Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration

by Sofija Stefanovic

A collection of 36 extraordinary stories, originally told on stage at the Public Theater's Joe's Pub in New York City, that brilliantly and beautifully illuminate what it's like to be an immigrant in America.

America would not be America without its immigrants. Decade upon decade, people from across the world have ventured from their native lands to build a new life in the United States. This anthology, compiled and edited by This Alien Nation host and author Sofija Stefanovic, brilliantly captures firsthand the past and present of the immigration experience in all its humor, pain, and weirdness. A mix of well-known figures--including Sonia Manzano, Alexander Chee, and Aparna Nancherla--and ordinary folk from all corners of the world share intimate and intriguing tales from their lives. Fascinating in their diversity, their recollections transport readers to Alexandria, Haiti, Bangladesh, the Bronx, and beyond, and remind us that immigration is not simply a word but a world; and what is considered alien is throbbing with talent and potential.

Alien Nation is an exploration of culture shock, of isolation and community, loneliness and hope, heartbreak and promise. The stories in this collection reflect the real occurrences and inner thoughts of immigrants and children of immigrants; those who left in search of newness, opportunity, and survival, and those born in this new place, speaking multiple languages, straddling different worlds, and raised with divided hearts.

A celebration of our diversity and strength and a poignant reminder of our shared humanity, this thoughtful and entertaining anthology pays tribute to American multiculturalism--while illuminating its cost on families and individual lives--and is a much-needed balm for the ugly xenophobia and racism plaguing America today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Audiobook, Anthologies, Biography, Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2021

About the author

Sofija Stefanovic is a Serbian Australian writer in New York City. She is the editor of ALIEN NATION: 36 true tales of immigration. Her memoir, MISS EX-YUGOSLAVIA, is a sometimes funny sometimes dark story about being an immigrant kid during the Yugoslavian Wars. She is the creator and host of the live show This Alien Nation, a celebration of immigration. She is a regular storyteller with The Moth, and has traveled with their Mainstage, telling personal stories across the country. She also teaches writing. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, among others.

Reviews

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alien Nation was adapted from a live storytelling event organized by Sofija Stefanovic and I am envious of anyone who got to see it live because I have a feeling that it was quite an experience! This collection of stories is centered around immigration, but the stories are also broken down into subsections of specific themes. I really liked that this collection included writers from different cultures, countries, gender identities, sexual identities, and was incredibly well-rounded in terms of representation. I have many favorites I'm taking away from this collection, with "My Family WhatsApp Group" by Mazin Sidahmed and "Field Notes From My Youth" by Tanaïs being my absolute favorites. Of course, some stories were more impactful than others, yet I still enjoyed the collection as a whole!

[Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about immigrants stories in the U.S. and other places, but mostly the U.S. Very moving, simple but powerful stories about dreams, hopes, and outcomes. My story is in it so that's a big plus for me!

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alien Nation: A Celebration of Immigration from the Stage to the Page is an anthology of thirty-two personal essays collected and edited by Sofija Stefanovic. In this celebratory essay collection, Stefanovic spotlights the deep and complex stories of immigrants in America.

For the most part, this collection of essays was written rather well. Alien Nation: A Celebration of Immigration from the Stage to the Page is written by different immigrants from all over the world, who has made the United States of America their new home. It features work by writers, entertainers, thinkers, and community leaders.

Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Alien Nation: A Celebration of Immigration from the Stage to the Page is not an exception. Stefanovic organizes the pieces into seven thematic sections, which was based on a play of the same name: "Alien and Familiar" (5), "Then and Now" (6), "Deep in New York City" (5), "Attachments" (5), "What Forms Us" (5), "Being Here" (5), and "Finding Roots" (5). Most stories survive the transition from stage to page surprisingly well. However, it is the more comedic essays that don't translate all too well into print and perhaps best seen live.

All in all, Alien Nation: A Celebration of Immigration from the Stage to the Page is a moving look at what the American dream means today.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited by Sofija Stefanovic and adapted from the live storytelling event she founded, “This Alien Nation” is a collection of 36 extraordinary stories, all originally told on stage, featuring work by writers, entertainers, thinkers, and community leaders. I absolutely loved this diverse collection, which captures firsthand the past and present experience of immigration in all its humor, pain, and weirdness.

Some standout stories for me were by Mexican actress Emma Ramos, who hilariously and poignantly writes about a childhood experience that shattered and reformed her understanding of the American dream, and Dominican actress Laura Gómez, walks into a conservative bed-and-breakfast in Upstate New York where unlikely connections are made. Kay Iguh and Aparna Nancherla both beautifully wrote about how one’s character is fractured and formed through language, André Aciman considers the struggle of being inflicted with nostalgia, and Roxanne Fequiere beautifully shares how her identity is formed close to home in friction with her mother and far from home as she travels the world.

