Finding Refuge: Real-Life Immigration Stories from Young People

Gr 6 Up–As an ESL teacher working with new refugees and immigrants, Rouse shares the stories of more than 30 young students from all over the world whose families have sought a life away from conflict. These entries are the direct accounts of some of Rouse’s former students who share their early childhood and “Coming to America” stories, including the difficulties, motivations for coming, and the state of their lives since arriving in Spokane, WA. Organized by region, each chapter contains one or two accounts from students who left there. Throughout the book, readers will learn about the different reasons a person may choose to leave home, including war, religious or political persecution, or gang- or drug-related violence, among others. Many of these stories were not edited strongly, in order to preserve the authenticity of each narrative; there are occasional areas of awkward wording. Back matter includes source notes, suggestions for further reading from books and articles, a list of organizations that work for and with refugees and immigrants, and a broad index.