The stories in this book are the firsthand accounts of the last surviving original immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island’s mythical Golden Door. The immigrants describe in detail the life they left behind - why they emigrated, what they endured in coming here, and what became of them after their arrival in the New World. This book is a testament to their courage and conviction, a final opportunity to capture on record a crucial piece of America’s past before it is lost forever.According to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, "more than 40 percent of the U.S.population, or over 100 million Americans, can trace their roots to an ancestor who came through Ellis Island.” Celebrities such as Bob Hope, Rudolph Valentino, Otto Preminger, and Abraham Beame make up their ranks, as do the unsung heroes all, who weathered the crossing to gain a new life. Open a window on the past and relive the experience with the immigrants themselves, as they take you on a journey to America as they remember it – in their own words.

Ellis Island Interviews

History

Coan, Peter Morton

Americas

Facts On File, Incorporated

He was one of the most beloved performers in music history, a spokesman of the people and poet laureate to cab drivers, housewives, and commonfolk alike.
Taxi is the definitive biography of Harry Chapin, written by his long-time friend and confidant.
Chapin was an unsung hero, a modern-day Woody Guthrie. The recognition due him was late in coming. Awards are being given to Chapin in his death that he should have received while he lived. His music, his beliefs, and his social activism are finally being appreciated.
Most of the world will remember Chapin for the "Story Song; ' the musical genre he popularized in one of his most famous songs, "Taxi". His unique appeal could be felt in concerts, for it was there that the real and dynamic Chopin emerged. His penchant for audience participation was his trademark.
His performances often ended with tumultuous standing ovations; when the audience quieted down Chapin would stand center stage and give a short speech about his commitments. Often people drove hundreds of miles to hear him, making him one of the highest paid performers in the world.
Even so, due to his selfless humanity and indefatigable interest in social causes, Chapin did not leave much money behind when he died. His involvement with world hunger helped spur widespread interest. He lobbied in Congress to endorse a Presidential Commission on world hunger. It was no coincidence that after his death 30 congressmen and 10 senators rose on the floor of the House to offer eulogies.
Ironically it was the automobile, the very thing that made him famous in the song"Taxi, "which took his life. He died on the Long Island Expressway when his car burst into flames after being hit by a truck.
"The immediate response to Chapin's death in the media and among his fans was truly overwhelming, ' wrote David Marsh of Rolling Stone. "It was as if he reached out and touched lives in a permanent and irrevocable way", HIS albums sold out in record stores. Throughout the

Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story

Humor & Entertainment

LYLE STUART +

This book offers a balanced, poignant, and often moving portrait of America's immigrants over more than a century. The author has organized the book by decades so that readers can easily find the time period most relevant to their experience or that of family members. The first part covers the Ellis Island era, the second part America's new immigrants-from the closing of Ellis Island in 1955 to the present. Also included is a comprehensive appendix of statistics showing immigration by country and decade from 1890 to the present, a complete list of famous immigrants, and much more. This rewarding, engrossing volume documents the diverse mosaic of America in the words of the people from many lands, who for more than a century have made our country what it is today. It distills the larger, hot-topic issue of national immigration down to the personal level of the lives of those who actually lived it.

Toward A Better Life: America's New Immigrants in Their Own Words From Ellis Island to the Present

Prometheus

The Last Baby Boomer

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Independently published

FINDING MARTHA

Parenting & Relationships

Adoption

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Books by Coan, Peter Morton