📖 Overview
Nancy Foner is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She is widely recognized for her research on immigration, particularly focusing on comparative immigration studies between the United States and Europe.
Throughout her career, Foner has made significant contributions to understanding how immigration transforms both sending and receiving societies. Her work examines immigrant families, generational relationships, race and ethnicity, and the ways immigrants integrate into their new communities.
Foner's expertise in New York City immigration patterns has resulted in several influential books, including "From Ellis Island to JFK: New York's Two Great Waves of Immigration" and "One Out of Three: Immigrant New York in the Twenty-First Century." Her comparative studies between European and American immigration experiences have provided valuable insights into integration policies and social outcomes.
Her research has earned multiple academic honors, including the Distinguished Career Award from the International Migration Section of the American Sociological Association. Foner serves on various academic boards and has held visiting scholar positions at institutions including Russell Sage Foundation and the Advanced Research Collaborative at the Graduate Center, CUNY.
👀 Reviews
Readers value Nancy Foner's thorough research and data-driven analysis of immigration patterns and experiences. Her academic works receive consistent 4+ star ratings on Goodreads and Google Scholar citations.
Readers appreciate:
- Clear presentation of complex demographic data
- Comparative frameworks between different immigrant groups
- Integration of historical context with modern trends
Common criticisms:
- Dense academic writing style can be difficult for general readers
- Some find the focus too narrow on New York City examples
- Limited discussion of certain immigrant communities
Average ratings:
Goodreads:
From Ellis Island to JFK - 3.9/5 (42 ratings)
One Out of Three - 4.1/5 (28 ratings)
Amazon:
New York and Amsterdam - 4.5/5 (6 reviews)
Across Generations - 4.7/5 (3 reviews)
Most reader reviews come from academic contexts rather than general audiences, with frequent citations in scholarly work. Student reviews note the books' utility as research references despite challenging prose.
📚 Books by Nancy Foner
From Ellis Island to JFK: New York's Two Great Waves of Immigration (2000)
Compares Italian immigrants of the 1880-1924 period with contemporary Jamaican immigrants in New York City, examining their work lives, family patterns, and paths of adaptation.
In a New Land: A Comparative View of Immigration (2005) Analyzes how immigration has transformed contemporary New York, comparing the experiences of new immigrants with those who arrived in previous eras.
Across Generations: Immigrant Families in America (2009) Examines relationships between immigrant parents and their children, focusing on family dynamics, cultural transmission, and generational change.
One Out of Three: Immigrant New York in the Twenty-First Century (2013) Documents how immigration has reshaped New York City since the 1965 Immigration Act, with detailed analysis of demographic changes and immigrant communities.
Immigration, Societal Integration, and Social Change in New York City (2016) Studies how immigration has affected social, economic, and political structures in New York City over multiple decades.
Strangers No More: Immigration and the Challenges of Integration in North America and Western Europe (2015) Compares immigrant integration processes across different Western nations, examining policies, social outcomes, and institutional responses.
New York and Amsterdam: Immigration and the New Urban Landscape (2014) Contrasts immigration patterns and immigrant incorporation in New York City and Amsterdam, focusing on urban development and social change.
In a New Land: A Comparative View of Immigration (2005) Analyzes how immigration has transformed contemporary New York, comparing the experiences of new immigrants with those who arrived in previous eras.
Across Generations: Immigrant Families in America (2009) Examines relationships between immigrant parents and their children, focusing on family dynamics, cultural transmission, and generational change.
One Out of Three: Immigrant New York in the Twenty-First Century (2013) Documents how immigration has reshaped New York City since the 1965 Immigration Act, with detailed analysis of demographic changes and immigrant communities.
Immigration, Societal Integration, and Social Change in New York City (2016) Studies how immigration has affected social, economic, and political structures in New York City over multiple decades.
Strangers No More: Immigration and the Challenges of Integration in North America and Western Europe (2015) Compares immigrant integration processes across different Western nations, examining policies, social outcomes, and institutional responses.
New York and Amsterdam: Immigration and the New Urban Landscape (2014) Contrasts immigration patterns and immigrant incorporation in New York City and Amsterdam, focusing on urban development and social change.