Crossing into America
A literary portrait of immigrant America including contributions from celebrated authors, young writers, and undocumented workers
“Every migration is an opportunity and a kind of death. But it’s not just our final passage that demands a crossing fee. Every migrant knows the sensation of arriving in some kind of afterlife . . . your solid self lies buried in the place that you’ve abandoned.” —Rob Nixon
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.
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