Village of Immigrants: Latinos in an Emerging America

Diana R. Gordon

Published by Rutgers University Press 2015

Village of Immigrants

Latinos in an Emerging America

Diana R. Gordon

In the series Rivergate Regionals Collection

https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813575926

Overview
Contents

About this book

Greenport, New York, a village on the North Fork of Long Island, has become an exemplar of a little-noted national trend—immigrants spreading beyond the big coastal cities, driving much of rural population growth nationally. In Village of Immigrants, Diana R. Gordon illustrates how small-town America has been revitalized by the arrival of these immigrants in Greenport, where she lives.

Greenport today boasts a population that is one-third Hispanic. Gordon contends that these immigrants have effectively saved the town’s economy by taking low-skill jobs, increasing the tax base, filling local schools, and patronizing local businesses. Greenport’s seaside beauty still attracts summer tourists, but it is only with the support of the local Latino workforce that elegant restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts are able to serve these visitors. For Gordon the picture is complex, because the wave of immigrants also presents the town with challenges to its services and institutions. Gordon’s portraits of local immigrants capture the positive and the negative, with a cast of characters ranging from a Guatemalan mother of three, including one child who is profoundly disabled, to a Colombian house painter with a successful business who cannot become licensed because he remains undocumented. Village of Immigrants weaves together these people’s stories, fears, and dreams to reveal an environment plagued by threats of deportation, debts owed to coyotes, low wages, and the other bleak realities that shape the immigrant experience—even in the charming seaport town of Greenport.

A timely contribution to the national dialogue on immigration, Gordon’s book shows the pivotal role the American small town plays in the ongoing American immigrant story—as well as how this booming population is shaping and reviving rural communities.

Author / Editor information

DIANA R. GORDON is professor emerita of political science and criminal justice at the City University of New York. She is the author of several books including Transformation and Trouble: Crime, Justice and Participation in Democratic South Africa.

Reviews

"In taking on one town's immigration success story, Gordon has created a compelling framework for exploring a complex topic."

— Publishers Weekly

"Following an in-depth examination of immigration history in Greenport, from early whaling communities to the impact of Italian immigrant brick workers and beyond, Gordon investigates large-concept issues such as challenges facing immigrant children in the educational system, restrictions and inequalities in immigrant housing, labor rights for immigrant workers, and more ... Concise and accessible, this work is recommended for readers interested in immigrant concerns and their impact on American history, economy, and culture."

— Library Journal

"Diana Gordon does a good job bringing these immigrants to life, giving them a voice. By showing that they struggle to learn the language, get by in school, and find meaningful employment; they are trying to make the American dream happen. But as with all stories of immigrants there are those that do not want them around, and Mrs. Gordon does a good job showing that they exist as well." 5 star review

— San Diego Book Review

"This beautifully written book tells what happens when small town America meets contemporary Latino immigration, an inspiring, yet also heartbreaking encounter between the American dream and the American dilemma. A compelling account and a deeply satisfying read."

— Roger Waldinger, author of The Cross-Border Connection: Immigrants, Emigrants, and their Homelands

"A worthwhile addition to any East End bookshelf."

— East End Beacon

"[A] lively and valuable contribution … thorough but not pedantic, granual at times, sweeping at others, and, at its core, a personal story."

— The East Hampton Star

"Village of Immigrants: Latinos in an Emerging America documents a U.S. trend of immigrants spreading beyond coastal cities into the rest of the country, and narrows the example to Greenport, New York, a village on Long Island which has seen many changes from an influx of Latinos. The author lives in this small town and so is in the perfect position to observe its evolution: chapters discuss taxes, schools, jobs, and local business evolution, showing how the influx has revitalized the town's entire structure and led to growth and positive results. Highly recommended."

— California Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
PART I. A Village Transformed
1. Hola, Greenport Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Profile: Lost and Found Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	13
PART II. Absorbing Immigrants since 1840
2. The European Legacy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	21
3. Boom, Bust, and Back Again Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
4. Migration from Within Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	42
5. Is Demographics Destiny? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
PART III. Classroom Challenges
6. Schooling New Citizens Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	63
Profile: Edgar and the Blue Mosque Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	88
PART IV. Settling In
7. Housing or Houses? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	101
Profile: Sofia’s Quest Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
PART V. Toward Community Health
8. Cobbled Care Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	135
Profile: An Accidental Nurse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	152
PART VI. Dilemmas of Control
9. Legal Limbo Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
Profile: Deferred and Delivered Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	182
PART VII. Working Lives
10. Where There’s a Will, There’s a Job (or Two) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	193
Profile: Sacrifice and Success Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	207
PART VIII. What Next?
Profile: The New American Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	223
11. A Small-Town Model? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	232
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	237
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	249
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257

Language: English
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 273

eBook

Published: November 6, 2015
ISBN: 9780813575926