eBooks are accessible online, and many are available for download or 2 week check out.
Asian Indians in Michigan by
Since 1970, a growing number of Asian Indians have called Michigan home. Representative of the new immigration, Asian Indians come from a democratic country, are well-educated, and come from middle- and upper-class families. Unlike older immigrant groups, Asian Indians do not form urban ethnic enclaves or found their own communities to meet the challenges of living in a new society. As Arthur W. Helweg shows, Asian Indians contribute to the richness and diversity of Michigan s culture through active participation in local institutions, while maintaining a strong ethnic identity rooted in India."
Belgians in Michigan by
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Michigan was home to the second-largest Belgian population in the United States, and Detroit had one of the largest Belgian populations in the nation. Although immigration declined after World War I, the Belgian- American community is still prominent in the state. Political, religious, and economic conditions, including a nineteenth- century economic depression, helped motivate the move to America. Belgians brought with them the ability and willingness to innovate, as well as a tradition of hard work and devotion. The "Gazette van Detroit," a Flemish-language newspaper first printed in Detroit in 1914, continues to be produced and distributed to subscribers throughout the United States and overseas. Belgian-Americans continue to incorporate traditional values with newfound American values, enabling them to forever preserve their heritage.
Copts in Michigan by
The Copts, or Egyptian Christians, are a relatively small and tight-knit ethno-religious group, numbering perhaps three thousand people and living mostly in the Detroit metropolitan area. Since they began immigrating to Michigan in the mid-1960s, their community has grown exponentially. Granted exceptional access to the Coptic community, Eliot Dickinson provides the first in- depth profile of this unique and remarkably successful immigrant group. Drawing on personal interviews to infuse the book with warmth and depth. "Copts in Michigan "offers readers a compelling view into this vibrant community."
Greeks in Michigan by
The influence of Greek culture on Michigan began long before the first Greeks arrived. The American settlers of the Old Northwest Territory had definite notions of Greeks and Greek culture. America and its developing society and culture were to be the "New Athens," a locale where the resurgence in the values and ideals of classical Greece were to be reborn. Stavros K. Frangos describes how such preconceptions and the competing desires to retain heritage and to assimilate have shaped the Greek experience in Michigan. From the padrone system to the church communities, Greek institutions have both exploited and served Greek immigrants, and from scattered communities across the state to enclaves in Detroit, Greek immigrants have retained and celebrated Greek culture.
Jews in Michigan by
Since the earliest days of the British fur trade, Jewish pioneers have made Michigan their home. Judith Levin Cantor's "Jews in Michigan" captures the struggles and triumphs of Michigan's Jews as they worked to establish farms, businesses and synagogues, sparking commercial and residential development throughout the state, and even into the far reaches of the Upper Peninsula. Cantor celebrates both urban and rural immigrants, who supplied essential goods and services to those in lumbering, mining, and automobile manufacturing. She also deals honestly with questions of anti-Semitism and prejudice. Cantor's book shows how, in the quest to build strong communities, Jewish residents also helped create the foundations of the Michigan we know today.
Latinos in Michigan by
This work looks at how Latinos have contributed culturally, economically and socially to many important developments in Michigan's history. The history of Latinos is one of cultural diversity, institutional formation, and an ongoing search for leadership in the midst of unique circumstances.
Latvians in Michigan by
Latvians have contributed to the cultural mosaic and economy of Michigan far more than one might imagine. There are three large Latvian communities in Michigan--Kalamazoo, Detroit, and Grand Rapids--with several smaller enclaves elsewhere in the state. An underlying goal of Latvians who now live in Michigan, as well as other parts of the United States and Canada, is to maintain their language and culture. More than five thousand Latvians came to Michigan after World War II, found gainful employment, purchased homes, and became a part of the Michigan population. Most sought to reeducate themselves and struggled to educate their children in Michigan's many colleges and universities. Latvians in Michigan examines Latvia and its history, and describes how World War II culminated in famine, death, and eventual flight from their homeland by many Latvian refugees. After the war ended, most Latvian emigrants eventually made their way to Sweden or Germany, where they lived in displaced persons camps. From there, the emigrants were sponsored by individuals or organizations and they moved once again to other parts of the world. Many came to the United States, where they established new roots and tried to perpetuate their cultural heritage while establishing new lives.
Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan by
Unlike most of their immigrant counterparts, up until the turn of the twentieth century most Mexicans and Mexican Americans did not settle permanently in Michigan but were seasonal laborers, returning to homes in the southwestern United States or Mexico in the winter. Nevertheless, during the past century the number of Mexicans and Mexican Americans settling in Michigan has increased dramatically, and today Michigan is undergoing its third great wave of Mexican immigration. Though many Mexican and Mexican American immigrants still come to Michigan seeking work on farms, many others now come seeking work in manufacturing and construction, college educations, opportunities to start businesses, and to join family members already established in the state. In "Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan," Rudolph Valier Alvarado and Sonya Yvette Alvarado examine the settlement trends and growth of this population, as well as the cultural and social impact that the state and these immigrants have had on one another. The story of "Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan" is one of a steadily increasing presence and influence that well illustrates how peoples and places combine to create traditions and institutions."
Scandinavians in Michigan by
The Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, are commonly grouped together by their close historic, linguistic, and cultural ties. Their age-old bonds continued to flourish both during and after the period of mass immigration to the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Scandinavians felt comfortable with each other, a feeling forged through centuries of familiarity, and they usually chose to live in close proximity in communities throughout the Upper Midwest of the United States. Beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century and continuing until the 1920s, hundreds of thousands left Scandinavia to begin life in the United States and Canada. Sweden had the greatest number of its citizens leave for the United States, with more than one million migrating between 1820 and 1920. Per capita, Norway was the country most affected by the exodus; more than 850,000 Norwegians sailed to America between 1820 and 1920. In fact, Norway ranks second only to Ireland in the percentage of its population leaving for the New World during the great European migration. Denmark was affected at a much lower rate, but it too lost more than 300,000 of its population to the promise of America. Once gone, the move was usually permanent; few returned to live in Scandinavia. Michigan was never the most popular destination for Scandinavian immigrants. As immigrants began arriving in the North American interior, they settled in areas to the west of Michigan, particularly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. Nevertheless, thousands pursued their American dream in the Great Lakes State. They settled in Detroit and played an important role in the city s industrial boom and automotive industry. They settled in the Upper Peninsula and worked in the iron and copper mines. They settled in the northern Lower Peninsula and worked in the logging industry. Finally, they settled in the fertile areas of west Michigan and contributed to the state s burgeoning agricultural sector. Today, a strong Scandinavian presence remains in town names like Amble, in Montcalm County, and Skandia, in Marquette County, and in local culinary delicacies like aebleskiver, in Greenville, and lutefisk, found in select grocery stores throughout the state at Christmastime."
Serbians of Michigan by
Fighting, nationalism, and religion influenced Serbian migration to America in three distinct waves during the twentieth century, first following the Balkan Wars, again after the Second World War, and most recently, following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1980s. Serbians in Michigan examines the lives of Serbian immigrants from lowland areas of the Balkans and the distinct highland culture of Montenegro. The work provides cultural background to Serbian society that serves as a benchmark to compare the changes that occurred among the population after arriving in Michigan. The book also functions as an informational how-to guide for individuals of Serbian descent who are interested in learning more about their ancestors. Lubotina provides key words, phrases, and recipes that allow readers to sample aspects of Serbian culture from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, the book explores the nature of a split between conservative and liberal factions in Serbian-American communities. However, a key theme in the book is how the Serbian Orthodox Church has maintained Serbian heritage and nationalism through several generations in America.
Circulating books may be checked out in 3 week intervals.
Arab Americans in Michigan by
The state of Michigan hosts one of the largest and most diverse Arab American populations in the United States. As the third largest ethnic population in the state, Arab Americans are an economically important and politically influential group. It also reflects the diversity of national origins, religions, education levels, socioeconomic levels, and degrees of acculturation. Despite their considerable presence, Arab Americans have always been a misunderstood ethnic population in Michigan, even before September 11, 2001 imposed a cloud of suspicion, fear, and uncertainty over their ethnic enclaves and the larger community. In Arab Americans in Michigan Rosina J. Hassoun outlines the origins, culture, religions, and values of a people whose influence has often exceeded their visibility in the state.
Chaldeans in Michigan by
The Michigan Chaldean community consists of more than 100,000 people of Iraqi descent who live in the Metropolitan Detroit area. The earliest Chaldeans arrived in the Detroit area about 1910. Living in the northern suburbs Southfield, Oak Park, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington, Farmington Hills most members of Detroit s Chaldean community trace their ancestry to a single town, Telkaif, in northern Iraq. Unlike most Iraqis, Chaldeans are Christians, members of a special rite of the Roman Catholic Church, called the Chaldean rite, from which they derive their name. Members of the community are known in the Detroit area for their successful practice of the retail grocery business, in which Chaldeans have been involved since their earliest days in the United States. " Chaldeans in Michigan" discusses three major community institutions family, Church, and business and the ways they relate to each other. "Chaldeans in Michigan" also discusses recent developments within the Chaldean community, including relations with other Detroit- area groups and problems that have arisen in recent years due to a larger and more diverse population. Chaldeans, like most American ethnic groups, are concerned with educating their children in the culture of their ancestors. At the same time, however, Michigan Chaldeans still absorb a large number of new immigrants each year, requiring them to continue to provide assistance to new arrivals in adapting to the American environment. In addition, Chaldeans today also must deal with the grief of watching their adopted country at war in their ancestral homeland."
