Immigration: An American History

by Carl J. Bon Tempo, Hasia R. Diner

Overview

A sweeping narrative history of American immigration from the colonial period to the present
 
“A masterly historical synthesis, full of wonderful detail and beautifully written, that brings fresh insights to the story of how immigrants were drawn to and settled in America over the centuries.”—Nancy Foner, author of One Quarter of the Nation
 
The history of the United States has been shaped by immigration. Historians Carl J. Bon Tempo and Hasia R. Diner provide a sweeping historical narrative told through the lives and words of the quite ordinary people who did nothing less than make the nation.
 
Drawn from stories spanning the colonial period to the present, Bon Tempo and Diner detail the experiences of people from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. They explore the many themes of American immigration scholarship, including the contexts and motivations for migration, settlement patterns, work, family, racism, and nativism, against the background of immigration law and policy. Taking a global approach that considers economic and personal factors in both the sending and receiving societies, the authors pay close attention to how immigration has been shaped by the state response to its promises and challenges.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300265033
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	430,898
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Carl J. Bon Tempo is associate professor of history at SUNY–Albany. He lives in Cold Spring, NY. Hasia R. Diner is the Paul and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History at New York University. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction Immigration: An American History 1

1 Founding Immigrants: Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century America 13

2 Opening the Door to Europe's People 39

3 From Two Continents, Bound for Two Coasts, 1820-1882 63

4 Americans React, Regulations Begin, 1820-1882 88

5 The Masses Arrive as the Door Starts to Close, 1882-1921 111

6 What Americans Said about the Immigrants, 1882-1921 137

7 Closing the Gates: National Origins and the Great Depression 161

8 Newcomers and World War II 191

9 Prosperity, the Braceros, and Cold War Refugees, 1945-1965 216

10 The Age of Reform: Braceros, Immigrants, and Refugees 247

11 A New Open Door: Immigration in the Twentieth Century's Last Decades 270

12 Imrnigration Politics and Restrictionism, 1970-2001 299

13 The Era of Border Security: Immigration after 9/11 329

Epilogue Past, Present, Future 361

Notes 365

Index 389

Editorial Reviews

An excellent and original work of synthesis.”—Brendan A. Shanahan, Journal of Social History

“[The] extensive, highly detailed exploration of how conditions have evolved over many decades along the southern border will prove extremely helpful to anyone who wants to obtain a full picture of the situation. . . . This book makes sound and powerful arguments.”—Rosemary Michaud, Post and Courier

“A much-needed synthesis of American immigration history.”—B. B. Pfleger, Choice

“A masterly historical synthesis, full of wonderful detail and beautifully written, that brings fresh insights to the story of how immigrants were drawn to and settled in America over the centuries.”— Nancy Foner, author of One Quarter of the Nation

“An erudite, insightful, and elegant account of the immigrant experience in the US from colonial to Covid times that will edify and delight scholars, students, and the lay public alike.”—José C. Moya, Barnard College

“This extremely timely and important book excellently positions the history of immigration at the center of US history. It challenges the traditional chronology of US immigration history, powerfully weaving migrants’ voices with those of legislators, regular Americans, and political and civic leaders.”—Maddalena Marinari, author of Unwanted

From the Publisher

2022-03-22
A multicentury examination of the drama of immigration.

Historians Bon Tempo and Diner offer a detailed survey of immigration, from Colonial times to the present, focusing particularly on the “economic forces, political structures, and familial and personal imperatives” that led men and women to leave their homes and settle in a new land. These “voluntary immigrants,” the authors acknowledge, tell a story different from that of enslaved Africans, who were brought against their will. While the particular conditions that impelled people to journey to America changed over time, all immigrants hoped to find a better life for themselves and their children. The Founding Fathers saw White, European immigrants, regardless of religion, as vital to the new nation’s economic growth. By the early 19th century, though, some lawmakers feared that poor immigrants would burden taxpayers, a concern that would reverberate later. At times, the authors reveal, potential immigrants faced strictures against leaving their home countries. In 1788, for example, Britain “banned the emigration of skilled artisans from Ireland.” From 1820 to 1920, America experienced a huge wave that swelled the immigrant population from 1.4 million in the 1840s to 6.3 million in the 1910s. Many were not escaping religious oppression or dire poverty; rather, they were middle class but saw few opportunities at home. Men often came first, establishing themselves before sending for wives and children. After first locating themselves in ethnic communities, they moved rapidly across the expanding nation. The authors examine the racial, religious, and political persecutions that caused immigration as well as the racism and xenophobia that many encountered when they arrived. Over the years, changing immigration policies have reflected fears that particular groups of immigrants posed a threat to economic security and national identity. The authors predict that in the future, an influx of refugees will result from the exigencies of climate change. Anecdotes highlight individual immigrants’ experiences, supporting the authors’ contention that “immigrants are like us.”

A comprehensive overview of newcomers to America.

Kirkus Reviews