From the Bookshelves: Recommendations from "The Booklist Reader" for Immigrant Heritage Month

The Booklist Reader closes out Immigrant Heritage Month with recommended books by and about immigrants, several of which have been featured on ImmigrationProf Blog:

June is #ImmigrantHeritageMonth, which began in 2014 and has been recognized and celebrated by the (Obama) White House as “a time to celebrate diversity and immigrants’ shared American heritage” since 2015. “Immigration,” the White House declares, “is part of the DNA of this great nation.” Perhaps now more than ever—fueled by the ubiquity of alarming headlines and tragic images in the media—the topic of immigration also provides substantial literary inspiration: we gather this baker’s dozen of recent titles, all with 2018 and 2019 pub dates and linked to their Booklist reviews, for your reading enlightenment. 

The Atlas of Reds and Blues, by Devi S. Laskar

The Body Papers, by Grace Talusan

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, by Jose Antonio Vargas

Freshwater, by Akwaeke Emezi

Girls Burn Brighter, by Shobha Rao

Immigrant, Montana, by Amitava Kumar

Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution, by Helen Zia

Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli

Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim

Number One Chinese Restaurant, by Lillian Li

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong

The Other Americans, by Laila Lalami  

A River of Stars, by Vanessa Hua

 

Happy reading! If you prefer shorter reads (though not necessary lighter ones), here is a list of children's books on immigration from 2018.

MHC