Includes bibliographical references (p. 289-322) and index.

Who they are and why they have come -- Where they live -- Work they do -- Immigrant women and work -- Sting of prejudice -- Transnational ties -- Going to school -- Look backward--and forward.

"In the history of New York City, few events loom larger than the wave of immigration at the turn of the twentieth century. Today a similar influx is once again transforming the city. More than one in three New Yorkers are now immigrants. From Ellis Island to JFK is the first in-depth study that compares these two huge social changes." "Nancy Foner offers a critical reassessment of the myths that have grown up around the earlier Jewish and Italian immigration - myths that deeply color how today's Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean arrivals are seen. Issue by issue, she reveals the often surprising realities of both immigrations." "Drawing on a wealth of historical and contemporary research, Foner, in a lively and entertaining style, opens a new chapter in the study of immigration - and in the story of the nation's gateway city."