Immigration policy reading list from Macalester College alumni course

I just received a college alumni mailing that got my attention. Macalester College in St. Paul, MN is holding a summer session called "Immigration: Global, Local & Personal Perspectives" It's a 2.5 day course advertised to "go beyond the headlines and talk shows to explore the many facets of immigration."

The mailing frames the issue in a broad way: "Immigration is an international phenomenon with local implications, a public policy juggernaut complicated by our personal family histories. It is a hotly debated topic and an unavoidable component of public policy today. The consequences of immigration patterns affect our schools, our business communities, and public safety officials. How do we make sense of this? What is our role as global citizens?"

Faculty presenters include an anthropologist, a couple of political scientists, a poet, a photographer, a historian, a statistician and an economist. One of the things I most appreciated about my education at Macalester was the interdisciplinary approach to issues and policy. This session seems like no exception to that tradition. Always on the lookout for good reading materials on the topic, I copy here the short list provided in the mailing by Professor Chuck Green.

Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of Diversity by W. Kymlicka.

Democracy's Promise: Immigrants and American Civic Institutions by J.S. Wong.

Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants Since 1882, Daniels

A Nation By Design: Immigration Policy in the Fashioning of America by A. Zolberg.

Globalization Challenged: Conviction, Conflict, Community by G. Rupp.

You can find an extensive listing of books and references at the Books for Understanding Web site.

Tags: reading list
Topics: Immigration, Policy