June is Immigrant Heritage Month. It has been around since 2014, and it gives us all an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of immigrants and to explore the heritage of the United States and our own families. Our country was created by immigrants and their descendants.
Unless you’re indigenous, your ancestors came from somewhere else in the world, and there’s probably a very interesting story about why! If you aren’t familiar with your family’s origins or their immigration stories, don’t feel bad, though. Family histories can easily be lost.
If you aren’t familiar with your family’s origins or their immigration stories, don’t feel bad, though. Family histories can easily be lost. If you’re interested, History.com has a timeline of immigration in the United States, beginning with 1790. The Historic Preservation Division of Illinois has an excellent event timeline specifically for Illinois.
Below, you’ll find book recommendations and additional resources to learn more about immigration in the US and in Illinois!
Local Interest
Books for Children
Books for Middle Grade
Books for Adults
Related Monthly Themes
We’ve compiled recommendations for different heritage months, so if you’re looking for more recommendations, click any of the banners below.
Additional Resources
World History Journal: The Comprehensive History of Immigration in the United States
America’s Great Migrations Project: Illinois Migration History, 1850-2022
Settlement and Immigration in Gilded-Age Illinois
My Heritage Wiki: Illinois Historical Migration Routes
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States: Illinois
History of Immigration to the United States Facts for Kids
Migration Policy Institute: Immigration Has Been A Defining, Often Contentious, Element Throughout U.S. History
Pew Research Center: How the Origins of America’s Immigrants Have Changed Since 1850
Pew Research Center: What the Data Says about Immigrants in the U.S.
American Immigration Council: How the United States Immigration System Works
American Immigration Council: Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime
PBS Elementary Social Studies: Immigration
TBR Books 