America Is Immigrants

by Sara Nović, Alison Kolesar (Illustrator)

A gorgeous illustrated collection profiling immigrants from every single country in the world, celebrating the incredible range of what it means to be an American.

This vibrant volume brings American immigrant stories to life in short biographies written by award-winning writer Sara Nović with charming full-color illustrations by Alison Kolesar. At a time when public debate is focused on who belongs in America and who doesn’t, this book honors the crucial contributions of our friends and neighbors who have chosen to make this country their home.

Featured within are war heroes and fashion designers, Supreme Court justices and pop stars, athletes and civil rights leaders, including:
• the doctors who saved Ronald Reagan’s life
• creators of iconic American products like Levi’s, Chevys, and Nathan’s Famous hot dogs
• the scientists who contributed to the Manhattan Project
• the architects behind landmarks of the American skyline, like the World Financial Center, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Sears Tower

• These familiar names from every walk of life:
Madeleine Albright • Isabel Allende • Mario Andretti • Desi Arnaz • Isaac Asimov • George Balanchine • Sergey Brin • Gisele Bündchen • Willem de Kooning • Oscar de la Renta • Marlene Dietrich • Albert Einstein • Alfred Hitchcock • Arianna Huffington • Enrique Iglesias • Iman • Grace Jones • Henry Kissinger • Mila Kunis • Hedy Lamarr • Yo-Yo Ma • Miriam Makeba • Pedro Martínez • Joni Mitchell • Sidney Poitier • Wolfgang Puck • Rihanna • Knute Rockne • M. Night Shyamalan • Gene Simmons • Nikola Tesla • The von Trapps • Elie Wiesel • Anna Wintour • and more

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Politics, Anthologies, American History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Sara Nović is author of the NYT best-seller TRUE BIZ, as well as the novel GIRL AT WAR, (2015, winner American Library Association Alex Award, longlist Women's Prize, finalist for the LA Times Fiction prize) and the illustrated nonfiction collection AMERICA IS IMMIGRANTS (2019). She's an instructor of creative writing and Deaf studies, and lives in Philly with her family.

Visit her on the web at http://sara-novic.com or
[twitter] @novicsara
[insta] @photonovic

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my. I had high hopes for this title, but sadly, there's absolutely no way I can recommend it to any readers. At first glance, I thought the illustrations were lovely, but it didn't take me long to notice a HUGE, glaring problem. The people of color in this book are depicted as very, very (did I say very?) light-skinned.

For just one example, check out the illustration of Chinua Achebe compared to how he appears on Google Images.



I could hardly believe that a book about immigrants would contain such a gargantuan oversight, so I reached out to NetGalley to confirm that I was not experiencing a problem with my device. (I wasn't.) These illustrations are a HUGE issue in a book that's claiming to celebrate America's diversity.

If the illustrations are revised, I'll be happy to revisit this review, but as the book appears right now, I absolutely cannot recommend it.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on October 15th.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Sara Novic's book America Is Immigrants presents foreign-born individuals who came to America and had an impact on society and the world. She includes examples from all 193 members of the United Nations.

These individuals contributed to all areas, including technology, entertainment, industry, business, the arts and literature, medicine, cuisine, architecture, government, the military, and human rights.

Many of the contemporary individuals included were unfamiliar to me. Novic has included people who are not headline news, like the foreign-born doctors who saved President's Regan's life. Some are 'local heroes' like Mona Hana-Attisha, born in the UK to Iraqi parents. Mona noted the high lead levels in Flint children's blood. And others are internationally known, like Israeli-born Gene Simmons, Demon from Kiss or the German-born Albert Einstein.

"Pioneers" include Tammy Duckworth, born in Thailand; she served in Iraq and is a U.S. Senator.

"Builders" include Nikola Tesla, born in Croatia, visionary experimenter in electricity who championed AC current.

"Creators" include novelists Isabel Allende, born in Chile, and Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, born in Nigeria.

"Defenders" begins with author, human rights leader, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, born in Romania.