“Alien Nation” is a timely and critical collection that will appeal to readers who love essays and anthologies, personal memoirs, or contemporary political or social histories (or podcasts).

Some of my favorite passages are below:

“There probably aren’t enough words to capture everything you’re feeling and thinking, and not just because you’re caught between languages—the one you need to fully embrace, and the one or ones that become secondary to survival. I think that’s why my mother wanted to make sure I had enough words, because she didn’t always have the luxury of them, when she first got here.” Aparna Nancherla

“There was a time in my life when the nostalgia bug hadn’t declared itself, and wasn’t catalogues, or even studiously pursued. There was a time when I was with a girl one late-spring day in New York, and suddenly, I was on the Mediterranean. There was a time when we bought food for breakfast in the Bronx, and on the way back, in the sun, I was not just in Alexandria, but also in a French film I’d seen that reminded me of Alexandria. But I wasn’t hounded by all this. There was a time when I was happy to experience life without a past tense hovering over my shoulders. There was time when I didn’t know I was remembering—I thought I was living. Little did I know in those days that I was just reliving. How I wish I could just recapture those days. How I wish the writer in me hadn’t intruded on them and allowed them to bait me at each turn.” - André Aciman

“2015: I’m on a date and I’m trying to figure out something to say. We’re talking about how we construct identities, which is a pretty heavy topic for a date. I try to change the subject by telling a funny story about something that happened to me and a friend of mine. She doesn’t laugh, but has a thoughtful look on her face. She asks me if I consider myself Australian. I think about it for a moment. I tell her that I’ve been told that I’m not Australian too many times in my life. It leaves a mark.” - Khalid Warsame

“As I continue to make my way through and around the world, there have been painful clashes and moments of ridicule alongside laughter and snippets of enlightenment, but I’m still exploring, wandering far from home and then tracing my way back. It’s a habit that took shape as a form of rebellion, but has since become a powerful method of introspection. As it turns out, I can’t define myself by the spaces I don’t occupy.” - Roxanne Fequiere

“Where is mother tongue form your father-land that will speak life into this crimson body? Where is the language with which you will write yourself, finally, in pen and no in pencil?” - Kay Iguh

[ReadBecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically The Moth live/podcast, but centering immigrant stories. Very heartfelt glimpses into varied lives through anecdotes.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sofija Stefanovic hosted "This Alien Nation," a regular storytelling event in Joe's Pub in NYC, where immigrants told their stories. The rotating cast told stories that for Stefanovic were "a balm, a way of feeling less lonely." In this compilation of 36 of these stories, she reminds us that "immigration is not simply a word thrown around in the news...but a world rich with unique voices, perspectives and experiences." While the stories range in tone - they'll make you laugh and they'll break your heart, they all bring something special to the table.

Here are two of my favorite stories:
**Laura Gómez, famous as Blanca in Orange is the New Black, writes about how she stops for lunch in this conservative-run B&B where Fox News was playing and the "Boss Lady" spoke of sons working for ICE. Instead of blasting the woman for her beliefs and trying to change her mind (as she very much wanted to do), she listened and connected, acting as a "decent human being who defied whatever stereotypes she has been fed...leav[ing] her thinking, Well, that Dominican lady was actually pretty nice."

**In another story, Mazin Sidahmed describes his family WhatsApp Group and how it provides the "closest thing..to the dinner table" as his family members live across the world. As they share stories, memes, and conversation, it helps keep him rooted throughout life's hard times.

Other stories include: A Mexican girl who grappled with her idea of the "American Dream" on a trip to Disneyland, a story about the role of pets in their life from their current dog back to their eight-year-old robo-dog toy, a woman seeking a limpia from a Dominican Santera in the Bronx, which left her feeling clean and free, and a guy who moved from NY back to Puerto Rico as an 8-year-old and had to come to terms with his Americanization.

The stories within represent a wide variety of national & ethnic backgrounds, and many voices bringing up stories of belonging and home, of trauma and emotion, of Americans who are welcoming and those who are discriminatory and even violent, of the comedy of life and its raw moments, and of all sorts of moments that they've overcome or are still battling with.

Admittedly, this many short stories makes the book difficult to devour as the voices are constantly shifting - for me, it read better in small increments. The chapters are grouped thematically in 7 sections, but the concept of organization wasn't always clear. Overall, this collectivity of voices helps break views of immigrants as monolithic, and this book stretches your mind to see this. Kudos to Stefanovic and the 35 authors who join her for sharing their stories and their voices with us!

[SandyKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy hearing someone’s story in their own words. It’s why I am so drawn to biographies.

These stories share the wide variety of the emotions, experiences, and receptions found after immigrating.
Reading the lived experience of individuals living outside of their country of birth is truly something special – that they’ve chosen to share with us the ups and downs of the reality of their choices. Sometimes leaving “home” is a push out and sometimes it is a pull from. Either way, it is a choice to be made and a devil to deal with. Is the devil you know (“home”) better or worse than the devil (the new location) you don’t know?

Reading these experiences, good and bad, makes me want to hug each individual.
It also makes me want to shake so many people of their narrow-minded views based in racism, classism, elitism, all the other -isms. There are so many similarities across the globe that far outweigh our differences, which is clearly shown in the echoes throughout these stories regardless of the place of origin or the destination.

Favorite Stories
A Little Tattle-Tale Around the Nannying Gig: by Christine Yvette Lewis
Three Decades of Unsolicited Fashion Advice from a Migrant Mother: by Alice Pung
Mortar, Porcelain, Brick: by Kay Iguh
Don’t Follow Your Dreams (Especially, the American Dream): by Emma Ramos

I definitely recommend this book and would have loved to see these stories performed on stage.
Stars 3.5
Would I Recommend? Yes

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alien Nation is a collection of 36 stories of immigrants from all over the world told on stage in NYC. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories. Some were funny, some were deeply moving, all were eye opening and worthy of our time. Two of my favorites were True Identity and A Little Tattle-Tale Around the Nannying Gig.

In True Identity, Tatenda Ngwara tells her story as an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe. She was forced out of her country when she started advocating for intersex and transgender people. Her father gave her his last dollar so she could “go somewhere she will be accepted as a human and a citizen who deserves human rights.” She tells of the struggles and roadblocks of being an asylum seeker in America who is also a Black woman who is intersex. “The only way we can break down barriers is to familiarize people with what it means to be intersex. It is biological. It is not a choice.”


In A Little Tattle-Tale Around the Nannying Gig, Christine Yvette Lewis tells her story of moving to into her sister’s home in The Bronx from Trinidad and Tobago to seek a better life for herself and her daughter. She speaks deftly about caregivers knowing their worth after finding a community with the other nannies at a Central Park playground.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems perfect for audio, a compilation of personal short stories, tales of their lives that showcases being an immigrant. Some are humorous, some serious, many filled with poignant moments. I found they are just a little too short, these glimpses into their individual lives. Unfortunately, I did not have an audio copy, I read the print instead.

It’s easy to set the book down, I felt like I read enough about half-way through but would return now and then to read one or two more of the essays. I’m glad I did, because some of my favorite selections were near the end of the book. The illustrator for the cover is one of them, and he is the last entry.

There is an advantage to print, you can skip around easily. The book is grouped together in sections, seemingly tied together with a similar theme.

With my strong desire to hear the voices, not just what was in my head, I searched the internet and found a video with some of the included authors at a New York Public Library Live event reading part of their essays, which is found here: https://youtu.be/LmNjumtemEA

Sadly, these are even shorter versions, snippets of the short essays, but happily, they are the authors speaking. There are around twelve people showcased in the video compared to the 36 authors included in the book.

There is an audiobook version, that has two narrators, so it isn’t the writers themselves reading their works.

[pugs · Rating 3 out of 5]

stage-to-page writing, or rewrites, are hard to adapt for a reading audience vs. live audience specifically for listening pleasure, and the author realistically can't get all 36 original speakers to re-record what they already said live to match the environment, excitement, performance aspect. the benefit of live storytelling is also the emotive response from the audience, that collective experience is hard to contain in book-form. still, plenty of stories here are interesting, a commonality often being escaping life-threatening oppression from one country to less life-threatening oppression in the u.s. a lot of immigrant parent sacrifice as love language. sentimental and critical questioning of home. the material in 'alien nation' isn't a problem, it's the presentation, or lack thereof. it's not memoir writing or short story per se, but the uneven ground of adaptation. the effect, therefore, is limited, or my imagination is limited. either way, perhaps most interesting is finding 36 voices you get to learn more about, and look them up after.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories that celebrate the immigrant experience. Many of these stories have been shared in a New York City show called "This Alien Nation". It is a celebration of the freedom of coming to somewhere else, somewhere better where you work hard and hopefully succeed. It is also the voice of how hard that is - the almost impossible reality of not knowing the language, customs and starting from scratch in a place that doesn't always remember it welcomed you in. I was humbled by the incredible courage they all showed and appreciated the slice of their many cultures that make up our nation. Just as it takes many different voices to create a beautiful choir or colors to paint a masterpiece - it takes a great variety of people to create a rich and vibrant nation. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Shá · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed many of the stories being told here. These are stories that 'must' be told. I especially hope those within unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory pick it up. 

From an overall book perspective, not all of the content is well written or engaging. The authors attempting to be entertaining lacked significantly (not all). There were also heartfelt and relatable stories, but also some that were confusing, disoriented, and missed the mark completely.

I'd still recommend giving it a try because there are also gems, it just may take every few pages to reach them. I certainly had favorites and those made it worthwhile. I'd check out these individuals stories and backgrounds outside of just this piece.

[Arijana Ramic · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books I’ve read this year and one of my favorite collections of stories. A great mix of stories but a few standouts:

*My Family WhatsApp Group by Mazin Sidahmed

*What It Takes to Make a Dream Come True by Hass Agili

*The Nostalgia Bug by Andre Aciman

*True Identity by Tatenda Ngwaru

*Don’t They Have Irons in America by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene

*An Island Unto Herself by Roxanne Fequiere

*Jaikisan Heights by Suketu Mehta

*The Great Divide: On a Trip Upstate, Learning to Listen by Laura Gomez

[Bill Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As some reviewers have noted, the stories presented were given as talks, and I think they would have been even better seen live, in-person. Still, to me they presented very interesting and moving slices of life. The complexities of being an immigrant, whether in the USA or elsewhere. I think it should be a must read book. There needs to be this type of sharing of stories, sharing of lives lived, a look behind the curtains into other cultures. I think this also would open hearts to see humanity/humanness as being not so much differences as similarities.

[A'idah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really difficult to rate this collection because out of the 36 separate stories, some are well below 1-star and some are perfect 5s. The collection should not be read as a "book" in a short period of time, which was my mistake, really. The 1-star tales have little to say about immigration or identity beyond the bare surface, while the 5-stars made me reflect on the vulnerabilities that I shared with the author. I would not re-read this collection, but I definitely would show up to a live session at Joe's Pub when the opportunity presents itself.

[Laura-Michelle Horgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous collection of stories about the immigrant experience. There were so many touching stories. I also can’t count the number of times I laughed out loud at this book. One of my favorite lines was by an Armenian author whose grandfather told him he could never be a basketball player b/c there have never been any Armenian players “and, if you count the Kardashians, Armenians have ruined more basketball careers than they have made.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally told on stage, this collection of 36 stories from the lives of immigrants from all over the world gives a wide array of glimpses into the immigrant experience - some relatable and some less so, some funny, some heartbreaking, all interesting in their own way.

[Silvia Korchumova · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book and the stories were certainly good, but a story that sounds good told live on stage does not equal good writing. Most of these stories, as told here, should be heard and not read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays and stories from American immigrants from all over the world. Apparently, many of these were spoken/performed on stage, but some were adapted to suit this format. They were impressive and all over the place. Stories of family, survival, love, and courage. Great read.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author did a great job transferring these pieces from the stage into print. The tales range from emotional to inspiring to funny! Illustrates the many facets of immigrant journeys. An easy and enjoyable read.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short tales, not read by the authors. Some have been performed, as on The Moth, most are just the experiences of people who have come, or been brought, to a new land and deal with what they find, and what they've left or escaped.

[Micha Goebig · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many different interesting voices and perspectives!

[Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays hit, others did not. Overall insightful.

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories translated so well from the stage to a short story. I enjoyed the range of stories of people from so many different countries and just a glimmer of their experience.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

While all of the stories within were splendid, I think some probably worked better in their original spoken-word format.

[Barbara White]

Alien Nation is a spectacular group of stories of immigrants entering the United States. Your emotions will run the gamut. I highly recommend Alien Nation.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empathy.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alien Nation is an enlightening glimpse at the varied lives and experiences of immigrants. Prepare to laugh, cry, and be inspired by stories as diverse as the people sharing them.
The book's origin as a performance series lives on in the short format of each story, which works to make it easily accessible to all readers. It's the kind of book that you can pick up when you have a few minutes, read a chapter/story, and walk away to think about it. Or, like me, you could fly through all the stories in awe of the varied life experiences being shared.
I wish this book would be added to reading lists for all ages, just so that more people can have the chance to see how all our differences only make the things we have in common more important.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the illuminating read!