Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month
On June 1, 2021, President Joe Biden proclaimed June to be National Immigrant Heritage Month.
"America is, always has been, and always will be a Nation of immigrants," Biden said in a White House proclamation. "During National Immigrant Heritage Month, we reaffirm and draw strength from that enduring identity and celebrate the history and achievements of immigrant communities across our Nation."
In celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month, explore the University Libraries' resources.
Genealogical Research
- Ancestry Library This link opens in a new window Full-text primary sources (including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records) from the United States and United Kingdom. Coverage: 1300 - present.
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new window Index, abstracts and some full-text on the history of the United States and Canada. Coverage: 1960 - present. Limited to 6 simultaneous users.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window Index with some full-text and abstracts covering world history, excluding the United States and Canada. Coverage: 1450 - present. Limited to 6 simultaneous users.
- Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window Full-text historical newspaper articles from the Chicago Tribune (1905 - 1975), the New York Times (1850 - 2001), the Los Angeles Times (1881-1987), and the American Periodical Series I, II & III (1741-1900).
Search these websites to find genealogical information about immigrants to the United States:
- The Statue of Liberty―Ellis Island Foundation, Inc: Ellis Island Passenger Search Use the Wizard tool to narrow your search.
- The Battery: Castle Garden Access to a database of information on 11 million immigrants from 1820 through 1892, the year Ellis Island opened.
- The National Archives: Passenger lists Passenger lists relating to immigrants to America from Germany (1850-1897), Russia (1834-1897), Ireland (1846-1851), and Italy (1855-1900).
- FamilySearch Search millions of names and family history records.
Japanese Americans in Chicago by
Japanese Americans who choose to reside in Chicago consider it to be the best city in the world. The first Japanese arrived in the city to prepare for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and the building of the Ho-o-den Pavilion. Prior to World War II, only a few hundred Japanese Americans lived in Chicago; however, during the War many were brought from concentration camps to help with the war effort. The number of Japanese-American residents peaked at more than 20,000 by 1945, with half of them returning to their west coast homes when permitted. For those who remained, the acceptance and employment opportunities found in Chicago offered a chance to begin new lives in a more ethnically-diverse city. These recollections, told through the medium of historic photographs, expose what is at the heart of Chicago's Japanese-American community-a deep commitment to patriotism and a devotion to country and civil rights. This book of more than 200 vintage images reveals for the first time aspects of Japanese-American life in Chicago over four generations, through the eyes of those who lived it.
Call Number: F548.9.J3 M87 2002ISBN: 0738519529Publication Date: 2002-05-28
Italians in Chicago by
Drawn from scores of family albums, these intimate snapshots tell the story of the unique and universal saga of Italian immigration and life in Chicago. More than 25,000 Italian immigrants came to Chicago after 1945. The story of their exodus and reestablishment in Chicago touches on war torn Italy, the renewal of family and paesani connections, the bureaucratic challenges of the restrictive quota system, the energy and spirit of the new immigrants, and the opportunities and frustrations in American society.
Call Number: F548.9.I8 C355 2010ISBN: 9780738583648Publication Date: 2010-12-06
Filipinos in Chicago by
The pictorial history of Filipino immigration to Chicago encompasses 100 years, moving from the Philippines to this country of unknown landscapes and uncertainties. The pioneering Filipinos came in the early 1900s to seek the land of ""milk and honey."" They were mostly pensionados-government-supported students-and self-supported students who settled in the Garfield Park, Hyde Park, and Near North Side neighborhoods of Chicago. From the close of World War II to the present day, the Filipino American population became the largest urban group of Asians in Chicago Through the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the evolution of the Filipino community of Chicago from the early 1900s to the present day. These pages bring to life the people, events, and industries that helped to shape and transform the Filipino community of Chicago. With more than 200 vintage images, Filipinos in Chicago includes many photographs from personal albums of Filipino American families. This book depicts the many faces of the Filipino American in various facets of American life interwoven with Philippine traditions from the homeland.
