The United States is home to many people who left the country they were born in to live in America. These people immigrated to the United States for a variety of reasons including to seek new lives and opportunities and to escape poverty, war, violence, or natural disasters. The story of immigration and immigrants is also the story of our country’s growth. You’ll find resources and books below that explore immigration in the U.S. Learn about immigrants’ experiences and contributions that contributed to our shared American identity.

Online Resources

Immigration: Stories of Yesterday and Today - Scholastic

Learn the many reasons people come to America and how they’ve helped create our rich and diverse country. Includes oral histories of recent and historic immigrants, an Ellis Island history lesson, data analysis, research skills, and several graphing activities, for a comprehensive look at immigration.

Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History – Library of Congress

The history of the United States has been shaped by peoples and communities who came to its shores or moved within its borders. This presentation uses Library of Congress primary sources to explore moments and experiences from several of these communities.

Orange Public Library offers Citizenship Kits that contain step-by-step instructions on the U.S. Naturalization process. Please visit the Citizenship Kits webpage for more information.

Helpful Books 

You can read about the history of immigration in the United States as well as diverse immigrant experiences by checking out the titles in our reading list.