American Immigration

School Library Journal

Gr 5-10-The first volume of this set provides a broad overview, beginning with the overland movement of people from Asia through Siberia to North America over 30,000 years ago and ending with the rise of emigration from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the latter half of the 20th century. The second volume details the history of Ellis Island and paints a vivid picture of the immigrants' experiences. The rest of the volumes contain alphabetically arranged entries of varying length that highlight the many groups that settled in the U.S. Articles examine their reasons for coming, their reception and life in this country, and their cultural contributions. While the scope of this encyclopedia is broad, the focus is on 19th- and 20th-century European and Eastern-European immigrants. Groups from other areas are sometimes collectively discussed as in the case of "Central Americans and South Americans" and "West Indians." The clearly written entries also include topics related to the subject, such as "Immigration Law and Policy" and "Transportation to America." Sidebars highlight naturalized citizens, instances of discrimination and intolerance, and more. Excerpts from interviews conducted by the Ellis Island Museum Oral History Project are found throughout the set. These personal stories as well as the archival and contemporary photos in sepia tones add interest and will enhance readers' understanding of the immigrant experience. Students seeking in-depth information on some of the more recent arrivals will need to look at additional resources, but these accessible volumes will undoubtedly satisfy the demands of most report writers.-Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.