We Have All Been the "Others": Reflections of a First-Generation's Daughter on Belonging, Democracy, and a New American Dream, by Patricia J. Marino (Print edition)

In this unique memoir-through-a-larger-American-historical-lens, with relatable appeal to anyone whose family came to America from elsewhere (i.e., almost all of us), the author takes a loving yet clear-eyed look at what we’re doing wrong in light of the original promise of the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, and how we can set things right so as to—in the words of Langston Hughes—“let America be America again.” Includes an invitation to readers to participate in “revisioning a new America.”

“Once in a great while, there comes a book that speaks accessibly, powerfully, and humanely to a crucial issue of the time. We Have All Been the ‘Others’ is that book for our time. A relatable memoir that vividly recounts what it was like to grow up as an Italian immigrant family in Chicago and a compelling, clear-eyed reflection on racial division in America, this book both holds up a mirror to what is unlovely and hateful in our common history, and helps us simultaneously to see and fashion a redemptive path. Deeply researched, laced with humor, propelled by winsome narrative, this daughter’s nuanced tribute to her larger-than-life father compels us to remember the commonalities, both good and bad, that bind us as families, communities, and citizens. And at a time when our country appears relentlessly polarized. We Have All Been the ‘Others’ regenerates hope and offers practical pathways for empathetic living in a diverse world.” —Glynda A. Hull, Elizabeth H. and Eugene A. Shurtleff Chair; Faculty Director, Undergraduate Studies, and Center for Teaching and Learning School of Education, University of California, Berkeley