We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century: an Oral History

by Ray Suarez

From the veteran broadcaster and historian comes a richly reported portrait of the newest Americans, immigrants from all over the globe who are living all across the country, filled with their own voices.

We are a nation of immigrants, never more than now. In recent decades, the numbers have skyrocketed, thanks to people coming from many continents—especially Asia, Africa, and South America. Just like their predecessors, they face countless obstacles, including political hatred. And yet, just like their predecessors, they work hard. They persist. And they become us. The newest Americans are poorly understood and frequently presented only in stereotypes. Veteran journalist, broadcaster, and interviewer Ray Suarez has criss-crossed the country to speak to new Americans from all corners of the globe, and to record their stories. This portrait of our newest citizens is full of their own, compelling voices. It’s a story as old as the country, yet each new wave of arrivals tells that classic story in new and crucially important ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Historical

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Tarryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

RTC

[Tine Bjornlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories of some of the myriad immigrants in the US. Where they came from, why they left, and how they have settled.

[Adriana Belmonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read honestly. This came out in 2024 and yet I feel SO MUCH has even changed since then. I loved the historical context between the different ethnic groups that immigrated to the U.S., further reminding me that each immigrant group has their own origin stories. I'd love to see some kind of follow-up if we ever make it out of this current disaster we're in the middle of right now.

[Carolyn Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve admired Ray Suarez as a broadcaster and journalist for many years for both the intelligence and incisive analysis of of his reporting. This New York-born Puerto Rican has a particular insight on both our current moment of history and the longer view on immigration from his particular Brooklyn childhood and ensuing experiences throughout his life, including his decades of research and reporting on public policy. Lest we forget, Puerto Ricans, whether born in the United States, as was Suarez, or Puerto Rico are native born citizens of the United States.
The book was written after the first Trump presidency and during the Biden presidency, before the 2024 presidential election that returned Trump for a second term. I read it after the 2024 election and again during the first six months of the second Trump presidency.
The United States has witnessed many anti-immigrant periods in its history and we are in one once again and human lives hang in the balance. If we are honest, there has always been a throughline of anti-immigrant feeling. But the intensity of it is particularly troubling now.
Suarez traces the stories of a number of immigrants he has interviewed from a variety of places in the world and weaves those stories with his observations and insights about where we've been as a country and where we are going. He acknowledges the "both/and"ness of our country. America is both a nation of immigrants and a nation fighting to maintain its dominant whiteness (western and northern European core) and majority. America is both open and not open, which is to say it is both welcoming and unwelcoming. Suarez skillfully articulates these realities while maintaining a hopefulness that is part of the ideal of what American stands for even though it is not always the reality. Well worth the read. I recommend this book and am thankful for such minds as Ray Suarez's.

[Rafael Suarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote this book as a pushback against the lazy critiques of immigration and immigrants in American discourse. It is a pretty good book, I think. I can guarantee (unless you’re already an expert in the field) that you will learn things you didn’t know before about the history of immigration and the contemporary scene. I hope it makes you both uncomfortable, and hopeful about our shared future in this country.

[Sue Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually write reviews. So this will be short. I absolutely loved this book.having worked with immigrants I am very interested in the life of our new American neighbors. What I found so gripping about this book is how he goes into the individual lives of different people from different lands. For anybody who wants to see this population as individuals and not just a group to be categorized and maybe disregarded or diminished, this is a good solid resource.

[Rolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire the sentiment behind this book, countering negative propaganda against immigrants and showing the immigrant community’s human face. I had some quibbles--the book is very pro-business, and some of the ways other countries (esp. China) are described seem rooted in US foreign policy talking points--but I can’t argue with the larger sentiment.

[Paul Narvaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent book. Offering case studies and oral histories of a wide swathe of people and their immigration stories. It's meant for a general audience and reads as such. It's politics is from a centrist liberal perspective. Suarez, has a wealth of knowledge from many years as a host on public radio and television and his perspective is largely persuasive.

[Moosemom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was published before the 2024 General Election. I wonder what Mr. Suarez is thinking today.

[Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible book that details the immigrant experience with anecdotes from immigrants from all walks of life.

[Susan Stonesifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, illustrating many migrants’ lives—why they came, how they stayed, and “when did you feel like an American.”

[Gary Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Ray Suarez for writing such a meaningful book.