Crossing into America

Presents voices from the great second wave of American immigration. Mixing writing from celebrated authors such as Richard Rodriguez, Jamaica Kincaid, and Maxine Hong Kingston with striking selections from young writers, as well as diary entries and letters from undocumented workers. This outstanding collection captures the diverse voices of the new literature of American immigration. Bringing together beautiful writing from celebrated authors such as Sandra Cisneros, Jamaica Kincaid, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Chang-Rae Lee, Crossing into America fills the literary void in public discussion about immigration. Since the immigration reforms of 1965 removed many of the racial barriers in American immigration laws, a new wave of immigrants has visibly transformed a society that has long prided itself on being a nation of immigrants. Crossing into America includes stories and memoirs of writers born in Mexico, Kashmir, the Philippines, South Africa, and Romania, as well as poignant reflections on the immigrant experience by the children of immigrants. This book follows these newest arrivals—from their home countries through their engagement with America—and also includes an accessible history of immigration policy, cartoons, and newspaper stories, and a section of conversations with activists, journalists, and scholars working in the front lines of our immigration battles.