Search -
The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness and Hope
The Immigrant Advantage What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health Happiness and Hope Author:Claudia Kolker From an award-winning journalist comes a fascinating exploration of the life-enhancing customs that immigrant groups have brought with them to the U.S. and of how we can all improve our lives by adapting them. With the subject of immigration hotly debated across the nation, one journalist offers a unique perspective on the subject. Claudia Kolke... more »r takes us into immigrant communities from a range of cultures, from Mexican to Jamaican and South Asian, to introduce us to a set of fascinating customs that enrich the lives of many in those communities and can make life more enjoyable?and even healthier?for us all. According to ?the immigrant paradox,? discovered by social scientists, first generation immigrants in the U.S. tend to be healthier than the average American. As Kolker discovered during her extensive research, the customs they bring with them may be one reason for this. The Immigrant Advantage details seven of these, including Vietnamese money clubs, Mexican cuarentenas (a forty day period of rest for new mothers after childbirth), Vietnamese monthly rice allotments (a service that provides individuals and families with hot meals delivered right to their doors every night), and Jamaican multigenerational households, which offer appealing solutions to issues we all face, whether it?s how to save more money, make time for a home-cooked meal, or afford college. Taking us into the living rooms, kitchens, restaurants, and neighborhoods of specific communities across the country?from Chicago to Houston to Nashville?and introducing us to an array of diverse and meaningful customs with rich detail and a personal touch, even trying many of them herself, Kolker presents journalism at its best, educating readers with stories that engage their curiosity and enrich their lives.« less