f1nlaym's review against another edition
5.0
A seminal work, as important today as it was 60 years ago
bookzealots's review against another edition
3.0
History of how and why some people immigrated in America. Also, how they contributed to the nation.
This book hasn't aged well, because the mentality of the immigrants is not the same as generations past.
This book hasn't aged well, because the mentality of the immigrants is not the same as generations past.
shelby_settle's review against another edition
7/10. Basically this is something I could’ve written in few hours for a Schuster final but more redundant, including quotes from Oscar Handlin & a slight favoritism for the Irish; nothing groundbreaking, essentially a brain dump of info that wouldn’t sell if it wasn’t written by JFK. Nevertheless it’s a tight & solid read you can start and finish in an afternoon at the coffee shop for those who didn’t get a college history education. It also serves as a great reminder of the fact that all of us are immigrants & should be open to letting in those who want the same opportunities our ancestors did.
channilovesreading's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
nicolai3rdeye's review against another edition
5.0
I originally came across this book while reading through the Killing Kennedy book. Being a great figure in history, I figured this would show more of his thoughts and research and approach to immigration within the United States history. Over half a decade ago, a progressive young politician saw the core causes behind mass migration. Interestingly enough he defines them as “forces”; the 3 forces at work behind mass migration as if they were apart of nature like the wind, rain, etc.
Religious persecution
Political oppression
Economic hardship
He then continues to lay out moments in history where these 3 forces drove American history forward. While these forces may be the core thesis, what he drives home more than anything is how AMERICA was founded, built, and advanced by immigrants. He explained that even though those forces drive the migration, the hope that America once stood for is why they choose this country. That so many great feats and hurdles were overcome not because of where a person was from, but because of the liberty and opportunity America offered.
How we handle immigration in the eyes of the law needed to be changed. The history of America’s approach to “legal” immigration would, was, and sadly has continued to fail. John F Kennedy wanted to give the American dream to those who came here to be apart of the great experiment.
Religious persecution
Political oppression
Economic hardship
He then continues to lay out moments in history where these 3 forces drove American history forward. While these forces may be the core thesis, what he drives home more than anything is how AMERICA was founded, built, and advanced by immigrants. He explained that even though those forces drive the migration, the hope that America once stood for is why they choose this country. That so many great feats and hurdles were overcome not because of where a person was from, but because of the liberty and opportunity America offered.
How we handle immigration in the eyes of the law needed to be changed. The history of America’s approach to “legal” immigration would, was, and sadly has continued to fail. John F Kennedy wanted to give the American dream to those who came here to be apart of the great experiment.
antariksach's review against another edition
4.0
baca terjemahannya sih, yang berjudul Amerika Serikat Bangsa Para Imigran. penyampaiannya enak banget, mudah dipahami. jarang-jarang nonfiksi terjemahan bersahabat seperti ini, jadi saya suka.
ninanarang's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this impassioned essay from my former President. It was insightful, despite the fact that it is now a bit dated. I had never realized the extent to which JFK really believed in the foundational importance of American immigration, so this was eye-opening in that sense, even though the immigration landscape of the 1960s and the present day are significantly different. Despite this, at the same time, even despite all of the differences and the current divisive tension around this topic, much of JFK's wisdom and earnest sentiment about the topic really comes through.
There were a variety of good lines in this read but the one that stuck with my the most, perhaps because of it's immediacy, were the final few lines:
"We must avoid what the Irish poet John Boyle O'Reilly once called
Organized charity, scrimped and iced,
In the name of a caution, statistical Christ.
Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience. Such a policy would be but a reaffirmation of old principles. It would be an expression of our agreement with George Washington that "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment."
While it would be anachronistic to imagine what Kennedy would have to say about the current antagonism surrounding immigration, particularly from our Southern border, and in terms of Syrian refugees, I can't help but think that he would be flexible to modern needs, and view America's increasing isolationism with as much alarm as many of us do today.
There were a variety of good lines in this read but the one that stuck with my the most, perhaps because of it's immediacy, were the final few lines:
"We must avoid what the Irish poet John Boyle O'Reilly once called
Organized charity, scrimped and iced,
In the name of a caution, statistical Christ.
Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience. Such a policy would be but a reaffirmation of old principles. It would be an expression of our agreement with George Washington that "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment."
While it would be anachronistic to imagine what Kennedy would have to say about the current antagonism surrounding immigration, particularly from our Southern border, and in terms of Syrian refugees, I can't help but think that he would be flexible to modern needs, and view America's increasing isolationism with as much alarm as many of us do today.
jeccareads's review against another edition
4.0
"The continuous immigration ... was thus central to the whole American faith. ... It reminded every American, old and new, that change is the essence of life, and that American society is a process, not a conclusion."
earthtolayne's review against another edition
5.0
There are so many reasons to love this man and this is just one of them. He wrote this and published it as a senator in 1958, and just put that into perspective - the 1950s, when racism, prejudice and xenophobia were all commonplace, segregation had only just been struck down and criminalised and tensions were high due to the situations in Vietnam and East Germany (and, still, Japan). So, in somewhat of a retaliation, he wrote a book denouncing harsh immigration policies, reaffirming the view that every man was created equal and celebrating the cultural diversity of America, a relatively new country built on the integration of different cultures and societies. A WONDERFUL MAN (totally objective, 100% unbiased, etc).