Strangers Among Us: Turning Today's Immigrants into the Americans of Tomorrow

The Immigration Debate is Fast becoming one of the most important issues on America's political landscape--so much so that it may be the defining domestic issue of the 2008 elections. Most public opinion polls show Americans deeply divided over what to do--and no wonder. What little information exists on the realities of immigration comes in the form of partisan, divisive polemics. In Strangers Among Us conservative commentator Linda Chavez disentangles fact from fiction, providing the most up-to-date, reliable information. She evaluates the case for restricting immigration, as well as maintaining or even expanding current levels. Equally critical of those who insist on a racialized vision of America and those who downplay the importance of a national identity, Chavez carefully reexamines our history of immigration and assimilation in order to reveal the changes in our sense of shared values and common purpose that have occurred over the last several decades. Strangers Among Us demonstrates that no matter how many immigrants are admitted, and no matter their status, there should be no disagreement about the importance of helping these newcomers become American.