10 Books that Celebrate Immigrant Heritage

Image Description: Hands hold up signs that say "Immigrants Make America Great" and "Refugees are Welcome."

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10 Books that Celebrate Immigrant Heritage

1. A Long Petal of the Sea (Isabel Allende): A historical fiction set immediately after the Spanish Civil War, this book throws together a pair of refugees as they escape to Chile and await a day they might return home in peace. Buy this book in all its forms from Barnes & Noble or check WorldCat to find it at a library near you.
2. An Emotion of Great Delight (Tahereh Mafi): A young adult novel set in 2003, this book follows a Muslim American family shortly after the United States declares war on Iraq. Visit the author website to learn more about the book, its author, and where you can buy it or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
3. Behold the Dreamers (Imbolo Mbue): About a pair of Cameroonian immigrants whose work leads them to the Lehman Brothers, the couple must find a way to preserve their foothold on the American dream during the collapse of the Lehman Brothers financial empire. Visit the author website to learn more about the book, its author, and where you can buy it or borrow it for free from OpenLibrary.
4. Friends Are Friends, Forever (Dane Liu): A picture book you can read with the children in your life, this story is about a pair of best friends in Northeastern China the night before one of them moves to America. You can buy this book from Macmillan Press or look for it at a library near you by using the WorldCat database.
5. Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine (Hannah Moushabeck): A picture book geared towards young children, this book follows a Palestinian family whose father tells beautiful stories of his life in Palestine before his immigration. His daughters connect with his homeland and culture through his bedtime stories. Buy it from Crescent Moon Children's Islamic Bookstore or search for it at a library near you using the WorldCat database.
6. Internment (Samira Ahmed): Set in a not-too-distant alternate future, this book follows a 17-year-old girl as she and other Muslim Americans are forced into interment camps. Learn more about this book, its author, and where to buy it by visiting the author's website or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
7. Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American (Laura Gao): This graphic memoir follows the experiences of Laura Gao, a queer teen who just wants to join the basketball team. Buy this book on Amazon or use the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
8. Sister of My Heart (Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni) This book is a best-seller that follows a pair of cousins as one of them relocates to America. Learn more about the book, its author, and where to buy it from the author's website or borrow this book for free from OpenLibrary.
9. Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene (Emma Otheguy): This children's book tells a story of immigration, privilege, and belonging through the tapestry of dance. Learn more about the book, its author, and where to buy it on the author's website or check the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
10. When Clouds Touch Us (Thanhhà Lại): This children's book discuses immigration, frequent moves, and starting over through the perspective of a girl who's family seeks new opportunities in Texas. Learn more about the book, its author, and where to buy it on the author's website or borrow the book for free from Wakelet.

Sources

• (No date) An emotion of great delight. Available at: https://taherehmafi.com/book/an-emotion-of-great-delight/ (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Allende, I. (2021) A long petal of the Sea: A novel: Paperback, Barnes & Noble. Available at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-long-petal-of-the-sea-isabel-allende/1131407354 (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Behold the dreamers (no date) Imbolo Mbue. Available at: https://www.imbolombue.com/behold-the-dreamers (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Divakaruni, C.B. (2000) Sister of my heart by Chitra Banerjee divakaruni, Open Library. Available at: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8052406W/Sister_of_My_Heart?edition=key%3A%2Fbooks%2FOL7440316M (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Download [EBOOK] when clouds touch Us by Thanhhà Lai (no date) Wakelet. Available at: https://wakelet.com/wake/oULugi2kfwaFPQ5L6MsqB (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
• Friends Are Friends, forever (2021) Macmillan. Available at: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250778185/friendsarefriendsforever (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Gao, L. and Xu, W. (2022) Messy roots: A graphic memoir of a Wuhanese American, Amazon. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Roots-Graphic-Memoir-Wuhanese-American/dp/0063067773 (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Homeland: My father dreams of Palestine (no date) Crescent Moon Store. Available at: https://crescentmoonstore.com/products/homeland-my-father-dreams-of-palestine (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Internment (2021) Samira Ahmed. Available at: https://samiraahmed.com/book/internment/ (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Mbue, I. (1970) Behold the dreamers by Imbolo Mbue, Open Library. Available at: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20047812W/Behold_the_dreamers?edition=key%3A%2Fbooks%2FOL27227837M (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Sister of my heart (1999) - chitra divakaruni (no date) Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Available at: https://www.chitradivakaruni.com/sister-of-my-heart (Accessed: 05 June 2023).
• Sofía Acosta makes a scene (no date) Emma Otheguy. Available at: https://emmaotheguy.com/books/sofia-acosta-makes-a-scene/ (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
• When clouds touch us: Thanhhà Lại (no date) Home. Available at: https://www.thanhhalai.com/when-clouds-touch-us (Accessed: 06 June 2023).

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