Ellis Island

"In this comprehensive and lively study (the second trait a most welcome change from most demographic analyses), Bogen, Director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, provides a summary of the legislative history of immigration to the city and extensive quantitative data on the new arrivals. She also discusses the character and quality of human and legal services for immigrants and refugees, reviews monetary and social costs and benefits, sets forth a series of recommendations for social policy, and ends with a thoughtful Paean to the Lady, the one with the lamp held high beside the Golden Door. In addition to its general contents, Bogen's book includes a most useful glossary of terms and acronyms so that readers, too, may know what it means to adjust one's status, understand the oxymoron called conditional permanent residence, take courses in ESL, and look to a volag for assistance." Choice

The influx of millions of immigrants into the United States has profoundly impacted the nation's economy, culture, and politics. Since the founding of our country, our government has worked to control this migration by enacting different policies to deal with immigration and naturalization. Students can trace the history and development of issues surrounding these policies, as well as the reactions to them, through this unique and comprehensive collection of over 100 primary documents. Court cases, opinion pieces, and many other documents bring to life the controversies surrounding the subject of immigration. Explanatory introductions aid users in understanding each document and help to illuminate its significance to the reader.