One Quarter of the Nation - by Nancy Foner

About the Book

"An in-depth look at the many ways immigration has redefined modern America ... 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 ... 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 ... [and] opens a new chapter in our understanding of immigration. While many books look at how America changed immigrants, this one examines how they changed us. 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"--

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"In addition to being an excellent survey of the field for scholars, One Quarter of the Nation would be an excellent text for college students and also for book clubs devoted to following national issues. It is clearly written and provides a multidisciplinary and up to date assessment of the impacts of immigration."---Charles Hirschman, Ethnic and Racial Studies

"[One Quarter of the Nation] fills an important gap in the literature on immigration. . . . Required reading for those interested in understanding why immigration is such a politically and culturally sensitive issue."---Emilio A. Parrado, American Journal of Sociology

"One Quarter of the Nation is a timely and important work. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert M. Adelman, Contemporary Sociology

"A far-ranging look at how immigrants and their children--nearly 86 million people in all--have transformed America."-- "University of Chicago Magazine"

"A timely and important work. . . . Each chapter can stand alone in its analytic and empirical acumen; taken holistically, the book provides a primer on the state of immigration since 1965. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert Adelman, Contemporary Sociology

"Foner sketches the landscape of American society since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished national-origins quotas in the US immigration system, leading to increased diversity."-- "Christian Century"

"This well-written and highly accessible book is a valuable contribution to the scholarship on immigration. Its deep historical standpoint and its impressive synthesis of research on current patterns and trends provides an insightful analysis of how immigration is transforming America."---John Iceland, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"A remarkable book. . . . A tour d'horizon of the twenty-first-century influences of immigration on American society."---Richard Alba, Patterns of Prejudice

"One Quarter of the Nation . . . explains how [immigrants and their children] have changed local economies, communities, and politics for the better."---Alison Beard, Harvard Business Review

"A succinct, accessible overview of how immigrants have transformed the country since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act."-- "Choice Reviews"

"Foner's synthetic account . . . sift[s] through and make[s] sense of the vast body of research that has been produced in recent decades. . . . A richly documented and engaging overview."---Peter Kivisto, Sociological Forum

"A succinct, positive look at the great benefits, both historically and currently, of embracing immigration."-- "Kirkus Reviews, starred review"

"Packed with compelling data about how immigrants are transforming the American cultural and economic landscape, the book is a fast and engaging read."---Maileen Hamto, Seattle Book Review

About the Author

Nancy Foner is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her many books include Strangers No More (Princeton), In a New Land, and From Ellis Island to JFK.