A historical account of immigration to the United States since the arrival of the Mayflower, discussing reasons why various groups left their homelands, and dispelling myths behind some common prejudices toward immigrants. Contents include: The Rise of America, 1790-1820; The Irish Potato Famine, 1846-1850; China Comes to California; "Know-Nothings" and Other Problems; Ellis and Angel Islands; Jews Flee Pogroms and the Holocaust; Armenians Flee Genocide, Mexicans Escape Revolution; America Closes its Door, 1920s and 1930s; The World in Turmoil, 1930-1945; Cold War Refugees, 1945-1965; Cubans Flee Castro; The Continuing Haitian Refugee Crisis; Immigrant Doctors; Melting Pot or Quilt?, 1965-2003; Somalians Look for Freedom from Hunger and Terror; Desperate to Come to America; The Rise of Female Immigrants; Different Vietnamese-Americans Face Different Challenges; Combating Prejudice with Facts; Timeline; Some Famous U.S. Immigrants.