Making Americans

"Lander deftly portrays varying journeys of newcomer students as they enter US schools and society. Providing well-researched historical perspective along with hopeful current models of promising practice, Making Americans will no doubt become a mainstay for all who care to best serve our newest Americans!" - Carola Suárez-Orozco, director, Immigration Initiative at Harvard Graduate School of Education

"Making Americans provides just the sort of context too often missing from discussions of immigrant education. But what with its many terrific stories about students and teachers, it is more than informative: fascinating and inspiring; it is also a great read." - Gish Jen, author of Thank You, Mr. Nixon

"At a time when more than one in four students in American schools are immigrants or children of immigrants, how schools help ‘make Americans’ should be a front-and-center topic for the nation. Jessica Lander's compelling book interweaves vivid stories of the past, the present, and the personal—narratives of historic legal decisions, profiles of innovative schools around the country today, and inspiring portraits of her own students in Lowell, Massachusetts. At times moving, instructive, sobering, and encouraging, Making Americans will captivate and enlighten all readers. And it will also equip teachers, voters, and policymakers to work together to overcome prejudice and help newcomers build on their talents to strengthen America while pursuing their own dreams." - Martha Minow, former dean of Harvard Law School and author of When Should Law Forgive?

"Our nation’s magic is its ability to turn immigrants into Americans. Jessica Lander has written a brilliant and poignant book about how schools can help do this. With her background as a classroom teacher working with young people from around the world, she weaves together history, analysis, and deeply personal stories. This is an important book, and also a beautiful one. Everyone who cares about the future of America should read it." - Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"Weaving together inspiring personal stories, powerful case studies, and a fascinating history of immigrant education in America, Jessica Lander shines a new, hopeful light on a perennial question: How does a young immigrant become an American?" - Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed

"Making Americans is a beautifully written account of the history and practice of immigrant education in America. With masterful interweaving of legal history, classroom case examples, and powerful student stories, what emerges is a compelling and timely work that informs as much as it inspires." - Sarah Ladipo Manyika, author of Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun

"Jessica Lander's immigrant origin students—from a kaleidoscope of countries and cultures—come alive in these pages, until we feel we know them. She weaves their stories together with those of previous waves of immigrants who fled war, persecution, and poverty, including her own family. Her message is simple and powerful: New Americans make themselves with help from those of us who are already here. That making starts in school, as should our help. A compelling read." - Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

"Making Americans is an eye-opening, crucial, and riveting account of how schools and educators have shaped the immigrant experience in the United States. It is an essential history of our nation, interwoven with narratives of students and teachers who are today reimagining what it means to become American. Lander has written a deep and moving book for anyone who cares about the fate of our country, but especially for those of us who are descendants of people who traveled here from afar. Readers of Making Americans might even find themselves with a renewed a sense of patriotism, reinvigorated by the stories of people relentlessly working to redefine and make real the American Dream." - Bina Venkataraman, author of The Optimist's Telescope and former editorial page editor of The Boston Globe

"In this empathetic call for change, high school teacher Lander (Driving Backwards) offers concrete plans for reforming immigrant education in the U.S... Throughout, Lander buttresses her case with stirring profiles of her former students. The result is an inspirational must-read for educators, policymakers, and parents." - Publishers Weekly

"The author offers a nice mixture of conversational tone and intriguing research, uncovering important, untold stories in educational history."-Kirkus Reviews

"Lander is an excellent storyteller, and this book is an involving read. A thoughtful, engaging book for any reader interested in immigrant education."- Library Journal

"Making Americans is a powerful affirmation of the importance of belonging and hope in our lives. In this important and groundbreaking work, Jessica Lander outlines what we can do to create conditions in schools and communities that support all students—especially our newest Americans. Along the way, she highlights the stories of people who have made a difference in this great country, as well as those who will have a hand in its future. This is a must-read for all educators. It's a must-read for all Americans." - Don Vu, former teacher and principal, author of Life, Literacy, and the Pursuit of Happiness

"Making Americans shines a light on the barriers that immigrant students in the US face—and shares some inspiring stories about students who have overcome them." - Bill Gates, LinkedIn