Coming To America

Explores the evolving history of immigration to the United States, a long saga about people coming first in search of food and then, later in a quest for religious and political freedom, safety, and prosperity.

America is a country that is filled with many immigrants. In this fascinating book, readers will learn some of the many reasons immigrants choose to become American citizens. The glossary, index, and table of contents help readers better understand the content as they make their way through this inspiring book.

Excerpts from diaries and letters provide glimpses into the lives of Russian, Lithuanian, Italian, Greek, Swedish, and Irish immigrants who passed through Ellis Island around the turn of the century.

Acclaimed artist and Caldecott-winning picture book creator Faith Ringgold shares an inspiring look at America's lineage in this stunning ode to our country--past, present, and future. America is a land of diversity. Whether driven by dreams and hope, or escaping poverty or persecution, our ancestors--and the faces of America today--represent people from every reach of the globe. And each person brought with them a unique gift--of art and music; of determination and grit; of ideas and strength--that forever shaped the country we all call home. Vividly evoked in Faith Ringgold's sumptuous colors and patterns, WE CAME TO AMERICA is an ode to every American who came before us, and a tribute to the children who will carry its message into our future.

NAMED ONE OF THE TOP 10 ROCK MEMOIRS OF ALL TIME BY ROLLING STONE From Chic to Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers is the creative force behind some of the biggest hits ever recorded. Here is the story of how global pop’s greatest genius transformed his own dramatic life into the brilliantly joyful playlist of a generation. You will hear a Nile Rodgers song today. It will make you happy. In the 1970s and 1980s, Nile Rodgers wrote and produced the songs that defined the era and everything that came after: “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” “We Are Family,” “Like a Virgin,” “Let’s Dance,” “I’m Coming Out,” “Rapper’s Delight”—and worked with every influential pop star to create a string of enduring hits, from Diana Ross and Madonna to Duran Duran and David Bowie. Even today, he is still musically relevant: writing and performing record-breaking hits like “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk and Pharrell. But before he reinvented pop music, Nile Rodgers invented himself. From jamming with Jimi Hendrix in a Greenwich Village haze to the decadence of the disco era to witnessing the birth of Madonna on the Danceteria dance floor, Le Freak traces one of the greatest musical journeys of our time. Praise for Le Freak “[An] amazing memoir . . . steeped in the incestuous energy of the times: Punk, funk and art rock mixed it up in the downtown clubs, where musicians partied together and shared ideas. . . . Le Freak has plenty of sex and drugs. But it’s the music that makes it essential. . . . Rodgers gave those dreams a beat—and helped invent pop as we know it today.”—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone “This book is an absolute knockout: exhilarating, warm, and courageous, deeply moving and deeply funny. Le Freak is as much about the greatness of life as it is about Nile Rodgers’s extraordinary musical journey. As Rodgers well knows, the best music is the stuff we feel, the stuff that speaks to us and won’t let go. Le Freak does all that and much more. This is truly one of the best books ever written about art, music, life, and the way we grow to be exactly who we are. Actually, one of the best books period.”—Cameron Crowe “A coming-of-age tale every bit as impressive as the musical insights and star-time chronicles that follow.”—The New York Times Book Review “Consistently entertaining . . . His legacy as a funk-rock visionary is assured, and his autobiography serves as further proof that disco does not suck.”—San Francisco Chronicle “An unforgettable, gripping book.”—The Sunday Times (UK) “Name a star and you can bet they’re in this book, playing or partying with Rodgers. But far from being a succession of name-dropping anecdotes, this autobiography is a wonderfully funny, moving and wise reflection upon the important things in life: the people you love and the things you create.”—The Sunday Telegraph (UK) “Rodgers’s page-turning memoir is packed with emotionally charged vignettes of a tumultuous childhood and equally dramatic adulthood that found him awash in cash, cars, and celebrities. . . . His storytelling skills propel the reader through the book, making the ending all the more jarring. Remarkable for its candor, this rags-to-riches story is on the year’s shortlist of celebrity memoirs.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In "Coming to America"The untold truth about living and working in America as an immigrant, award-winning author Muchina, says it's time that someone finally told the biter truth about what it's like to live and work in America as an immigrant. Over a million people migrate to the United States every single year. What most of them don't know is that life in America is completely different from the America they see in the News or movies or American TV shows. In "Coming To America" Muchina talks directly to new immigrants as well as those planning on migrating to the United States in the future. With well-researched statistics and figures, he details the income of an average immigrant as well as the true cost of living and the sacrifices required in order to have a decent life while supporting