25 Books About Immigration Experiences

The biographies included feature engineer and astronaut Anousheh Ansari; Paralympic athlete and entrepreneur Alejandro Albor; surgeon Ayub Khan Ommaya; jazz musician Candido Camero; dancer Conceiçao Damasceno; Sriracha inventor and businessman David Tran; basketball player Dikembe Mutombo; author Edwidge Danticat; politician Ilhan Omar; comic artist Jim Lee; environmental activist Juana Guttierez; cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and the Undocupoets, a group of undocumented poets.

A Japanese-American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America, which he later undertakes himself, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

A child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over in a new place while keeping family and traditions close.

A family's difficult and powerful immigration story is told with sparse, poetic, and lyrical text and luminous, stunning illustrations. Themes of kindness, bravery, hope, and love run throughout. "Beautifully moving.”-Kirkus, starred review

This bright picture book tells of the migration of diverse immigrant and ethnic groups to North America, dating back to the travels of native peoples across the Bering Strait, and including the Atlantic slave trade and the journey of immigrants from Europe and Asia.

This moving story of a Jewish family's immigration to America from Russia may be jeopardized by a young cousin's bond with a worn-out coat.

It's the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one's passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds.

Nine-year-old Betita knows she is a crane. Papi has told her the story, even before her family fled to Los Angeles to seek refuge from cartel wars in Mexico. The Aztecs came from a place called Aztlan, what is now the Southwest US, called the land of the cranes. They left Aztlan to establish their great city in the center of the universe-Tenochtitlan, modern-day Mexico City. It was prophesized that their people would one day return to live among the cranes in their promised land. Papi tells Betita that they are cranes that have come home.

Akim Aliu - also known as "Dreamer" - is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim's incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. This is a gut-wrenching and riveting graphic novel memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.

In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.

The harsh winter and concrete landscape of her new home are a shock to Celiane, who witnesses her parents' struggle to earn a living and her brother's uneasy adjustment to American society, and at the same time encounters her own challenges with learning and school violence.

In a fanciful and rich story, Dominic Cantori hides from his class tour of Ellis Island because he doesn't want anyone to know that he is an orphan. He falls asleep and is transported back in time to Italy in 1908.

Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed vacation, her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own.

Fleeing from war-torn Kosovo, 10-year-old Drita and her family move to America with the dream of living a typical life. But with this hope comes the struggle to fit in and adapt in a poignant story about the friendships that can overcome a cultural divide.

Fiesty and resilient Mia Tang works and lives at the motel with her parents, who secretly help immigrants, while she pursues her dream of being a writer. 

Inspired by the author's own childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award winner told in verse is sure to capture young readers' hearts and open their eyes.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico, and that she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers.

Kek comes from Africa. In America, he sees the snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter—cold and unkind.

On one side of the border is 14-year-old Manny Bustos, an orphan scrounging on the streets of Juarez. On the other side is Vietnam vet Robert Locke, trying to forget the war in a bottle of whiskey. When Manny decides to slip into America, the two meet and discover endless new possibilities.

In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he's leaving home to build a better future for his family.

True stories of Jewish children who risked everything to escape Nazi Germany and survive.

When an openly queer Pakistani Muslim student encounters racism, her family faces an unexpected detour on the path to citizenship.