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One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America
An in-depth look at the many ways immigration has redefined modern America
The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in the United States that we sometimes fail to see it. This deeply researched book by one of America’s leading immigration scholars tells the story of how immigrants are fundamentally changing this country.
An astonishing number of immigrants and their children―nearly eighty-six million people―now live in the United States. Together, they have transformed the American experience in profound and far-reaching ways that go to the heart of the country’s identity and institutions.
Unprecedented in scope, One Quarter of the Nation traces how immigration has reconfigured America’s racial order―and, importantly, how Americans perceive race―and played a pivotal role in reshaping electoral politics and party alignments. It discusses how immigrants have rejuvenated our urban centers as well as some far-flung rural communities, and examines how they have strengthened the economy, fueling the growth of old industries and spurring the formation of new ones. This wide-ranging book demonstrates how immigration has touched virtually every facet of American culture, from the music we dance to and the food we eat to the films we watch and books we read.
One Quarter of the Nation opens a new chapter in our understanding of immigration. While many books look at how America changed immigrants, this one examines how they changed America. It reminds us that immigration has long been a part of American society, and shows how immigrants and their families continue to redefine who we are as a nation.
The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in the United States that we sometimes fail to see it. This deeply researched book by one of America’s leading immigration scholars tells the story of how immigrants are fundamentally changing this country.
An astonishing number of immigrants and their children―nearly eighty-six million people―now live in the United States. Together, they have transformed the American experience in profound and far-reaching ways that go to the heart of the country’s identity and institutions.
Unprecedented in scope, One Quarter of the Nation traces how immigration has reconfigured America’s racial order―and, importantly, how Americans perceive race―and played a pivotal role in reshaping electoral politics and party alignments. It discusses how immigrants have rejuvenated our urban centers as well as some far-flung rural communities, and examines how they have strengthened the economy, fueling the growth of old industries and spurring the formation of new ones. This wide-ranging book demonstrates how immigration has touched virtually every facet of American culture, from the music we dance to and the food we eat to the films we watch and books we read.
One Quarter of the Nation opens a new chapter in our understanding of immigration. While many books look at how America changed immigrants, this one examines how they changed America. It reminds us that immigration has long been a part of American society, and shows how immigrants and their families continue to redefine who we are as a nation.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 28, 2023
A wonderful book on all the nuances of immigration in America. Looking at immigration from the perspective of how America was changed rather than how the immigrant was changed. The author does a complete history of immigration from the beginnings of the US to present times. How, when and why different groups came, where and how they stayed. The United States truly is one of a kind in its complex history.
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July 23, 2022didn't get much new info from it personally, but probably as good an introduction as any for people interested in post-1965 immigration. basically the type of book i would've really appreciated reading in my one of undergrad intro to immigrant politics classes.
October 17, 2022
Nancy Foner, a preeminent comparative scholar on trends and impacts of immigration, offers a refreshing lens on the opportunities facing the nation in the midst of the inflows of millions of immigrants and their children. In "One Quarter of a Nation," Foner’s expansive analysis and synthesis of post-1965 immigrants and their contributions to American life shed light on the dynamics of racial and ethnic stratification in the U.S. Forner breaks down the roots of racial threat, fear, and anxiety among White Americans. The author invites readers to look beyond the American experience with immigration to defy the bothersome truth about how racist and ethnocentric ideologies influence immigration policies throughout the world.
Packed with compelling data about how immigrants are transforming the American cultural and economic landscape, the book is a fast and engaging read. Immigrants are transforming every facet of society, from pop culture to the housing market to entrepreneurial ventures. From my positionality among the eighty-six million immigrants in the U.S., I found solace in Foner’s research and argument for understanding and embracing the immigrant experience. Immigration has fostered deep political divisions, spurring racially motivated speech and actions against newcomers from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Packed with compelling data about how immigrants are transforming the American cultural and economic landscape, the book is a fast and engaging read. Immigrants are transforming every facet of society, from pop culture to the housing market to entrepreneurial ventures. From my positionality among the eighty-six million immigrants in the U.S., I found solace in Foner’s research and argument for understanding and embracing the immigrant experience. Immigration has fostered deep political divisions, spurring racially motivated speech and actions against newcomers from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
April 29, 2022
Decent book - and short (well under 200 pages of text) that's clearly meant as a general overview for the novice who is interested in learning something on the subject. In that regard, I'm not really the target audience for this book, as it mostly tells me things I already knew. Really, based on my own personal reaction, I could/should give it three stars, but I feel it's fair to give the book a bit more credit as its aiming at someone else, and I think does a good job.
For me the most impressive thing I learned comes right out of the title: well over 80 million people - one quarter of the nation - are either post-1965 immigrants or the kids of post-1965 immigrants. Dang. That's a lot of country.
For me the most impressive thing I learned comes right out of the title: well over 80 million people - one quarter of the nation - are either post-1965 immigrants or the kids of post-1965 immigrants. Dang. That's a lot of country.
March 24, 2022
High 3, almost a 4. Great info, but I struggled to engage.
July 12, 2022
A well-written deep dive into immigration in America.
July 16, 2022
A reading for the public. I was hoping there were more immigration theories.
March 3, 2023
FRESH, PIERCING, WONDERFUL. Every person looking for more info about the worsening immigration politics in the US must pick this up. It is absoltuely worth it. So many perspectives were given, and policy and ideology were held up equally! We need more scholarship like this to be brought to important conversations- that transgress and explore.
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April 29, 2024I learned so much in a short time.
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December 11, 2025Read for grad school class - International Migration
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews