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SJPL Picks: Immigrant Stories

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SJPL_AdultPicks

San José Public Library

Staff-created list

Experience the strength, resilience, and courage of America's immigrants through their own voices and stories.

By:

SJPL_AdultPicks

San José Public Library

25 items

25 items

Exit West

Exit West

A Novel

by Hamid, Mohsin

Book - 2018

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a...Show more In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. Show less

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a...Show more In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. Show less

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This Land Is Our Land

This Land Is Our Land

An Immigrant's Manifesto

by Mehta, Suketu

Book - 2019

A timely argument for why the United States and the West would benefit from accepting more immigrants. A timely argument for why the United States and the West would benefit from accepting more immigrants. Show less

A timely argument for why the United States and the West would benefit from accepting more immigrants. A timely argument for why the United States and the West would benefit from accepting more immigrants. Show less

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Dominicana

Dominicana

by Cruz, Angie

Book - 2019

Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción must decide between her heart and her duty to her family after accepting a marriage proposal that brings her to America. Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción must decide between her heart and her duty to her family after accepting a marriage proposal that brings her to America. Show less

Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción must decide between her heart and her duty to her family after accepting a marriage proposal that brings her to America. Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción must decide between her heart and her duty to her family after accepting a marriage proposal that brings her to America. Show less

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The Good Immigrant

The Good Immigrant

26 Writers Reflect on America

by Shukla, Nikesh (EDT)/ Suleyman, Chimene (EDT)

Book - 2019

An urgent collection of essays by first and second-generation immigrants, exploring what it's like to be othered in an increasingly divided America. An urgent collection of essays by first and second-generation immigrants, exploring what it's like to be othered in an increasingly divided America. Show less

An urgent collection of essays by first and second-generation immigrants, exploring what it's like to be othered in an increasingly divided America. An urgent collection of essays by first and second-generation immigrants, exploring what it's like to be othered in an increasingly divided America. Show less

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Home Fire

Home Fire

by Shamsie, Kamila

Book - 2017

From an internationally acclaimed novelist, the suspenseful and heartbreaking story of a family ripped apart by secrets and driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences. From an internationally acclaimed novelist, the suspenseful and heartbreaking story of a family ripped apart by secrets and driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences. Show less

From an internationally acclaimed novelist, the suspenseful and heartbreaking story of a family ripped apart by secrets and driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences. From an internationally acclaimed novelist, the suspenseful and heartbreaking story of a family ripped apart by secrets and driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences. Show less

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Call Me American

Call Me American

The Extraordinary True Story of A Young Somali Immigrant

by Iftin, Abdi Nor

Book - 2020

Abdi Nor Iftin was forced to flee his homeland when al-Shabaab rose to power, and won entrance to the US in a visa lottery. His memoir is a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those still looking to make a better life. Abdi Nor Iftin was forced to flee his homeland when al-Shabaab rose to power, and won entrance to the US in a visa lottery. His memoir is a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those still looking to make a better life. Show less

Abdi Nor Iftin was forced to flee his homeland when al-Shabaab rose to power, and won entrance to the US in a visa lottery. His memoir is a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those still looking to make a better life. Abdi Nor Iftin was forced to flee his homeland when al-Shabaab rose to power, and won entrance to the US in a visa lottery. His memoir is a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those still looking to make a better life. Show less

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Once I Was You

Once I Was You

A Memoir of Love and Hate in A Torn America

by Hinojosa, Maria

Book - 2020

Emmy Award-winning NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa shares her personal story interwoven with American immigration policy's coming-of-age journey at a time w...Show more Emmy Award-winning NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa shares her personal story interwoven with American immigration policy's coming-of-age journey at a time when our country's branding went from "The Land of the Free" to "the land of invasion." Show less

Emmy Award-winning NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa shares her personal story interwoven with American immigration policy's coming-of-age journey at a time w...Show more Emmy Award-winning NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa shares her personal story interwoven with American immigration policy's coming-of-age journey at a time when our country's branding went from "The Land of the Free" to "the land of invasion." Show less

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The Sympathizer

The Sympathizer

by Nguyen, Viet Thanh

Book - 2015

Follows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles. Follows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles. Show less

