Best Books By Immigrant Authors

By Daniel Goh Young Upstarts

The American Dream, which suggests anyone who works hard can achieve success, has been unevenly realized by immigrants to this country. For some who were able to attain citizenship, their efforts propelled them to the high reaches of economic success. Others, whose immigrant status forces them to live in the shadows, try to forge a semblance of a meaningful life. Yet even for those who have prospered, the cracks in the America’s shiny façade compel them to find solutions. They draw from the lessons of their homelands as examples.

George Danis was born and raised on a farm in rural Greece. He entered the U.S. as an illegal immigrant, yet decades later was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his philanthropic endeavors and promotion of democracy. A wonderful storyteller, his engaging memoir, “Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek“, is also a call to action. He believes democracy has been hijacked by big corporations, lobbyists, and self-serving politicians. Applying lessons from growing up in a Greek village where neighbors helped neighbors and the community banded together to solve problems, Danis implores citizens in the U.S. to take action to solve our seemingly intractable problems. He asserts, “As citizens we must move from seeing politics as a spectator sport to viewing it as a forum in which we can all participate.”

Jean Tren-Hwa Perkins was born to a dirt-poor family during China’s disastrous Yangtze River flood in 1931. Unwanted like so many Chinese girls, she was adopted by American medical missionaries, but was later trapped in Communist China. In her posthumous memoir, “Spring Flower: A Tale of Two Rivers“, completed by her son, Richard Perkins-Hsung, ...

In her book, “Crisis Capable: Building Your Capacity to Survive and Succeed in Every Environment“, Fabiana Lacerca-Allen shares her experiences growing up in Argentina in the 1970s when the country was under military dictatorship....

In “Reimaging America’s Dream: Making It Attainable for All“, Bernie J. Mullin describes his journey immigrating from England to the U.S. and eventually becoming CEO of a highly successful sport and entertainment company....

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, called “the most famous undocumented immigrant in America,” puts a human face on immigrants in the U.S. in his riveting memoir, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen“. ...

The promise of a better life in America has drawn immigrants to this country for some five centuries. Whether seeking economic opportunities, freedom from political instability, or reprieve from religious persecution, America has offered a beacon of hope. As these books reveal, some immigrants are able to capitalize on that hope, while others are caught in a bureaucratic maelstrom.

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