Call Number: F548.9.F4 R38 2001ISBN: 9780738518800Publication Date: 2001-08-01
Chicago's Little Village by
Little Village has been known by several names over the past 140 years, but its rich culture and history have never been forgotten. Situated on Chicago's southwest side, Little Village has gone from real estate promoters Millard and Decker's affluent ""suburb"" Lawndale to one of the largest Bohemian enclaves in the United States. This vibrant neighborhood is known today as the largest Mexican community in the state of Illinois. Little Village has almost always been a working-class immigrant neighborhood filled with hardworking men and women who want their piece of the American dream. From residents such as martyred Chicago mayor Anton Cermak to the typical immigrant family next door, these strong-willed people have made their mark on Chicago and the rest of the world.
Call Number: F548.68.S67 M35 2010ISBN: 9780738577371Publication Date: 2010-04-19
Asian Indians of Chicago by
From the infectious rhythm of the bhangra dance and the sizzle of the tandoori platter to landmark achievements in research laboratories and corporate boardrooms, the Asian Indian presence has very quickly become a lively and colorful part of the daily life of the Chicago metropolitan area. Arriving in Chicago in the mid 60s, the first wave of Indians were mostly professionals who intended to return home. But as they stayed on and were joined by others, their population began to reflect the tremendous ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of India. Today, Indians are the largest Asian-American immigrant group in the Chicago area. Recognizing that first-hand resources would still be available for compiling their history, the Indo-American Center appealed to Chicago area residents of Indian origin and to their organizations to select photographs and documents from their personal collections to tell the story of the community. This book is a result of their enthusiastic response. Here, then, is a history in the making,-the record, in pictures, of the life of a diverse and vibrant community as told by the people who live it and shape its course.
Call Number: F548.9.E2 A85 2003ISBN: 9780738519982Publication Date: 2003-05-13
Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village by
Home to Chicago's Polish Village, impressive examples of architecture, and the legendary Olson Waterfall, Avondale is often called "the neighborhood that built Chicago." Images of America: Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village sheds light on the little known history of the community, including its fascinating industrial past. From its beginnings as a sleepy subdivision started by a Michigan senator, it became a cultural mecca for Chicago's Polish community, playing a crucial role in Poland's struggles for independence. Many people from all over the world also called Avondale home, such as Scottish proprietors, African American freedmen, Irish activists, Swedish shopkeepers, German tradesmen, Jewish merchants, Filipino laborers, and Italian entrepreneurs; a diversity further enriched as many from the former Soviet Bloc and Latin America settled here. Avondale would be unrecognizable today from its humble origins, but the strong sense of community these neighbors have will never change.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781467111188Publication Date: 2014-07-21
Irish Chicago by
From musicians and mobsters to mayors and men of the cloth, discover the fascinating history of Chicago's Irish history. The history of the Irish in Chicago goes back to the days when the city was little more than an outpost on the prairie shores of Lake Michigan. Drawn by opportunities in the growing frontier town, Irish men and women who were fleeing economic hardship and famine in Ireland were quick to make their mark on Chicago's political, religious, and economic life. The unique position of the Irish among immigrant groups-English speaking and more culturally attuned to Anglo-American institutions, yet Catholic-allowed them to flourish in occupations and social positions for which they have become known. Most notably, the Irish in Chicago have produced eight mayors and many bishops. But Irish Chicago is also the story of those who built and enlivened the city: the policemen, firemen, priests, nuns and brothers, tavern owners, educators, transit workers, musicians, and ward politicians made good, and the north, south, and west side neighborhoods and parishes they inhabited.
