Immigration Books

Welcome to our immigration, globalization, and democracy "watch dog" titles page from MyGreencard.com! Here we present you with the latest titles on US immigration policy, work visas and citizenship, and other publications affecting visitors to the United States. In addition to presenting you with popular immigration publications, we provide reviews and links to titles that transcend borders, spotlighting issues such as the global economy and world hunger, climate change, corporate influence on politics, failures of mass media, new ideas for world peace,and related topics for progressive thinkers who care deeply not only about the current direction of our country, but the future of humanity. If you have a title that you would like to recommend, please let us know.

- J. Stephen Wilson

	The Complete Success Guide for the Immigrant Life How to Survive How to Thrive How to be Fully Alive by Monette Adeva Maglaya. The book is intended for the prospective immigrant whose internal compass points to America as the place to be; for those searching for a road map as a guide in building an exciting and new, meaningful life; and perhaps even for some who sometimes forget what a great gift it is to live and work in America.
	U.S. Immigration & Citizenship by Allan Wernick. This guide includes essential information, recent changes to immigration policy, and hints and tips from an expert insider that will facilitate and even expedite the process. Revised edition. Softcover.
	Reinventing the Melting Pot: The New Immigrants and What it Means to Be American by Tamar Jacoby. Jacoby has assembled a thoughtful, provocative collection of essays that reconsiders and ultimately attempts to reinvent the traditional myth of the American melting pot. With the immigrant population continuing to increase and the demographic landscape of the nation rapidly altering--one in nine Americans is now foreign-born, and blacks, Hispanics, and Asians now constitute more than 30 percent of the population--it seems to be an appropriate time to challenge an outmoded set of beliefs and values. These 21 essays endeavor to provide unique and often unorthodox answers to conventional immigration and citizenship questions.—Margaret Flanagan
	Student & Tourist Visas: How to Come to the U.S. by Ilona M. Gray and Richard A Boswell. Student & Tourist Visas provides everything you need to apply for and gain admission into the United States, covering the full application process whether you want to enter the U.S. or are already here legally.
	Hello! USA: Everyday Living for International Residents and Visitors (2nd Edition) by Judy Priven. Coming to the U.S. to live or visit? Hello! USA can help you avoid common mistakes international visitors and residents make when they are shopping for food, renting or buying a car or interviewing for a job. Hello! USA explains these and many other practical matters international newcomers need to know; for example, how to open a bank account, find the right home, find Internet access when driving on the highway, choose day care, apply to college, introduce yourself at a party, or even buy the best insurance plan.
	Win the Green Card Lottery! 2005 Edition: The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery, by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. If you are looking for a hardcopy edition of our booklet, you can now get it on Amazon.com! The version on our website is the electronic downloadable version. Make sure you search for the 2005 edition if you go to Amazon directly (not via this link). The price for the paperback edition is higher ($19.50 versus $9.50) but if you are like many people, you may prefer a booklet you can physically hold.—J. Stephen Wilson
	Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants Since 1882 by Roger Daniels. The federal government's efforts to pick and choose among the multitude of immigrants seeking to enter the United States began with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Conceived in ignorance and falsely presented to the public, it had undreamt of consequences, and this pattern has been rarely deviated from since.
	A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn. One of the most important books I have ever read in a long life of reading… It’s a wonderful, splendid book—a book that should be read by every American student or otherwise who wants to understand his country, its true history and it’s hope for the future.—Howard Fast
	The Chosen Shore: Stories of Immigrants by Ellen Alexander Conley. The stories that statistics can't tell unfold in this book, in which twenty-three recent immigrants recall navigating the paradoxes, pitfalls, and triumphs of becoming Americans. Candid, evocative, and richly detailed, their oral histories comprise a compelling portrait of the changing face of the American population. In venues from the San Francisco Chronicle to the New York Times, Ellen Alexander Conley's fiction has been hailed as "wonderful," "impassioned," and "memorable." Conley brings the same passion and skill to her depiction of our nation's most recent arrivals. These personal histories, along with Conley's thoughtful overview of literature on immigration, give us a firsthand sense of what it means to become an American.
	Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime from The Sedition Act of 1798 to The War on Terrorism by Geoffrey R. Stone. The nation itself may find itself in peril; thousands, perhaps millions of lives are at risk. It is often thought that dissent during wartime is tantamount to being disloyal. This view puzzles libertarians. They view it as patriotism's highest manifestation.—Craig L. Howe
	Speaking Freely: Trials of the First Amendment by Floyd Abrams. Have just begun the book and already I can say say it is a fair, must read for anyone, conservative or liberal or middle roader who wants to see or know why the First Amendment is such a national treasure. And how no matter who is in office, attempts to censor are always a concern. The liberals want to restrict hate speech, cigarette advertising while the conservatives seem hell bent on restricting free speech rights of post 911 Arab Americans or anything having to do with the military. And the author is a constant reminder to all of us, citizens, that we can easily loose Constitutional rights if we do not fight to keep them.—Beth Hartford-DeRoos
	Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores by Michelle Malkin. I tossed in this xenophobic title just so reasonable people (like you and me) can understand what the right wing conservatives are reading. This sad diatribe confuses administrative errors and policy gaffs with the immigrant population these processes are meant to serve. By equating immigration as a disease (reminding Americans with even a cursory knowledge of history of the "red menace" phenomenon), Malkin is unable to escape the same sort of cyclical immigrant bashing that has been too common throughout the twentieth century. Her latest hate book, In Defense of Internment, illustrates just how far some conservatives will go to get interviewed on Fox News.—J. Stephen Wilson
	Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins. Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led.—Alex Roslin
	The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power by Joel Bakan. Very few books cause you to stop and think and re-evaluate your view of the world. The Corporation is one of those books. Bakan argues that a corporation's singular (legal) responsibility is to generate profits. Consequently, any other interests - its workers' welfare, the environment, its affects on society or culture, etc. - can, and often are, disregarded in the corporation's quest for profits. Moreover, this single-mindedness (with no regard to moral or ethical concerns) makes the corporation a textbook example of a psychopath.—R. Hadley
	Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. Collapse examines why ancient societies, including the Anasazi of the American Southwest and the Viking colonies of Greenland, as well as modern ones such as Rwanda, have fallen apart. Not every collapse has an environmental origin, but an eco-meltdown is often the main catalyst, he argues, particularly when combined with society's response to (or disregard for) the coming disaster. Still, right from the outset of Collapse, the author makes clear that this is not a mere environmentalist's diatribe. He begins by setting the book's main question in the small communities of present-day Montana as they face a decline in living standards and a depletion of natural resources. Once-vital mines now leak toxins into the soil, while prion diseases infect some deer and elk and older hydroelectric dams have become decrepit. On all these issues, and particularly with the hot-button topic of logging and wildfires, Diamond writes with equanimity.—Jennifer Buckendorff
	Profits with Principles by Ira Jackson and Jane Nelson. In the wake of business scandals at Enron, Arthur Andersen, Global Crossing, Tyco—the list grows daily—there is an increasing sense among employees, executives, investors, and the public that the “anything goes” culture of the New Economy is over. Today, businesses must act responsibly, transparently, and with integrity. Using in-depth case studies and examples from over 50 companies that range from Starbucks to Citigroup, General Motors to General Electric, DuPont to Dell, Ira A. Jackson, former director of the Center for Business and Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School, shows the quantifiable and enduring business advantage to "doing the right thing." Companies that give back to their employees and society—focusing on values and purpose as well as profitability—often gain competitive advantage and improve their brand image, consumer loyalty, and employee satisfaction.