Follows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles. Follows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles. Show less

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The Book of Unknown Americans

The Book of Unknown Americans

A Novel

by Henriquez, Cristina

Book - 2014

Moving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter's difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy. Moving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter's difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy. Show less

Moving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter's difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy. Moving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter's difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy. Show less

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The Other Americans

The Other Americans

by Lalami, Laila

Book - 2019

"Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture." -Publisher provided "Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture." -Publisher provided Show less

"Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture." -Publisher provided "Timely, riveting, and unforgettable, The Other Americans is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture." -Publisher provided Show less

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The Son of Good Fortune

The Son of Good Fortune

A Novel

by Tenorio, Lysley A.

Book - 2020

"An undocumented Filipino teenager redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home"--Publisher provided "An undocumented Filipino teenager redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home"--Publisher provided Show less

"An undocumented Filipino teenager redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home"--Publisher provided "An undocumented Filipino teenager redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home"--Publisher provided Show less

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The Girl Who Smiled Beads

The Girl Who Smiled Beads

A Story of War and What Comes After

by Wamariya, Clemantine

Book - 2018

"In The Girl Who Smiled Beads, Clemantine provokes us to look beyond the label of "victim" and recognize the power of the imagination to tr...Show more "In The Girl Who Smiled Beads, Clemantine provokes us to look beyond the label of "victim" and recognize the power of the imagination to transcend even the most profound injuries and aftershocks. Devastating yet beautiful, and bracingly original, it is a powerful testament to her commitment to constructing a life on her own terms." -Publisher provided Show less

"In The Girl Who Smiled Beads, Clemantine provokes us to look beyond the label of "victim" and recognize the power of the imagination to tr...Show more "In The Girl Who Smiled Beads, Clemantine provokes us to look beyond the label of "victim" and recognize the power of the imagination to transcend even the most profound injuries and aftershocks. Devastating yet beautiful, and bracingly original, it is a powerful testament to her commitment to constructing a life on her own terms." -Publisher provided Show less

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Passage West

Passage West

A Novel

by Reddi, Rishi

Book - 2020

"A sweeping, vibrant first novel following a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing an unknown part of California history"--Publisher provided "A sweeping, vibrant first novel following a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing an unknown part of California history"--Publisher provided Show less

"A sweeping, vibrant first novel following a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing an unknown part of California history"--Publisher provided "A sweeping, vibrant first novel following a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing an unknown part of California history"--Publisher provided Show less

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Homeland Elegies

Homeland Elegies

A Novel

by Akhtar, Ayad

Book - 2020

A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story ...Show more A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of longing and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel, at its heart it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home. Ayad Akhtar forges a new narrative voice to capture a country in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule, where immigrants live in fear, and where the nation's unhealed wounds wreak havoc around the world. Akhtar attempts to make sense of it all through the lens of a story about one family, from a heartland town in America to palatial suites in Central Europe to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan, and spares no one, least of all himself in the process." -Publisher provided Show less

A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story ...Show more A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of longing and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel, at its heart it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home. Ayad Akhtar forges a new narrative voice to capture a country in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule, where immigrants live in fear, and where the nation's unhealed wounds wreak havoc around the world. Akhtar attempts to make sense of it all through the lens of a story about one family, from a heartland town in America to palatial suites in Central Europe to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan, and spares no one, least of all himself in the process." -Publisher provided Show less

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Where We Come From

Where We Come From

A Novel

by Cásares, Oscar

Book - 2019

"From the acclaimed author Brownsville and Amigoland--a stunning and timely new novel about a Mexican-American family in a Texas border town who relu...Show more "From the acclaimed author Brownsville and Amigoland--a stunning and timely new novel about a Mexican-American family in a Texas border town who reluctantly become involved in smuggling immigrants into the United States. " --Publisher provided Show less

"From the acclaimed author Brownsville and Amigoland--a stunning and timely new novel about a Mexican-American family in a Texas border town who relu...Show more "From the acclaimed author Brownsville and Amigoland--a stunning and timely new novel about a Mexican-American family in a Texas border town who reluctantly become involved in smuggling immigrants into the United States. " --Publisher provided Show less

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Silence Is My Mother Tongue

Silence Is My Mother Tongue

A Novel

by Addonia, Sulaiman S. M. Y.

