In lady liberty's shadow : the politics of race and immigration in New Jersey / Robyn Magalit Rodriguez.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed July 11, 2017).

"Home to Ellis Island, the state of New Jersey has been the first stop for many new immigrants for over a century. Yet in this diverse state that is so central to American immigration history, some of the most anti-immigrant policies in the country are being introduced. What sets New Jersey apart is that these policies are being introduced at the municipal level in the state's suburbs. Just when they thought they had achieved the "American Dream" in their suburban homes, immigrants instead experience an American nightmare. The paradox of anti-immigrant policies in a historically immigrant state like New Jersey is what Rodriguez tries to understand in her forthcoming book, In Lady Liberty's Shadow: Race and Immigration in Post-9/11 New Jersey. She examines the impact of anti-immigrant municipal ordinances on a range of immigrant groups living in different types of suburban communities from undocumented Latinos in predominantly white suburbs to long-established Asian immigrants in "majority-minority" suburbs. Rodriguez connects the contemporary phenomenon of anti-immigrant municipal ordinances to longer histories of African American exclusion. The "American Dream" that suburban life is supposed to represent rests on a racialized, segregated social order that was meant to only be enjoyed by whites. Though it is a case study of New Jersey, In Lady Liberty's Shadow, offers crucial insights that can shed new light on the national immigration debate"-- Provided by publisher.

"Home to Ellis Island, New Jersey has been the first stop for many immigrant groups for well over a century. Yet in this highly diverse state, some of the most anti-immigrant policies in the nation are being tested. American suburbs are home to increasing numbers of first and second-generation immigrants who may actually be bypassing the city to settle directly into the neighborhoods that their predecessors have already begun to plant roots in--a trajectory that leads to nativist ordinances and other forms of xenophobia. In Lady Liberty's Shadow examines popular white perceptions of danger represented by immigrants and their children, as well the specter that lurks at the edges of suburbs in the shape of black and Latino urban underclasses and the ever more nebulous hazard of (presumed-Islamic) terrorism that threatening to undermine "life as we know it." Robyn Magalit Rodriguez explores the impact of anti-immigrant municipal ordinances on a range of immigrant groups living in varied suburban communities, from undocumented Latinos in predominantly white suburbs to long-established Asian immigrants in "majority-minority" suburbs. The "American Dream" that suburban life is supposed to represent is shown to rest on a racialized, segregated social order meant to be enjoyed only by whites. Although it is a case study of New Jersey, In Lady Liberty's Shadow offers crucial insights that can shed fresh light on the national immigration debate"-- Provided by publisher.

Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Preface and Acknowledgments; 1. The Politics of Race and Immigration in the "Garden State"; 2. My Hometown: Immigration and Suburban Imaginaries; 3. The New "Main Street"?: Ethnoburbs and the Complex Politics of Race; 4. Being the Problem: Perspectives from Immigrant New Jerseyans; 5. Fighting on the Home Front; 6. Conclusion; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index; About the Author

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