	The Empty Cradle: How Falling Birthrates Threaten World Prosperity and What to Do About It. by Phillip Longman. Overpopulation has long been a global concern. But between modern medicine and reduced fertility, world population may in fact be shrinking--and is almost certain to do so by the time today's children retire. The troubling implications for our economy and culture include: 1) The possibility of a fundamentalist revival due to the decline of secular fertility; 2) The threat to the free market as the supply of workers and consumers declines, and 3) The eventual collapse of the American health care system as inordinate expenses are incurred by an aging population. Phillip Longman's uncompromisingly sensible solutions fly in the face of traditional ideas. State intervention is necessary, he argues, to combat the effects of an aging population. We must provide incentives for young families, and we cannot close our eyes and hope for the best as an entire generation approaches retirement age.
	The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability by Paul Hawken. Paul Hawken, the entrepreneur behind the Smith & Hawken gardening supplies empire, is no ordinary capitalist. Drawing as much on Baba Ram Dass and Vaclav Havel as he does on Peter Drucker and WalMart for his case studies, Hawken is on a one-man crusade to reform our economic system by demanding that First World businesses reduce their consumption of energy and resources by 80 percent in the next 50 years. As if that weren't enough, Hawken argues that business goals should be redefined to embrace such fuzzy categories as whether the work is aesthetically pleasing and the employees are having fun; this applies to corporate giants and mom-and-pop operations alike. He proposes a culture of business in which the real world, the natural world, is allowed to flourish as well, and in which the planet's needs are addressed. Wall Street may not be ready for Hawken's provocative brand of environmental awareness, but this fine book is full of captivating ideas.
	Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva. In her latest book, "the South's best known environmentalist" (New Internationalist) and 1993 Right Livelihood Award winner, Vandana Shiva, continues her path-breaking work on uncovering the devastating human and environmental impacts of corporate-engineered international trade agreements. In Stolen Harvest, she charts the impacts of industrial agriculture and what they mean for small farmers, the environment, and the quality and healthfulness of the foods we eat. A short, impassioned, and inspiring book that will shape the debate about genetic engineering and commercial agriculture for years to come.
	Manifesto for a New World Order by George Monbiot. All over the planet, the rich get richer while the poor are overtaken by debt and disaster. The world is run by a handful of executives who make the most important of decisions—concerning war, peace, debt, development, and the balance of trade. Without democracy at the global level, the rest of us are left in the dark. George Monbiot shows us how to turn on the light. Emphasizing not only that things ought to change, but how to change them, Monbiot develops an interlocking set of proposals that mark him as the most realistic utopian of our time.
	The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them by Amy Goodman, David Goodman. Journalist and Pacifica radio's Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman is fierce and tireless in her commitment to dig behind official versions of the facts to get to very different stories. Her analysis of Iraq War contracts won by certain key Bush campaign donors will open many eyes, not only with its neat comparison of donation amount with contract value but also with its bold presentation of "Crony Connections." Goodman's perspective on events like genocidal massacres in East Timor and mainstream coverage of the Jessica Lynch rescue is both important and alarming. Instances in which newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post have published stories based on leaked reports from unnamed government sources only to have to retract the stories later as being unfounded allow Goodman to argue that sophisticated news management techniques of spin, disinformation and controlled access to sources are undermining the reliability of media reporting.
	Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq by Sheldon Rampton, John Stauber. Professional debunkers of media manipulation, Rampton and Stauber unmask the impact of "information warriors and perception managers" (as one PR consultant described himself) on Bush's attempt to turn public opinion in favor of war on Iraq. The authors deconstruct the PR campaign to promote the U.S. in the wake of September 11: the State Department's hiring of ad exec Charlotte Beers ("the queen of Madison Avenue") to direct the campaign; how PR execs and lobbyists helped construct the government's anti-Iraq message; the administration's alleged misinformation and distortion of facts and reliance on rumor to influence public opinion. Anyone skeptical of the reasons for the war against Iraq will find their suspicions enhanced here.—Reed Business Information, Inc.
	Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken. One of our "savviest satirists" (People), Al Franken has been studying the rhetoric of the Right. He has listened to their cries of "slander," "bias," and even "treason." He has examined the Bush administration’s policies of squandering our surplus, ravaging the environment, and alienating the rest of the world. He’s even watched Fox News. A lot. And, in this fair and balanced report, Al bravely and candidly exposes them all for what they are: liars. Lying, lying liars. Al destroys the liberal media bias myth by doing what his targets seem incapable of: getting his facts straight. Using the Right’s own words against them, he takes on the pundits, the politicians, and the issues, in the most talked about book of the year.
	Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Noam Chomsky. An absolutely brilliant analysis of the ways in which individuals and organizations of the media are influenced to shape the social agendas of knowledge and, therefore, belief. Contrary to the popular conception of members of the press as hard-bitten realists doggedly pursuing unpopular truths, Herman and Chomsky prove conclusively that the free-market economics model of media leads inevitably to normative and narrow reporting. Whether or not you've seen the eye-opening movie, buy this book, and you will be a far more knowledgeable person and much less prone to having your beliefs manipulated as easily as the press.
	The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: An Investigative Reporter Exposes the Truth About Corporate Cons, Globalization, and High Tech Fraudsters, Revisited by Greg Palast. Award-winning investigative journalist Greg Palast digs deep to unearth the ugly facts that few reporters working anywhere in the world today have the courage or ability to cover. From East Timor to Waco, he has exposed some of the most egregious cases of political corruption, corporate fraud, and financial manipulation in the US and abroad. His uncanny investigative skills as well as his no-holds-barred style have made him an anathema among magnates on four continents and a living legend among his colleagues and his devoted readership.
	Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore. The people of the United States, according to author and filmmaker Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Stupid White Men), have been hoodwinked. Tricked, he says, by Republican lawmakers and their wealthy corporate pals who use a combination of concocted bogeymen and lies to stay rich and in control. But while plenty of liberal scholars, entertainers, and pundits have made similar arguments in book form, Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? stands out for its thoroughly positive perspective. Granted, Moore is angry and has harsh words for George W. Bush and his fellow conservatives concerning the reasoning behind going to war in Iraq, the collapse of Enron and other companies, and the relationship between the Bushes, the Saudi Arabian government, and Osama bin Laden. But his book is intended to serve as a handbook for how people with liberal opinions (which is most of America, Moore contends, whether they call themselves "liberals" or not) can take back their country from the conservative forces in power.
	Thieves in High Places: They've Stolen Our Country--And Its Time to Take it Back by Jim Hightower. In the first part of the book, Hightower illustrates how the Bush administration and Congress work with major corporations (including our nation's vast media conglomerates) to add to their obscene wealth at the expense of America's working class, our environment, and (most lamentably) our rights and liberties. "The elites have pulled off a slow-motion coup, radically wrenching America's power balance from a people's democracy to Kleptocrat Nation."
	Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency by Robert C. Byrd. Senator Robert Byrd is a superb historian of the U.S. Congress and presidency. As a courageous leader of resistance to the alarming recklessness and arrogance of the Bush administration, Senator Byrd participated directly in the history chronicled in his book. Bush’s disastrous foreign policy and phony justification for war in Iraq have done more damage to American than any previous president. This book is must reading for all who are concerned about our future.—James M. McPherson
	American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush by Kevin Phillips. Citing the Bush family mainstays of finance, energy (oil), the military industrial complex, and national security and intelligence (the CIA), Phillips uses copious examples to show the dangerous alliance between the Bushes' business interests (huge corporations such as Enron and Haliburton) and the formation of national policy. No other family, Phillips says, that has fulfilled its presidential aspirations has been so involved in the ascendancy of the arms industry and of the 21st-century American imperium—often at the expense of regional and world peace and for their personal gain.

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