Book -

"A searing novel of immigration, judgement and sacrifice and the powerful bonds forged in the crucible of refugee camp life from an internationally-a...Show more "A searing novel of immigration, judgement and sacrifice and the powerful bonds forged in the crucible of refugee camp life from an internationally-acclaimed writer, Silence is My Mother Tongue dissects society's ability to wage war on its own women and explores the stories we must tell to survive in a broken, inhospitable environment." -Publisher provided Show less

"A searing novel of immigration, judgement and sacrifice and the powerful bonds forged in the crucible of refugee camp life from an internationally-a...Show more "A searing novel of immigration, judgement and sacrifice and the powerful bonds forged in the crucible of refugee camp life from an internationally-acclaimed writer, Silence is My Mother Tongue dissects society's ability to wage war on its own women and explores the stories we must tell to survive in a broken, inhospitable environment." -Publisher provided Show less

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City of Dreams

City of Dreams

The 400-year Epic History of Immigrant New York

by Anbinder, Tyler

Book - 2016

the 400-year Epic History of Immigrant New York the 400-year Epic History of Immigrant New York Show less

the 400-year Epic History of Immigrant New York the 400-year Epic History of Immigrant New York Show less

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Tell Me How It Ends

Tell Me How It Ends

An Essay in Forty Questions

by Luiselli, Valeria

Book - 2017

"Structured around the forty questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin-American children facing deportation, Tell Me How It Ends (an ...Show more "Structured around the forty questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin-American children facing deportation, Tell Me How It Ends (an expansion of her 2016 Freeman's essay of the same name) humanizes these young migrants and highlights the contradiction of the idea of America as a fiction for immigrants with the reality of racism and fear--both here and back home" --Publisher provided Show less

"Structured around the forty questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin-American children facing deportation, Tell Me How It Ends (an ...Show more "Structured around the forty questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin-American children facing deportation, Tell Me How It Ends (an expansion of her 2016 Freeman's essay of the same name) humanizes these young migrants and highlights the contradiction of the idea of America as a fiction for immigrants with the reality of racism and fear--both here and back home" --Publisher provided Show less

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The Displaced

The Displaced

Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives

Book - 2019

"Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their ...Show more "Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their experiences, and the result is The Displaced, a powerful dispatch from the individual lives behind current headlines, with proceeds to support the International Rescue Committee (IRC)." -Publisher provided Show less

"Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their ...Show more "Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their experiences, and the result is The Displaced, a powerful dispatch from the individual lives behind current headlines, with proceeds to support the International Rescue Committee (IRC)." -Publisher provided Show less

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The Undocumented Americans

The Undocumented Americans

by Cornejo Villavicencio, Karla

Book - 2020

"Traveling across the country, journalist Karla Cornejo Villavicencio risked arrest at every turn to report the extraordinary stories of her fellow u...Show more "Traveling across the country, journalist Karla Cornejo Villavicencio risked arrest at every turn to report the extraordinary stories of her fellow undocumented Americans. Her subjects have every reason to be wary around reporters, but Cornejo Villavicencio has unmatched access to their stories. Her work culminates in a stunning, essential read for our times." -Publisher provided Show less

"Traveling across the country, journalist Karla Cornejo Villavicencio risked arrest at every turn to report the extraordinary stories of her fellow u...Show more "Traveling across the country, journalist Karla Cornejo Villavicencio risked arrest at every turn to report the extraordinary stories of her fellow undocumented Americans. Her subjects have every reason to be wary around reporters, but Cornejo Villavicencio has unmatched access to their stories. Her work culminates in a stunning, essential read for our times." -Publisher provided Show less

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Behold the Dreamers

Behold the Dreamers

A Novel

by Mbue, Imbolo

Book - 2016

This debut novel explores the lives of two families in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis. A heartfelt and engaging story that examines the American Dream through the eyes of an African immigrant family. This debut novel explores the lives of two families in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis. A heartfelt and engaging story that examines the American Dream through the eyes of an African immigrant family. Show less

