WE ARE AMERICANS

“Those who came to the United States to settle, the immigrants, usually heard or read about America before they came.” Such revelations and many instances of careless writing mar a work that may still be a useful resource for students writing reports. Since, as the authors note, we are all immigrants or the descendants of immigrants, the volume covers much ground, from the first immigrants 20,000 years ago to ongoing immigration today. Though trials and tribulations are not overlooked, the booster spirit of the volume emphasizes the courage, strength, and daring of the immigrants as they struggled to survive in a new land. The land of opportunity and the melting pot are themes mentioned repeatedly and uncritically in this sales pitch for the American dream. No bibliography is included, and the list of works for further reading is modest. (index, credits) (Nonfiction. 8+)