"Movers" includes Grammy winner and philanthropist Rihanna, born in Barbados.

"Explorers" includes science fiction writer Hugo Gernsback, born in Luxembourg, who coined the term "television" and edited Amazing Stories.

"Thinkers" includes Ishmael Beah, kidnapped and forced to be a child soldier in Sierra Leone. He wrote A Long Way Home and Radiance of Tomorrow.

Novic notes that not all of the people in her book became American citizens. She also did not include Native Americans, whose contributions are significant but do not fit into her parameters. Also, African Americans descended from slaves are not included, as they had no "agency and the search for freedom and opportunity" involved with immigration.

The fully illustrated book has one-page biographies on most of the people but some pages have brief bios on people within a specific group.

This resource will appeal to a wide age group from junior high upward.

I won an ARC from Goodreads. My review is fair and unbiased.

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the eye opener. I think everyone should grab a copy of this book. It is full of information that will help young and old see how immigrants have helped America and more.

[Basic B's Guide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short biographies of familiar faces. The boys and I enjoyed looking through and reading profiles. They were curious to see who came from Canada, just like their Momma.

[Katie Peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

"America Is Immigrants" is a wonderful collection of short biographies on famous immigrants in the United States. The book features everyone from athletes to diplomats to scientists. It shows how valuable immigration is to our country and the contribution immigrants have made to our country. I loved that included biographies of people from different time periods in American history and from a variety of countries.

This book would be a great addition to a classroom (most likely elementary school or early middle school) and useful for lessons on immigration in the United States.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Meiling Kubik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this was a really nice book with a good message. It’s a book that you can pick up any time, flip to a random page, and get some onsite into the life of an immigrant.

I agree with other reviewers that the illustrations do depict some of the POC as unrealistically light skinned, but see that as a potentially unintentional oversight that doesn’t discount the books entire purpose of telling the stories of immigrants.

Being that each immigrant is only afforded one page or less, the narratives don’t dive deep or leave you incredibly inspired. None the less, each story gives you a look into a life that you can look more into elsewhere and in total the book gives you sense of the great work done by immigrants in America.

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway, but my opinion is unbiased by that fact.

[Frances Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful overview of the multitude of immigrants who’ve contributed amazing things to the world. It features short bios organised into different categories/industries, along with portraits of many of them.

[Paul Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining reading. Some historical world information, trivia about the individuals and how immigrants assisted in the formation of our country.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book! So well written and so interesting! We're all immigrants. Come from different walks of life from all over the world. This book proves that. Each and every chapter of this book enlightens and makes one smile. Learn about how immigrants help make America great.

A MUST buy!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It is chocked full of short biographies of immigrants to American (from absolutely every corner and country of the world) and what they did with their lives after their arrivals. Some of the immigrants are famous names and are easily recognized; some are obscure and their accomplishments are footnotes in history; all are interesting with an amazing range of abilities. This really opened my eyes to how the US had been influenced by many other cultures in every facet of life and how much the US has provided these immigrants with opportunities to develop their talents ... a two-way street. Not a deep read but a fun one.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.

[Julie Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of quick snippets about migrants who have made the United States what we are today. From Hollywood to pop culture to medical breakthrough and scientific innovation.....we are a country of immigrants and we need to embrace this.

This would be a great book for a school library and a US History teacher to help bring immigrant stories alive.

[Briayna Cuffie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this as an eARC via NetGalley in partnership with the publisher, for a fair and unbiased review.
—————————————————————————-

I liked the diversity of the people included. There were quite a few I didn’t know about. Definitely didn’t appreciate the white-washing of the people who are much darker-skinned in real life.

Some of the bios seemed to end a bit abruptly and/or the bit about their youth/adolescence seemed short.

[✨ B e t w e e n S h a d e s o f B o o k s ✨]

This book is what I need in my life.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of Americans who emigrated from countries all over the world to live the American dream.

Warning!!!! There is no objectivity in the opinion given below.

As is usual with this topic I have no objectivity. I have been waiting for this book ever since I first heard the lie that immigrants are drug dealers and murderers (Lee, 8 Jul 2015, para. 5). I knew that there had to be information out there of all of the immigrants that had come here who had made an impact that would resonate with people.

Sara Nović and illustrator Alison Kolesar have brought us America Is Immigrants (2019) and it is amazing. It is everything I wanted and more. Nović writes the stories of those who emigrated here from young kids to people in their 70s. Kolesar gives us an image to go with the story. I cannot even think of what story I like best...would we have the television or science fiction stories if not for Hugo Gernsback who came here in 1904.

Did you know that we have a female King living in the United States? I did not know that I think that is amazingly cool. Imagine my surprise when I am reading and I see the next town over listed in the print in relation to Eugenia Fortes. Was I surprised to read about the racism she received? No, I was not sadly enough - not much has changed since she came here in 1920. The strength she had though to change the thinking of the times and Justice Thurgood Marshall at her table (I am in awe and now a HUGE fan).

There are mainstream people who run the gamut from Gene Simmons the lead singer of Kiss, M. Knight Shyamalan the director of the Sixth Sense, race driver Mario Andretti, and even the First Lady Melania Trump.

It may be a small book, but it packs a powerful punch. You can take your time and read one person a day, a couple at a time, or pick and choose. Invite your friends over for dinner and read it aloud to each other and have a great discussion. This is the book to read, share, and talk about. Knowledge is power. Nović and Kolesar just gave us some beautiful history and some excellent rebuttal material.

I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and voluntarily.

[Salamah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is superb and much needed at this time. Sara Novic did a great job selecting some of the many famous immigrants who have come to America to enhance, the life and culture of what it means to be American. I also believe this book curtails some of the ideas that only this type of "person" should be considered American. Novic writes that rather than being at odds with their Americanness the fact that they came from somewhere else made them American. I love how it represents all nationalities, so many in fact I would guess no one would know all of the places listed here as the individuals birth country. I actually had to look some of them up just to become familiar. Young and old are represented as well as those from different religions. Each page gives us a brief bio of the individual and facts about their experience immigrating to the United States. The illustrations are nice and vibrant but I would have liked to see a photograph as well. I will be using this book in my library to discuss why immigrants are important, how they have added to our culture and why diversity is important.

[Kathleen Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am totally delighted with this book!
Its compact easy to read biographies and lively illustrations surely earn it a permanent place on educational reading lists.
This book left on coffee table or on a settee in a sunroom will repeatedly find itself nonchalantly picked up by a reader unaware, only to find themselves still reading it 15 minutes later!
The illustrator owes no apologies for her artistic interpretation of the individuals in the book.
The critics of the said tonal discrepancies should take a moment to appreciate the attention to the personal characteristics of each subject the illustrator chose to focus on. None of the illustrations are realistic scale, yet each one is a lovely miniature work of art.
The use of easy going illustrations over formal portraits adds to the book's comprehensible friendliness, making it an enjoyable source of information and an easy read on such an important topic.

[Kristen M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all come from somewhere. This anthology is a thorough examination of the contributions of immigrants to America past and present. Here's a sampling of highlights:

Khalil Gibran, Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albright, Khaled Hosseini, Ishmael Beah, Carl Djerassi (one of the inventors of the Pill), Jaime Escalante, Ocean Vuong, Hedy Lamarr, Felix Frankfurter, Sidney Poitier, Desi Arnaz, Nikola Tesla, Henry Kissinger, Levi Strauss, Ibi Zoboi, Isabel Allende, Joseph Pulitzer, M. Night Shyamalan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Preet Bhahara, Mikhail Barysknikov, Joe Sacco, Nicola Yoon, Chinua Achebe, Art Spiegelman, Elie Wiesel, Ayn Eand, Isaac Asimov, Irving Berlin, Dave Matthews, Trevor Noah, Alexander Hamilton, Tammy Duckworth, Nicki Minaj, Eddie Van Halen, Tadeusz Kosciuscko, Thanhha Lai, Alfred Hitchcock, Stokely Carmichael and the three immigrant doctors who saved Ronald Reagan's life after he was shot in the 80s among hundreds of others!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment I saw the name of the book - I was eager to read it.

