Immigration Structures and Immigrant Lives

Book excerpt: Immigration Structures and Immigrant Lives provides a concise, comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to United States immigration and immigrants. The book is presented in two parts. Part I addresses the history, structure, dynamics, and politics of United States immigration from colonial times to the present. Part II focuses on the lives of immigrants with separate chapters examining the immigrant struggle simply to live, the challenges and opportunities of work in America, the different beliefs and commitments that fortify immigrants in their new lives, and the many different ways in which immigrants come to belong in the United States. The introduction and epilogue bracket the United States experience within a broader consideration of human mobility and current global migration trends and issues. Tables, case examples, and a timeline help illuminate both the general shape of immigration and the details of immigrant life. This text is accompanied by an ancillary package of digital tables and illustrations in order to enhance the learning experience of both the instructors and students.