The Ethnic Press: Shaping the American Dream

Millions of people have come to America seeking a different life than the one they had in their home country. The storied lives of these immigrants fill copious volumes of literature, each volume with its own interpretation of history. In documenting the history of immigrants in America through the lens of their newspapers, this groundbreaking book offers a new interpretation, illuminating how ethnic presses in America helped to shape the American Dream. Moreover, the book shows how the ethnic press continues to reshape this dream, as its function has changed from one of acculturation to assimilation to cultural pluralism targeted at the immigrant audience. The similarities between the newspapers, whether they were sojourner, political, religious, or literary in form, provide a fresh perspective on the shaping of the American Dream.