America is a county that WAS built by immigrants and IS a country of immigrants. This specific publication has combined a large list of successful people who have made Americal as we know it today.

The US is home to foreign-born athletes, artists, civil rights leaders, inventors, scientists who have migrated to America and contributed to its history & leadership, medicine & food industries, social media & entertainment, industrial and technology inventions, etc.

It's a wonderful and short read, that simply boosts with positive energy. Thank you, NetGalley, Random House pub and Sara Nović for a free and advanced copy of the wonderful book.

[Luis Cuesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. It offers an educative look that is relevant theses days when public debate is focused on who belongs in America. From war heroes to fashion designers, pop stars, athletes, and many more fascinating figures that may be not as popular, each and every immigrant man or woman portrayed in the book with a short but informative text and an illustration enlightens and makes one smile and appreciate the positive impact that immigration had, has and will have in America.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that has short profiles of immigrants (I'm not sure if it actually is every country in the world, but it's definitely most of them), many I'd heard of and many I hadn't, and I learned a lot about some interesting people. There are also some celebrities I didn't realize were immigrants- like Gene Simmons is from Israel and Sidney Poitier is from the Bahamas. It is annoyingly apolitical at times, though- Melania Trump is one of the immigrants profiled, and the writing about her is completely neutral.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cool little book--literally it is five inches by seven inches. It has at least one person on each page and does a great job of delving into history and modern-day looking at people from all over God's green Earth who came to America where they have made an impact. I read it a little at a time when I needed a nonfiction break from my fictional reading. I think I am going to use the figures in this book somehow in the classroom. It is a great way to teach small nonfiction reading and writing about real people who came to America and were able to make a difference.

[Loryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this collection. In the mornings with breakfast, I like reading from books of essays that I can choose from without needing to not-miss-a-day. This was perfect. Every morning i read the quick 1-page bios of immigrants highlighted in this book. I love the premise of highlighting how immigrants were and continue to be a huge, important part of American culture, while acknowledging that they are not always given the credit they deserve. I hope this will become a book guests pick out from my bookshelf when they visit.

[Zstone66 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I feel like I learned some really cool facts about a bunch of people I didn't know were immigrants. And even the really famous people -who I feel like I knew all about - had stories that I had no idea about. Just cool to have some of these stories in my back pocket that I feel like I can share with other people. Really cool illustrations too. A perfect gift (especially for my uncle who has some questionable political views).

[Kelsey Mangeni (kman.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy I bought this little book. It is the coolest compilation, proving that immigrants have influenced the US in every single way. The spectrum of countries and impact represented is so broad, not to mention the gorgeous illustration. Here you’ll read about everyone from Albert Einstein and Alexander Hamilton to Gene Simmons and Mila Kunis and read about the effect they’ve had on our culture and country.

[Annburnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about the many immigrants that ended up in America over many years. Some are famous and some are not but they all had a hand in making America a better place with their interest and skills. It is a lot of short biographies of many different people so you can read a little bit here and there as you have time.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darn right, America is Immigrants! I loved this book! We cannot let anyone defeat the purpose of the American dream, the American promise of welcoming immigrants and refugees. You are safe here. You are welcome here. We need that promise back.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was blown away at the achievements of these immigrants who have made America their home. I had never heard of most of these people, yet they are part of the fabric that makes this country what it is.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, lots of people who are American but came from other countries are highlighted. Each entry features a different person and the book is divided into themes. Some of the people's stories were very interesting, others less so. It's a nicely put together book with a good message.

[Erin Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the information in this book, and thought it was compiled nicely, but I knocked off one star, because I agree with another reviewer about the use of skin tones in the illustrations was a bit disappointing.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and interesting - definitely timely, particularly considering all the things going on in the world right now. Short pieces, with enough information that learning more will be easily possible.