Call Number: F548.9.I6 M35 2003ISBN: 9780738520384Publication Date: 2003-02-19
Taylor Street by
Take a tour of Taylor Street, the heart of Chicago's Little Italy, with local historian and journalist Kathy Catrambone. A must-have for fans of Italian-American history. Chicago's Near West Side was and is the city's most famous Italian enclave, earning it the title of Little Italy. Italian immigrants came to Chicago as early as the 1850s, before the massive waves of immigration from 1874 to 1920. They settled in small pockets throughout the city, but ultimately the heaviest concentration was on or near Taylor Street. At one point a third of all Chicago's Italian immigrants lived in the neighborhood. Some of their descendants remain, and although many have moved to the suburbs, their familial and emotional ties to the neighborhood cannot be broken. Taylor Street: Chicago's Little Italy is a pictorial history from the late 19th century and early 20th century, from when Jane Addams and Mother Cabrini guided the Italians on the road to Americanization, through the area's vibrant decades, and to its sad story of urban renewal in the 1960s and its rebirth 25 years later.
Call Number: F548.67.T39 C38 2007ISBN: 9780738551074Publication Date: 2007-02-07
Czechs of Chicagoland by
Chicago was once the second-largest Bohemian city outside the Czech lands. The Czechs first settled, serendipitously, behind the notorious O'Leary barn. Spared the Great Fire of 1871, they were displaced several blocks south by the ensuing land crush. There they built more permanent quarters in the community that became known as Pilsen, a neighborhood whose name and architecture survive to recall its Bohemian origins. The thriving Czechs soon began a century-long move westward from Lawndale to Cicero to Berwyn, and today they flourish across the western suburbs. From the desolation of the 1915 Eastland disaster, in which hundreds of victims were of Czech descent, to the triumphant Depression-era election of Czech-born mayor Antonín Cˇermák, Czechs of Chicagoland depicts how the Czech community and its great leaders, benevolent societies, and charitable and social organizations have shaped and continue to shape the course of Chicago's history.
Call Number: F548.9.B67 S74 2008ISBN: 9780738551784Publication Date: 2008-05-05
Arabs of Chicagoland by
Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased--the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland's growth, is especially important.
Call Number: F548.9.A65 H36 2005ISBN: 9780738534176Publication Date: 2005-08-17
Mexican Chicago by
The story of Chicago's Mexican communities is an important part of the rich and diverse mosaic of Chicago history. Mexican Chicago presents an intriguing visual record of the earliest beginnings of Mexican communities in the city. It explores such vibrant and distinct neighborhoods as Pilsen, Little Village, South Deering, Back of the Yards, and other neighborhoods that reflect Mexican culture. Many rarely-seen photographs help to break down stereotypical notions about members of these communities by documenting their urban experiences and illustrating the ways in which they maintain connections to their homeland and cultural traditions. The photographs, culled from family archives, museums, and university collections, tell the collective story of a cultural group that by the year 2010 will be the largest ethnic population in the state of Illinois. These stories are told in first voice-the voices of those who lived and are living the history shown here. They reflect historical, political, and economic events on both a personal and international scale, ranging from revolution and annexation of territory, to immigration and repatriation policies. Including a special insert on Mexican murals in the city, this book focuses on Mexican Chicagoans from the early 1900s to the present day.
Call Number: F548.9.M5 J57 2001ISBN: 0738507563Publication Date: 2001-06-20
Bosnian Americans of Chicagoland by
The first Bosnians settled in Chicagoland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, joining other immigrants seeking better opportunities and better lives. As the former Yugoslavia continued to find its identity as a nation over the last century, the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina sought stability and new beginnings in the city of Chicago--many intending to return to their homeland. Today as many as 70,000 Bosnians and their descendants live in the Chicago area, representing different faiths, backgrounds, and motivations for making America their new home. Bosnian Americans of Chicagoland examines the journey of this group, its legacy, and its traditions and customs that have lasted since the first immigrants arrived a century ago.
