Books To Amplify Immigrant Voices in America

June 11, 2025. Heartbreak. Escalation. Ruthlessness. Children being taken out of foster care... ICE agents showing up to elementary school graduations...teenagers being picked up while buying groceries, and "lost" for three days...There are moments where I feel frozen, stuck in the proverbial quicksand we were so afriad of in the '90s. Other moments I want to be loud and scream. My mama heart is broken seeing these families torn apart. Today, I settled on sharing books to amplify the immigrant experience in my home and my office.

You Weren't With Me

by Chandra Ghosh Ippen (Author) and Erich Ippen, Jr. (Illustrator)

Maria Mariposa

by Karla Arenas Valenti (Author) and Ana Ramirez Gonzalez (Illsutrator)

What Is A Refugee?

by Elise Gravel (Author)

The Day You Begin

by Jacqueline Woodson (Author) and Rafael Lopez (Illustrator)

I Is For Immigrants

by Selina Alko (Author and Illustrator)

To The Other Side

by Erika Meza (Author and Illustrator)

Danbi Leads the School Parade

by Anna Kim (Author)

A Thousand White Butterflies

by Jessica Bentacourt-Perez (Author), Karen Lynn Williams (Author), and Gina Maldonado

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi (Author and Illustrator)

Carmela Full of Wishes

by Matt de la Pena (Author) and Christian Robinson (Illustrator)

The Wall in the Middle of the Book

 by John Agee (Author and Illustrator)

Two White Rabbits

by Jairo Buitrago (Author) and Rafael Yockteng (Illustrator)

Dreamers

by Yuyi Morales (Author)

The Home We Make

by Maham Khwaja (Author) and Daby Zainab Faidi (Illustrator)

Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation

by Edwidge Danticat (Author) and Leslie Staub (Illustrator)

The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story

by Aya Khalil (Author) and Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)

We Came to America

by Faith Ringgold (Author)

The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness From the Border

By Stephen Briseño (Author), Magdalena Mora (Illustrator)

Watch Me: A Story of Immigration and Inspiration

By Doyin Richards (Author) and Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card

by Sara Saedi (Author)

Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town

by Warren St. John (Author)

The Grief Keeper

by Alexandra Villasante (Author)

We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults

by Susan Kuklin (Author and Illustrator) 

Dear America: Young Readers' Edition 

by Jose Antonio Vargas (Author)

Enrique's Journey (the Young Adult Adaptation) 

by Sonia Nazario (Author)

Remember, there are more ways to protest, than heading to the streets:

• Share personal stories and testimonials: Write letters or participate in interviews to publicly share the impact of ICE policies on your family and community. This can raise awareness and generate support.

• Advocacy and community organizing: Join or form groups dedicated to immigrant rights advocacy, such as MomsRising. Help provide a platform to educate and mobilize support for immigrant families.

• Support families affected by ICE actions: Provide practical support, such as financial assistance, legal aid, or childcare, to families impacted by ICE enforcement to make a tangible difference in their lives.

• Contact elected officials: Write to or call representatives to express your concerns about ICE policies and advocate for changes to influence policy decisions.

• Use online platforms: Sign petitions, join online advocacy campaigns, and share information on social media to help amplify voices and mobilize support.

• Support legal organizations: Donate to or volunteer with organizations that provide legal defense and support to immigrants facing detention and deportation to help ensure access to due process. Possible organizations include: Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Amnesty International, USA, and The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

• Educate yourself and others: Learn about immigration policies and their impact on communities to empower yourself to engage in informed advocacy and organizing.

If you are a mother, parent, caregiver, teacher, neighbor, remember, you are in charge of what you allow into your space. What is already happening? Where you can look and say "that is what I want", and "that is what I want to create"? Starting at home and in your community, you can make this world a more loving place.

If you need an example of hope, know that protesters and clergy members have placed flowers at the feet of California National Guardsmen stationed outside federal buildings in Los Angeles, California. While things are most likely going to get much worse before they get better, we can make sure we are balacing what is coming into our hearts and minds.

"Joy is an act of resistance" - Toi Derricotte

-Dr. Sarah