Send These to Me: Jews and Other Immigrants in Urban America

Send These to Me examines Jewish immigration to America and its impact on urban life from the late 19th through mid-20th centuries. The book analyzes the social, economic and cultural dynamics between Jewish immigrants and other ethnic groups in American cities during this transformative period. Through detailed historical research and demographic analysis, Higham traces the patterns of Jewish settlement in major metropolitan areas and the development of Jewish communities. He explores the tensions and interactions between Jewish immigrants and established populations, including other immigrant groups competing for economic and social mobility. This work places Jewish immigration within the broader context of American nativism, ethnic relations, and urban development. The intersection of Jewish identity, assimilation pressures, and evolving American attitudes toward immigration forms the core of Higham's investigation. The book offers insights into how ethnic identity and social mobility shaped the American urban experience, while raising questions about immigration policy and cultural pluralism that remain relevant today.

Readers value Higham's focus on Jewish immigration patterns and assimilation experiences during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Multiple reviewers highlighted his analysis of social mobility among different immigrant groups and the relationship between antisemitism and American nativism. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanations of demographic shifts - Examination of economic factors in immigrant settlement - Discussion of cultural conflicts and adaptations Common criticisms: - Limited coverage of non-Jewish immigrant groups despite the book's broad title - Some chapters read like disconnected essays - Lack of first-person immigrant accounts Reviews/Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (12 ratings) Google Books: Not enough reviews for rating WorldCat: No ratings available A history professor on Goodreads noted: "Higham provides strong data on immigrant settlement patterns but misses opportunities to explore individual experiences." Another reviewer praised the "detailed analysis of how different ethnic groups navigated American urban spaces."

City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York by Tyler Anbinder This detailed chronicle of New York's immigrant communities from the Dutch settlers to modern times parallels Higham's focus on urban immigration patterns and ethnic integration.

World of Our Fathers by Irving Howe The text documents Jewish immigration to New York's Lower East Side with examination of labor movements, cultural preservation, and generational changes in immigrant communities.

The Huddled Masses: The Immigrant in American Society, 1880-1921 by Alan M. Kraut This work examines immigrant experiences during America's peak immigration years through economic, social, and political lenses.

Lower East Side Memories: A Jewish Place in America by Hasia Diner The book explores the transformation of Manhattan's Lower East Side from an immigrant neighborhood to a symbol of Jewish American identity.

Ethnic Americans: A History of Immigration by Leonard Dinnerstein, David M. Reimers This comprehensive study traces immigration patterns and experiences of various ethnic groups throughout American history with focus on urban settlement patterns.

🌟 John Higham was one of the first historians to extensively study anti-Semitism in American history, publishing his groundbreaking work "Strangers in the Land" in 1955. 📚 The book examines how Jewish immigrants in urban America faced both discrimination and opportunities for social mobility, often simultaneously. 🏙️ During the time period covered in the book (late 1800s to early 1900s), nearly 2 million Jewish immigrants arrived in American cities, primarily from Eastern Europe. 🎓 Higham's work challenged the prevailing "melting pot" theory of American immigration, showing instead that ethnic groups often maintained distinct identities while still participating in American society. 🗽 The book's title "Send These to Me" references Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus," which appears on the Statue of Liberty and was written by a Jewish-American poet.