Immigrant Politics and the Public Library

This compilation is an examination of the anti-immigrant movement of the late 20th century, focusing on California where the nativist movement was most dramatically played out in the passage of numerous anti-immigrant measures and where immigrant populations were large and growing. The causes of this movement, including underlying psychological issues, globalization, racism, and cyber segmentation, are discussed. The book explores the impact of the nativist movement on public library usage among Latino and Asian immigrants. The activism of concerned librarians within the California Library Association to defend the rights of immigrant library users after the passage of Proposition 187 is documented.