In this tale of two Muslim sisters, Monica Ali explores their different lives and how they shape their fates. Nazneen, married off in her teens to an older man, lives in a tower block in London’s East End, keeping house and rearing children. Nazneen does what is expected of her, but into that fragile peace walks Karim, raising questions of longing and belonging that open her eyes. Her sister Hasina finds heartbreak with a “love marriage” back home in Bangladesh. (496 pages)
Level: Students writing papers/Linjefag

American has 40 million citizens whose roots are in Mexico, Central or South America, the Caribbean or the Iberian Peninsula. This book is a collection of mainly short stories (but also poems, cartoons and quotations) about Latino life, community and beliefs in America. The stories are short, accessible and powerful. Themes include: the history of Latino immigrants whose sacrifice and hard work paved the way for new generations; the longing for a sense of connection to ancestral homelands; the Latino struggle for an “American” identity; the consequences of living in two languages; the inspiration drawn from Latino cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs; Latino faith in the power of community; the central place of family in Latino cultures. Editors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Susan Sánchez-Casal. (340 pages)
Level: Can be used from the beginning of the gymnasium/Interdisciplinary projects about Hispanic immigrants and culture in the USA

For the past few years Roddy Doyle has been writing stories for “Metro Eireann”, a newspaper started by, and aimed at, immigrants to Ireland. Each of the stories takes a new slant on the immigrant experience, something of increasing relevance in today's Ireland. The stories range from Guess Who's Coming to the Dinner, where a father who prides himself on his open-mindedness when his daughters talk about sex, is forced to confront his feelings when one of them brings home a black fella, to a terrifying ghost story, The Pram, in which a Polish nanny grows impatient with her charge’s older sisters and decides — in a phrase she has learnt — to ‘scare them shitless’. Most of the stories are very funny — in 57 percent Irish Ray Brady tries to devise a test of Irishness by measuring reactions to Robbie Keane’s goal against Germany in the 2002 World Cup, Riverdance and ‘Danny Boy’ — others are deeply moving. And best of all, in the title story itself, Jimmy Rabbitte, the man who formed The Commitments, decides it's time to find a new band, and this time no White Irish need apply! Multicultural to a fault, The Deportees specialise not in soul music this time, but the songs of Woody Guthrie. Author: Roddy Doyle. (242 pages)
Level: For use from 10.kl./beginning of the gymnasium

Told in a series of vignettes, The House On Mango Street is the story of Esperanza Cordera, a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. For Esperanza, Mango Street is a desolate landscape of concrete and run-down tenements where she discovers the hard realities of life — the fetters of class and gender, racial enmity and the mysteries of sexuality. Capturing her thoughts and emotions in poems and stories, Esperanza is able to rise above hopelessness and create a quiet space for herself in the midst of her oppressive surroundings. This bestselling novel depicts a new American landscape through its multiple characters. Author: Sandra Cisneros. (110 pages)
Level: B

This classic book, now in a completely revised edition, is a great resource for one of the most studied subjects in the gymnasium today:
This book combines vivid storiesof newcomers' personal journeys from distant homelands with analysis of current demographic, economic, and political realities. Drawing on recent census data and other primary sources, the authors have infused the text with up-to-date information and a range of new vignettes and illustrations. It offers a superb portrayal of immigration and immigrant lives in the United States.  It looks at the dynamics of immigrant politics, examining questions of identity and loyalty among newcomers, and explores the consequences of varying modes of migration and acculturation. The authors look at patterns of settlement in urban America, discuss the problems of English-language acquisition and bilingual education, explain how immigrants integrate themselves into the American economy, and examine the lives of their children from adolescence to early adulthood. There are analyses of topics ranging from patterns of incarceration to the mobility of the second generation. This is a major portrait of the diversity of American life, its pressures, difficulties, repressions and possibilities, as seen through the eyes of those struggling for a place in the society. Authors: Alejandro Portes and Ruben G. Rumbaut. (460 pages)
Level: A-B/A great resource for projects (especially interdisciplinary) about American immigrants and their culture

Contents: 1. Nine Stories  2. Who They Are and Why They Come  3. Moving: Patterns of Immigrant Settlement and Spatial Mobility  4. Making It in America: Occupational and Economic Adaptation  5. From Immigrants to Ethnics: Identity, Citizenship, and Political Participation  6. A Foreign World: Immigration, Mental Health, and Acculturation  7. Learning the Ropes: Language and Education  8. Growing Up American: The New Second Generation  9. Religion: The Enduring Presence  Conclusion  Notes  References  Index

A specialized but fascinating resource abou the interaction between American immigrants and popular culture:
This is an account of the role immigrants have played as performers, entrepreneurs, and as the subjects of the mass culture industry in America. This book asks the questions:  How does a 'national' popular culture form and grow over time in a nation comprised of immigrants? How have immigrants used popular culture in America, and how has it used them? Through a series of case studies Immigration and American Popular Culture uncovers how specific trends in popular culture — such as portrayals of European immigrants as gangsters in 1930s cinema, the zoot suits of the 1940s, the influence of Jamaican Americans on rap in the 1970s, and cyberpunk and Asian American “zines” in the 1990s — have their roots in the nature of immigration in America. Immigration and American Popular Culture is a unique history of 20th century U.S. immigration with major insights in the field of popular culture. Immigration and cultural production have been completely intertwined in America and we cannot understand one without the other. Authors: Rachel Rubin and Jeffrey Melnick. (302 pages)Level: A-B/A resource for projects (especially interdisciplinary) about American immigrants and their culture

This book includes information about immigration and security in the UK, the problems of a growing population and the controversies surrounding immigration:
Level: 8.-10. kl./AVUII-III/C-F etc.

Chapter One: Migration and Security

Migration facts and figures; Migration in the UK; British least supportive of immigration; Does migration hurt migrants?; Frequently asked questions; HIV, immigrants and immigration; Outline of the immigration problem; Brits abroad; Mass migration damaging the planet; Activities.

Chapter Two: Population
Population issues; Population estimates; Baby shortage ‘a myth’; 2007 world population; The dawn of an urban millennium; Ageing population; Why we have a census; Activities.

Key Facts;  Glossary (web links at the end of most articles)

Few decades in American history were as full of drama and historical significance as the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1960s, a revolution in race relations occurred, seeing the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, the American Indian Movement, and the Latino labour movement. The focus in the 1970s was on carrying out the reforms of the previous decade, with the resulting white backlash. This volume is a source to help students understand the crucial race relations of the recent past. It provides comprehensive reference coverage of the key events, influential voices, race relations by group, legislation, media influences, cultural output, and theories of inter-group interactions. The volume covers two decades — coverage for each decade includes Timeline, Overview, Key Events, Voices of the Decade, Race Relations by Group, Law and Government, Media and Mass Communications, Cultural Scene, Influential Theories and Views of Race Relations, and a Resource Guide. This format allows comparison of topics through the decades. The style and layout are clear and accessible. Historical photographs, a selected bibliography, and index complement the text. Author: Thomas Upchurch. Hardback. (180 pages + Introduction)
Level: Library/Depot — a great resource especially for 2nd and 3rd years of the gymnasium