"Since the 1960s, American society has been undergoing a transformation that is dynamic and at the same time challenges the very ideals that the nation was founded and built upon … We are now experiencing the most awesome surge of immigrants and refugees in modern times. The newcomers, mostly Asians, Latins, Creoles, Africans, Moslems, Jews, and Slavs, are not only changing the ethnic makeup of America, but also creating a dramatic impact in many communities."
Thus author Al Santoli introduces his latest book, New Americans: An Oral History--Immigrants and Refugees in the U.S. Today, which is excerpted here. The overwhelming majority of recent immigrants are of Third World rather than European origin. It is estimated that by the middle of the next century, Americans of European background will be in the minority. How will America be affected?
Santoli asked recent immigrants of a startlingly wide range of ethnic backgrounds why they left their home and what they experienced in America. Their answers, collected in New Americans, reveal people who have something very special to give to this country.
The following excerpt is Daud Nassery's story as told to Santoli. An Afghan medical doctor, Nassery led his family in a tortuous escape from their homeland. Rescued from the hopelessness of a refugee camp in Pakistan by the generous people of a Cape Cod town, Nassery is rebuilding a life dedicated to medicine.
Following this moving account, three writers address problems and benefits surrounding the recent influx of immigrants into this
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