Call Number: F548.9.B675 P87 2007ISBN: 9780738551265Publication Date: 2007-07-11
Assyrians in Chicago by
The pictorial history of Assyrian immigration to Chicago that encompasses more than 100 years. The first Assyrian pioneers came to the United States in the late 1800s. Eventually, by the turn of the century, they began to reside in Chicago. Following several waves of persecution in their homeland, these indigenous people of Mesopotamia continued to migrate to America, and now the largest concentration of them reside in Chicago. Through the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the evolution of the Assyrian community of Chicago from the late 1800s to the present day. These pages bring to life the people, events, and industries that helped to shape and transform this vibrant ethnic community in Chicago. With more than 200 vintage images, Assyrians in Chicagoincludes photographs from the collection of the Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation. This book depicts the many faces of the Assyrian American in various facets of American life interwoven with traditions from their homeland.
Call Number: F548.9.A8 S56 2001ISBN: 9780738519081Publication Date: 2001-09-13
Chicago's Polish Downtown by
Polish Downtown is Chicago's oldest Polish settlement and was the capital of American Polonia from the 1870s through the first half of the 20th century. Nearly all Polish undertakings of any consequence in the U.S. during that time either started or were directed from this part of Chicago's near northwest side. This book illustrates the first 75 years of this influential Polish neighborhood. Featured are some of the most beautiful churches in Chicago-St. Stanislaus Kostka, Holy Trinity, and St. John Cantius-stunning examples of Renaissance and Baroque Revival architecture that form part of the largest concentration of Polish parishes in Chicago. The headquarters for almost every major Polish organization in America were clustered within blocks of each other, and four Polish-language daily newspapers were published here. The heart of the photographic collection in this book is from the extensive library and archives of the Polish Museum of America, still located in the neighborhood.
Call Number: F548.9.P7 G73 2004ISBN: 9781531618599Publication Date: 2004-07-21
Chicago Latinos at Work by Call Number: F548.9.S75 C77 2009ISBN: 9780738577937Publication Date: 2010-02-22
Chicago's Jewish West Side by
No matter where the scattered Jews of Chicago live now, many can trace their roots to this ""Jerusalem of Chicago."" For nearly half a century, the greater Lawndale area was the vibrant, spirited center of Jewish life in Chicago. It contained almost 40 percent of the city's entire Jewish population with over 70 synagogues and numerous active Jewish organizations and institutions, such as the Jewish People's Institute, the Hebrew Theological College, and Mount Sinai Hospital. Its residents included ""King of Swing"" Benny Goodman, Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, journalists Irv Kupcinet and Meyer Levin, federal judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, civil rights attorney Elmer Gertz, Eli's Cheesecake founder Eli Shulman, and comedian Shelley Berman. Many of the selected images come from the author's extensive collection. This book will bring back memories for those who lived there and retell the story of Jewish life on the West Side for those who did not.
Call Number: F548.9.J5 C86 2009ISBN: 9780738560151Publication Date: 2009-10-26
Almost American Girl by
"A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life--perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo. For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn't always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation--following her mother's announcement that she's getting married--Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn't understand the language and struggles to keep up.
Call Number: Curriculum Collection E184.K6 H323 2020ISBN: 9780062685100Publication Date: 2020-01-28
Call Me American (Adapted for Young Adults) by
Adapted from the adult memoir, this gripping story follows one boy's journey into young adulthood and offers an intimate account of modern immigration.Abdi Nor Iftin grew up amidst a blend of cultures, far from the United States. At home in Somalia, his mother entertained him with vivid folktales and bold stories detailing her rural, nomadic upbringing. As he grew older, he spent his days following his father, a basketball player, through the bustling street of the capital city of Mogadishu.But when the threat of civil war reached Abdi's doorstep, his family was forced to flee to safety. Through the turbulent years of war, young Abdi found solace in popular American music and films. Nicknamed Abdi the American, he developed a proficiency for English that connected him--and his story--with news outlets and radio shows, and eventually gave him a shot at winning the annual U.S. visa lottery.Abdi shares every part of his journey, and his courageous account reminds readers that everyone deserves the chance to build a brighter future for themselves
Call Number: Curriculum Collection CT275.I43 A3 2020ISBN: 9781984897114Publication Date: 2020-06-16
Gittel's Journey by
"Brings to life a not too distant history of immigration to Ellis Island. When it's time for nine-year-old Gittel and her mother to leave their homeland behind and go to America for the promise of a new life, a health inspection stops any chance of Gittel's mother joining her daughter on the voyage. Knowing she may never see her mother again, Gittel must find the courage within herself to leave her family behind"
Call Number: Curriculum Collection PZ7.N47988 Gi 2019ISBN: 9781419727474Publication Date: 2019-02-05
Here We Are by
The Shahanis came to Queens--from India, by way of Casablanca--in the 1980s. They were undocumented for a few unsteady years and then, with the arrival of their green cards, they thought they'd made it. This is the story of how they did, and didn't; the unforeseen obstacles that propelled them into years of disillusionment and heartbreak; and the strength of a family determined to stay together.
