Crossing Borders: Migration and Citizenship in the Twentieth-Century United States
Wide-ranging and original,Crossing Bordersis an important contribution to emerging literature that brings the state back into migration studies while still paying tribute to the agency of migrants. Schneider effectively demonstrates the all too important point that there is no single, simple, straightforward act of border crossing. (Donna R. Gabaccia, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota)This masterful synthesis of American immigration history combines East, West, and South – Ellis Island, Angel Island, and the Rio Grande – in a concise, lively, and thoughtful style.Schneider's very readable study of major immigration issues sheds new light on the immigration experience as a lived process between state policy and individual memoir. (Nancy L. Green, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales)Crossing Bordersdeserves a place on the growing shelf of immigration histories. Filled with fresh material and compelling stories, it is a useful supplement to more traditional accounts of American immigration politics and policymaking. (Tamar JacobyNew Republic online2011-08-10)