplement the book, find someone who uses the Internet frequently to help you learn how to find what you need on-line.
I feel guilty spending so much time on the book's weaknesses, for they are truly minuscule compared to the valuable information and the superb format. I compared the book to various omnibus resources on similar financial matters written by those for whom English is their native language and found this material to be more helpful and more accurate.
If you are a prospective immigrant, a new immigrant or an immigrant who is still having problems adjusting, this book is a must read for you.
If you know such a person, this book would make a thoughtful gift.
We all owe the authors a debt of gratitude for their excellent gift to immigrants!
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