Did you know that June is Immigrant Heritage Month? This national celebration uses storytelling to celebrate the diversity of immigrant communities, and explore how our experiences intersect with each other.
In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, here are three books that center around immigration stories:
Where the Children Take Us is a book just published this year about a Nigerian family who emigrate to London in the 1960s to escape war and build better lives for themselves. A tragedy occurs, and the family has to learn to cope. Obiajulu finds herself as a single mother raising four children in a foreign land. She draws on her strength to teach them, going so far as to cut the television cord so that they will not be distracted. This is a wonderful story of strength and perseverance.
Almost American Girl is a graphic novel about Robin, a young Korean girl who, at age 11 is taken by her mother to live in Huntsville, Alabama. It isn’t an easy transition, and Robin struggles to fit in. Robin is saved by her love of drawing comics, and a move to another city in the U.S.
The Distance Between Us tells the story of how the author, Reyna Grande, made the trek across the border from Mexico to the U.S. at the age of 8. It is a powerful memoir that will teach you about the strength of the human spirit. The book is also available in Spanish as La Distancia Entre Nosotros.
-Lois
