Immigration News & Opinion
Sat - May 19, 2012

ilw.com, January 24. Editor's Note: This article is the introduction to Green Card Stories, a new book that features dramatic narratives of 50 recent U.S. immigrants-each with permanent residence or citizenship-in compelling essays by nationally recognized journalist Saundra Amrhein and exquisite portraits by award-winning documentary photographer Ariana Lindquist. The book was created and produced in collaboration with renowned immigration lawyers and scholars Laura Danielson and Stephen Yale-Loehr. Laura and Steve co-wrote the introduction reprinted below. Each of the 50 stories is as old as the foundation of this nation, but also reflects the global trends and conflicts of the 21st century. Arriving from all corners of the globe, coming for work, love, to study, invest or escape persecution, the people in this book share a steely resourcefulness and a determination to fulfill their potential in America. Though the places from which they come have changed-today largely from Latin America and Asia instead of Europe-the essential drive to make it in America remains constant. Green Card Stories demonstrates that today's immigrants are just as hardworking, energetic, and eager to contribute to U.S. society as past generations of new arrivals.