This debut novel explores the lives of two families in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis. A heartfelt and engaging story that examines the American Dream through the eyes of an African immigrant family. This debut novel explores the lives of two families in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis. A heartfelt and engaging story that examines the American Dream through the eyes of an African immigrant family. Show less

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Speak No Evil

Speak No Evil

A Novel

by Iweala, Uzodinma

Book - 2018

"Speak No Evil explores what it means to be different in a fundamentally conformist society and how that difference plays out in our inner and outer ...Show more "Speak No Evil explores what it means to be different in a fundamentally conformist society and how that difference plays out in our inner and outer struggles. It is a novel about the power of words and self-identification, about who gets to speak and who has the power to speak for other people. As heart-wrenching and timely as his breakout debut, Beasts of No Nation, Uzodinma Iweala’s second novel cuts to the core of our humanity and leaves us reeling in its wake." -Publisher provided Show less

"Speak No Evil explores what it means to be different in a fundamentally conformist society and how that difference plays out in our inner and outer ...Show more "Speak No Evil explores what it means to be different in a fundamentally conformist society and how that difference plays out in our inner and outer struggles. It is a novel about the power of words and self-identification, about who gets to speak and who has the power to speak for other people. As heart-wrenching and timely as his breakout debut, Beasts of No Nation, Uzodinma Iweala’s second novel cuts to the core of our humanity and leaves us reeling in its wake." -Publisher provided Show less

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Sour Heart

Sour Heart

Stories

by Zhang, Jenny

Book - 2017

"A debut collection of stories that plunge readers into the tender and chaotic hearts of adolescent girls growing up in New York City, from celebrated poet and National Magazine Award nominee Jenny Zhang"-- "A debut collection of stories that plunge readers into the tender and chaotic hearts of adolescent girls growing up in New York City, from celebrated poet and National Magazine Award nominee Jenny Zhang"-- Show less

"A debut collection of stories that plunge readers into the tender and chaotic hearts of adolescent girls growing up in New York City, from celebrated poet and National Magazine Award nominee Jenny Zhang"-- "A debut collection of stories that plunge readers into the tender and chaotic hearts of adolescent girls growing up in New York City, from celebrated poet and National Magazine Award nominee Jenny Zhang"-- Show less

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Family in Six Tones

Family in Six Tones

A Refugee Mother, An American Daughter

by Cao, Lan

Book - 2020

"A mother-daughter memoir exploring loss, love, and healing, told in two alternating voices, from the critically acclaimed novelist and her teenage daughter"--Publisher Provided "A mother-daughter memoir exploring loss, love, and healing, told in two alternating voices, from the critically acclaimed novelist and her teenage daughter"--Publisher Provided Show less

"A mother-daughter memoir exploring loss, love, and healing, told in two alternating voices, from the critically acclaimed novelist and her teenage daughter"--Publisher Provided "A mother-daughter memoir exploring loss, love, and healing, told in two alternating voices, from the critically acclaimed novelist and her teenage daughter"--Publisher Provided Show less

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Conditional Citizens

Conditional Citizens

On Belonging in America

by Lalami, Laila

Book - 2020

"The acclaimed, award-winning novelist--author of The Moor's Account and The Other Americans--now gives us a bracingly personal work of nonfiction th...Show more "The acclaimed, award-winning novelist--author of The Moor's Account and The Other Americans--now gives us a bracingly personal work of nonfiction that is concerned with the experiences of "conditional citizens." What does it mean to be American? In this starkly illuminating and impassioned book, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of the rights, liberties, and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. " -Publisher provided Show less

"The acclaimed, award-winning novelist--author of The Moor's Account and The Other Americans--now gives us a bracingly personal work of nonfiction th...Show more "The acclaimed, award-winning novelist--author of The Moor's Account and The Other Americans--now gives us a bracingly personal work of nonfiction that is concerned with the experiences of "conditional citizens." What does it mean to be American? In this starkly illuminating and impassioned book, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of the rights, liberties, and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. " -Publisher provided Show less

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