Immigration

This is by no means an exhaustive or definitive list of resources. Rather, it is meant to simply act as a “jumping-off point” for those interested in learning more about anti-racist work and supporting the Black, Indigenous, and people of color in our community.

Books & Articles:

Note: To best support the authors and as a part of the fight against systemic racism, please consider purchasing these books directly from the author, the publisher, or from an independent bookstore.

The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang
“In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America. But lacking a written language of their own, the Hmong experience has been primarily recorded by others. Driven to tell her family’s story after her grandmother’s death, The Latehomecomer is Kao Kalia Yang’s tribute to the remarkable woman whose spirit held them all together. It is also an eloquent, firsthand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard.

Beginning in the 1970s, as the Hmong were being massacred for their collaboration with the United States during the Vietnam War, Yang recounts the harrowing story of her family’s captivity, the daring rescue undertaken by her father and uncles, and their narrow escape into Thailand where Yang was born in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp.

When she was six years old, Yang’s family immigrated to America, and she evocatively captures the challenges of adapting to a new place and a new language. Through her words, the dreams, wisdom, and traditions passed down from her grandmother and shared by an entire community have finally found a voice.

Together with her sister, Kao Kalia Yang is the founder of a company dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services. A graduate of Carleton College and Columbia University, Yang has recently screened The Place Where We Were Born , a film documenting the experiences of Hmong American refugees. Visit her website at www.kaokaliayang.com.”

Planting SEADS – Southeast Asian Diaspora Stories by Chanida Phaengdara Potter
“What are the stories Southeast Asians carry from the Mekong to the Mississippi? In Minnesota’s first Southeast Asian-authored anthology of stories, poetry and artwork, the Southeast Asian diaspora storytelling (SEADS) initiative aims to reclaim, honor and amplify the lived experiences of veterans, mothers, activists, scholars and other historically invisible narratives of Hmong, Khmer, Lao and Vi’t community members. From childhood sweethearts to memories of the CIA secret armies, to first winters in Minnesota these stories explore long-buried edges of war and grief, memories and the resilience to rebuild and reimagine the lives our elders believe we could have for ourselves. The high costs and the unexpected treasures. These stories leave the reader with a renewed sense of hope and an understanding of the urgency for everyone to learn from our shared history so that future generations do not have to repeat it. SEADS is a collaboration in partnership with The SEAD Project, ManForward, mk nguyen, and Narate Keys. To learn more, visit www.theseadproject.org.”

From Somalia to Snow: How Central Minnesota Became Home to Somalis by Hudda O. Ibrahim
“At a time when United States citizens are being told to fear their Muslim neighbors, where does the truth lie? In this book, Hudda Ibrahim unpacks the immigration narrative of Somali Americans and explains why nearly 20 percent have chosen to settle in Minnesota. From Somalia to Snow gives readers an invaluable insider’s look into the lives and culture of our Somali neighbors and the important challenges they face. Designed with a diverse audience in mind, this book is a must-read for students, health-care professionals, business owners, social service agencies, and anyone who wants to better understand Somali people in Minnesota.”

Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories From A Minneapolis High School by 30 Wellstone International High School students
“Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Minneapolis High School is a unique collection of thirty personal essays written by students from Wellstone International High School. Coming from thirteen different countries, these youth share stories of family, school, change, and dreams. The broad range of experiences and the honesty with which these young people tell their stories is captured here with inspiring clarity. Although their reasons for immigrating are vast, a common thread united them; despite tremendous tribulation, these young people continue to work toward the futures of which they dream. With the included study guide and glossary, Green Card Youth Voices is an exceptional resource for English and social science classes, adult learners, ESL classrooms, and book clubs.”–Page 4 of cover.

Fresh Fruit and Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States by Seth Holmes
“Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies provides an intimate examination of the everyday lives and suffering of Mexican migrants in our contemporary food system. An anthropologist and MD in the mold of Paul Farmer and Didier Fassin, Seth M. Holmes shows how market forces, anti-immigrant sentiment, and racism undermine health and health care. Holmes’s material is visceral and powerful. He trekked with his companions illegally through the desert into Arizona and was jailed with them before they were deported. He lived with indigenous families in the mountains of Oaxaca and in farm labor camps in the U.S., planted and harvested corn, picked strawberries, and accompanied sick workers to clinics and hospitals. This “embodied anthropology” deepens our theoretical understanding of the ways in which social inequalities and suffering come to be perceived as normal and natural in society and in health care.”

Unauthorized: Portraits of Latino Immigrants by Marisol Clark-Ibáñez and Richelle S. Swan
“Unauthorized: Portraits of Latino Immigrants takes readers inside the diverse contemporary worlds of undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States, exploring the myths and realities of education, health care, work, deportation, and more. This book aims to dispel common misconceptions while introducing readers to real people behind the headlines.

Chapters explore the myths and realities of topics including education, health care, work, deportation, and more. As immigration remains a controversial topic in the United States, this book aims to dispel common misconceptions about immigration while introducing readers to the real people behind the headlines.

The topic of undocumented immigration has received tremendous attention—from the debate on immigration reform to the Executive Actions of President Obama to the growing numbers of unaccompanied minors from Central America and more. In addition, the Syrian refugee crisis and the anti-immigrant discourse of presidential candidate Donald Trump have enraged many observers and emboldened others. This book provides factual information to readers who are interested in learning more about these issues and the people who are labeled “illegal.” Each chapter draws on both existing and original research to provide an accessible overview of key themes, and case studies bring issues to life.”

Unequal Outcomes: Most ICE Detainees Held In Rural Areas Where Deportation Risks Soar by Yuki Noguchi for NPR

Videos:

Sanctuary City Hotline an OP-Doc by the New York Times. “ICE has triggered a perpetual state of fear among undocumented immigrants in the U.S. — even among those living in so-called sanctuary cities.”

The Chinese Exclusion Act from PBS. “Examine the origin, history and impact of the 1882 law that made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese nationals already here ever to become U.S. citizens. The first in a long line of acts targeting the Chinese for exclusion, it remained in force for more than 60 years.”

Toolkits:

Understanding and Confronting Racial Injustice from University of Minnesota Extension