Immigrant stories from China and El Salvador and echoes through the halls of Ellis Island. People who made the choice to leave their homes and start over in America dreaming of a better life.
Solito
By Javier Zamora
Only 9 years old, Javier Zamora set out on a journey that would change his life forever. He left the comfort and relative safety of his grandparents’ home in El Salvador and traversed over 3,000 miles with a group of strangers to meet his parents in the U.S. With “coyotes” leading the way, the estimated trip of two weeks unexpectedly turned into months, during which none of his family members knew if he was alive. This brave little boy was blessed with the unwavering kindness he received from a mother traveling with her young daughter and a male friend from her hometown. The foursome quickly bonded. The unconditional care they showered on Javier helped him survive death-defying boat trips, long desert treks, dehydration, hunger, horrifying arrests and most of all, a crippling loneliness. Years later, this poetic, well-educated and humble man shares his story to heal his own heart and enlighten others who watch from afar. A memoir of a little boy who dreamed of reaching his parents and a world where the price of freedom is inestimable. Heartbreaking and beautifully written, Javier’s story will stay with you long after the last page.
The Next Ship Home
By Heather Webb
Escaping war, drought, famine and religious persecution, immigrants have dreams of starting a new life. But first, these men, women and children have to make their way through Ellis Island. In 1902, Francesca and Maria escape their abusive father in Sicily. Aboard a ship in third-class steerage filled with poor, sick and desperate passengers, Francesca does everything she can to get them to America. Alma is a matron at Ellis Island. She lives with her family on the lower east side of New York in a tight German community where, unmarried at 21, she is already an old maid. Fluent in English, German and Italian, Alma dreams of becoming a translator. When Alma and Francesca meet during inspection, an unexpected friendship blooms. Alma helps Fran get a job and brings her home against her parents’ wishes – although her brother Fritz is instantly smitten. It is shocking to see how quickly her family, only one generation American themselves, fears anyone different who wants the very same things their own relatives sought in America. This mesmerizing work of historical fiction is a powerful reminder of friendship, family and the courage it takes to make change.
Beautiful Country
By Qian Julie Wang
In 1994, at 7 years old Qian (pronounced Chi-an) lands in New York on a plane from China with her Ma Ma (mother). She was anxious to see her Ba Ba (father) who arrived a few years earlier promising a better life in the beautiful country, Mei Guo (America). In Chinatown the undocumented threesome struggle for years, working in sweatshops and learning English. With few friends and no family, their lives are purely in survival mode. Existing in severe poverty with the constant threat of deportation, the Wang family finds little joy and much anxiety in America. Before the Chinese Cultural Revolution, life was different. Qian’s parents were distinguished professors – now they perform manual labor. Qian finds solace in books at the public library, a treasured safe space. A voracious reader, she teaches herself English and learns to adapt, carrying a hefty responsibility for her parents. After Ma Ma overcomes a serious illness, she is resolute that they cannot wait any longer to get citizenship. Today, working as a civil rights litigator dedicated to helping immigrants and other marginalized communities, Qian shares her journey in this memoir of resilience, faith and love.
