Americans are arguing fiercely over immigration. Does welcoming newcomers make us less or more safe? Does diversity dilute or enrich our culture? How do immigrants affect our economy? Is our moral obligation to take in refugees and asylum seekers, or to make sure that they don’t make life harder for already-established citizens in any way? What does it mean to be an American?

This debate is as old as the United States. This country was settled by successive waves of immigrants. As each group established itself, it began to wonder about newcomers.

This book is an introduction to the rich and tangled history of American immigrants and American responses to immigration.