Call Number: Curriculum Collection E184.E2 S535 2019ISBN: 9781250204752Publication Date: 2019-10-01
Imagine by
"When Juan Felipe Herrera was very young, he picked flowers, helped his mama feed the chickens, slept under the starry sky, and learned to say goodbye to his amiguitos each time his migrant family moved on. When he grew up, Juan Felipe Herrera became a poet. His breathtaking poem "Imagine" and Lauren Castillo's evocative illustrations will speak to every reader and dreamer searching for this place in life."-
Call Number: Curriculum Collection PZ7.H432135 Ima 201ISBN: 9780763690526Publication Date: 2018-09-25
Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children by
The story of Mother Jones, an Irish immigrant who was essential in the fight to create child labor laws. Well into her sixties, Mother Jones had finally had enough of children working long hours in dangerous factory jobs, and decided she was going to do something about it. The powerful protests she organized earned her the name "the most dangerous woman in America." And in the Children's Crusade of 1903, she lead one hundred boys and girls on a glorious march from Philadelphia right to the front door of President Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home
Call Number: Curriculum Collection HD8073.J6 W56 2020ISBN: 9780449812921Publication Date: 2020-02-25
We Are Not from Here by
Pulga has his dreams. Chico has his grief. Pequeña has her pride. And these three teens have one another. But, none of them have illusions about the town they've grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home. Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life -- if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go.
Call Number: Curriculum Collection PZ7.T6457245 We 2020ISBN: 9781984812261Publication Date: 2020-05-19
We Came to America by
Celebrates United States immigration and the country's diverse immigrant heritage.
Call Number: Curriculum Collection PZ8.3.R4595 We 2016ISBN: 9780517709481Publication Date: 2016-05-10
- Ethnographic Video Online This link opens in a new window Ethnographic films, documentaries, select feature films, and previously unpublished fieldwork for the study of human culture, behavior and society around the world. Topics include language, food and cooking, economic systems, caste systems, religion, music and the arts, sex, gender, and family.
El field. by
International border crossing as a daily constant is an unusual life habit. Especially when Mexican urban dwellers do so to work as agricultural field laborers in the United States. In a time when immigration has taken the political center stage across the globe, El Field contributes to the discussion by providing a compelling portrait in motion of the life, work and industry of a forgotten section of the largest, busiest land transit border in the world. Shot in the Imperial Valley, California, and the Mexicali Valley, Mexico; El Field presents visual historic information that induces the audience to form their own impressions on migrant labor and the industry that employs them. Filmmaker: Alejandro Davila, Daniel Rosas, Derrick Sparrow
Call Number: Online AccessPublication Date: 2011
In the Shadows: Undocumented Immigration in America by
Esta película, un moderno "Grapes of Wrath", sigue a Jairo y su extensa familia de inmigrantes indocumentados desde su hogar en México hasta una granja lechera en los EE.UU. En busca de una vida mejor y un medio para enviar dinero a sus familias en dificultades. En el camino, se encuentran con peligrosas condiciones de cruce de fronteras y un encuentro con las autoridades de inmigración. Esta película explora por qué la inmigración sigue siendo un problema permanente para nuestro país.
Publication Date: 2013- Growth, Cities, and ImmigrationIn which John Green teaches you about the massive immigration to the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century.