family back home. Close to a million immigrants become undocumented every year. Muchina dedicates a few chapters to speak to those that may end up overstaying their visas or falling out of "Status" for various reasons. The challenges faced by undocumented immigrants are many, but millions of them find ways to get jobs, buy cars, rent apartments and even start their own businesses. The question is "How do they do it?" Those answers plus alternative documents the government makes available for undocumented people to open bank accounts and pay taxes to states that offer driver's licenses to undocumented residents; all found within the pages of this book In the final chapters of the book, Muchina shares his story of how his obsession with the pursuit of the American dream cost him everything he owned and nearly destroyed his life in the process. He tells his compelling poignant story as a warning to others whose desire to make a lot of money may lead them down the wrong paths with dire consequences. Mostly, with his deep understanding of how the American system works, he brings the wisdom of knowing "What not to do" as well as what aspects of life one must protect in order to build a decent and fulfilling life in America. In his own words, Muchina says 'This book is everything I wish someone had told me when I first came to America" So, If you're planning to migrate to America, this book will help you answer some of the most important questions you may have such as What are the 5 top myths about America? What are the top 5 mistakes most immigrants make? Is “The American Dream” possible for an immigrant? What will your host expect of you when you get to America? Where should you settle in and why? How are you expected to behave in America? How is America different from where you’re coming from? What are you going to love about the country and its culture? Will you be able to get a job? What kind of documents will you need to get a job? Will you be able to get work documents if you have a non-immigrant visa? Will you be allowed and able to get work if you have a non-immigrant visa? What happens if you overstay your visa? What kind of job will you be able to get as an immigrant? How much are you likely to get paid for what job? How much will it cost you to live in America? How much does housing cost? What can you or can’t you do? What kind of bills will you have to pay? What kind of taxes will you have to pay? How much money will you be able to earn per month? How much will you be able to save per month? If you wanted to start a business; could you? What kind of rights will you have as an immigrant? How do undocumented immigrants get jobs? What kind of work do undocumented immigrants do? What jobs pay better than others for immigrants? What rights do immigrants have? Do undocumented immigrants have any rights? What’s a social security number and why does everyone need one? What if you can’t get a social security number because of your immigration status? How do you get a driver’s license? If you go out of status, will you be able to get a driver’s license? Where can you get a driver’s license if you overstay your visa? What can you expect from friends and relatives when you move to America? How should you deal with relatives back home? What’s a FICO credit score and how does it determine your success or failure? What mistakes are you likely to make that could ruin your life in America? Will your foreign university degree get you a job in the United States? In part 4, you'll hear the story of the author, an immigrant whose life was nearly destroyed in America due to the lack of information such as found in this book. In his pursuit of the American dream, he made all the wrong mistakes, just like so many immigrants and citizens make. He hopes to spare you from the same fate so you have a chance to succeed and get yourself a piece of the American Dream.

Everyone may agree that America is still the greatest country in the world. However, some may also argue that America is in decline. We are confronting huge problems such as government gridlocks, budget deficits, national debt, loss of jobs, energy dependence, discrimination, terrorism, wastes and wars. This book helps us to identify all these and other problems, and offers solutions. But we must have serious dialogue and debate before we can offer viable and concrete solutions. It is my hope that this book will help us to reinvigorate these efforts so we, as citizens of this great nation, can reclaim our rights to help shape our own destiny. With this book, you will also be able to learn some basic Chinese characters, and get some advice on stock investment. For discussion of issues, please contact the author at http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcng

Coming To America is a realistic experience of early life in America from the very first day in the land of the free through the process of normalizing residency, desperate search for job, affordable apartment in a secured environment, acclimatizing with the four seasonal weathers and the actuality of becoming an American citizen. It is a well-documented chronology of the life of a family of five from Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa who migrated to the United States in 2011 on the platform of the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery program to liberate themselves from a raging economic storm, unsafe and chaotic environment and an unpredictable education for their children. Coming To America became a new beginning but a predictable and stable climb up to the dream of an accomplished life and the attainment of the American Dream.