Discovering the Peoples of Michigan Reader by
The DPOM Reader provides brief synopses for the first twenty-four books in the acclaimed Discovering the Peoples of Michigan series. Meant to be used as an overview and teaching tool for the series, this Reader provides a valuable entre into the Discovering the Peoples of Michigan Series, revealing the unique contributions that have been made by different and often unrecognized communities in Michigan's historical social identity
Irish in Michigan by
Irish immigration to the United States can be divided into five general periods, from 1640 to the present: the colonial, prestarvation, great starvation, post-starvation, and post- independence periods. Immigration to the Great Lakes region and, more specifically, to Michigan was differentially influenced during each of these times. The oppressive historical roots of the Irish in both Ireland and nineteenth century America are important to understand in gaining an appreciation for their concern with socioeconomic status. The Irish first entered the Great Lakes by way of the Ohio River and Appalachian passes, spreading north along the expanding frontier. After the War of 1812, the Irish were heavily represented in frontier military garrisons. Many Irish moved into the Detroit metropolitan area as well as to farming areas throughout Michigan. In the 1840s, a number of Irish began fishing in the waters off Beaver Island, Mackinac Island, Bay City, Saginaw, and Alpena. From 1853 to 1854, Irish emigrants from the Great Starvation dug the Ste. Marie Canal while others dug canals in Grand Rapids and Saginaw. Irish nationalism in both Michigan and the United States has been closely linked with the labor movement in which Irish Americans were among the earliest organizers and leaders. Irish American nationalism forced the Irish regardless of their local Irish origins to assume a larger Irish identity. Irish Americans have a long history of involvement in the struggle for Irish Freedom dating from the 1840s. As Patrick Ford, editor of "Irish World" has said, America led the Irish from the "littleness of countyism into a broad feeling of nationalism.""
Our People, Our Journey: The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians by
Our People, Our Journey is a landmark history of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, a Michigan tribe that has survived to the present day despite the expansionist and assimilationist policies that nearly robbed it of an identity in the late nineteenth century.
Strangers and Sojourners: A History of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula by
Arthur Thurner tells of the enormous struggle of the diverse immigrants who built and sustained energetic towns and communities, creating a lively civilization in what was essentially a forest wilderness. Their story is one of incredible economic success and grim tragedy in which mine workers daily risked their lives. By highlighting the roles women, African Americans, and Native Americans played in the growth of the Keweenaw community, Thurner details a neglected and ignored past. The history of Keweenaw Peninsula for the past one hundred and fifty years reflects contemporary American culture--a multicultural, pluralistic, democratic welfare state still undergoing evolution. Strangers and Sojourners, with its integration of social and economic history, for the first time tells the complete story of the people from the Keweenaw Peninsula's Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.
Untold Tales, Unsung Heroes : An Oral History of Detroit's African American Community, 1918-1967 by
More than one hundred individuals who lived in Detroit at some time during the period from 1918 to 1967 share stories about everyday life--families and neighborhoods, community and religious life, school and work. They also describe extraordinary events--the great migration from the South, the depression, World War II, the 1943 race riot, the civil rights movement, the civil disturbance of 1967, and the Vietnam War. Their anecdotal testimonies and reminiscences provide invaluable information about the institutions, lifestyles, relationships, and politics that constitute the black experience in Detroit. By featuring the histories of blacks living in Detroit during the first six decades of the century, this unique oral history contributes immeasurably to our understanding of the development of the city.
Yankees in Michigan by
As Brian C. Wilson describes them in this highly readable and entertaining book, Yankees defined by their shared culture and sense of identity had a number of distinctive traits and sought to impose their ideas across the state of Michigan. After the ethnic label of "Yankee" fell out of use, the offspring of Yankees appropriated the term "Midwesterner." So fused did the identities of Yankee and Midwesterner become that understanding the larger story of America's Midwestern regional identity begins with the Yankees in Michigan. "
