Review by Choice Review
The Chinese were the first major group of illegal immigrants; they came to the US through Canada and Mexico in violation of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Border officials found out as early as the 1890s that it was impossible to prevent determined people from making illicit crossings into the US along the country's long borders. Nativist impulses also created fear about increasing immigration from southern and eastern Europe, beginning early in US history. Ettinger (California State Univ., Sacramento) examines the history of immigration restriction by looking at the laws and the politics that produced them; he also looks at social attitudes toward less-preferred racial and ethnic groups, paupers, and the sick. While the Chinese were the first group of unwanted immigrants from Mexico, other groups, like the Japanese and Lebanese, disguised themselves as Mexicans. And during the Mexican Revolution, Mexicans themselves crossed the border in increasing numbers looking for safety and work. Smuggling became an issue at this time, too. The conclusion brings readers up to date with the ingenuity of immigrants and official policy makers who try to outsmart them. The research includes oral histories and government documents, with an impressive array of secondary sources. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. A. Stuntz West Texas A&M University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
