June is National Immigrant Heritage Month, a time to recognize and understand the rich histories, unique cultures, and considerable contributions of immigrants.
More than 40 percent of U.S. citizens can trace their ancestry to immigrants. For schools and libraries, this month is an opportunity to explore those stories through reading and to help students connect with their own identities and experiences that continue to shape America’s ongoing story.
Understanding Your Origins
Throughout civilization, people have used personal narratives, oral histories, and imagery and materials to share their immigration journey – and often those stories are carried across generations to remember where they came from.
People immigrate to the U.S. for a variety of reasons. From seeking safety from conflict in their home countries to pursuing new opportunities, each carries a truth about why they chose to call America home.
As of January 2025, there were over 50 million immigrants living in the United States. Our country is home to immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Canada, South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, among others. Knowing that nearly 1 in 4 children in the U.S. has at least one immigrant parent shows that millions of readers may or may not know their family’s origin story.
For educators and librarians, this creates an important opportunity:
- Provide access to diverse stories and perspectives
- Include bilingual and culturally relevant materials
- Help students build pride in their identity and heritage
Immigration as the Fabric of American History
Immigration has always been central to the American story. Even the Founding Fathers were the descendants of immigrants – hailing from England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and even the Caribbean – who considered themselves British subjects, the courage to seek independence, the promise of a better life, and the freedom to live equally amongst all mankind is quite American.
That shared thread remains intact, and one of the most powerful ways to explore it is through storytelling.
Podcasts to Explore
Here are a few podcasts that offer a window into the experiences of those who have immigrated to the U.S., past, present, and future, using that fabric as a guide. Add them to your playlist:
- Inadmissible: An exploration of U.S. immigration in an effort to uncover how it works and how it impacts the lives of people who have shared their story on the podcast.
- An Immigrant’s Life: A storytelling podcast about immigration’s impact on people.
- Modern Immigrant: A space for open discussion and communication about unique immigration stories.
- Immigrantly: A weekly podcast hosted by Saadia Khan in conversations with guests who have diverse voices and extraordinary cultural stories.
- Feet In 2 Worlds: A podcast telling the stories of today’s immigrants, including the impact of climate change, COVID-19, and elections on immigrant communities.
- Immigration Nerds: A weekly conversation with industry leaders covering trends in business, culture, technology, and politics at the intersection of global immigration.
Lean Into Learning Resources from AASL
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) offers free resources for professional learning and learner engagement during National Immigrant Heritage Month, including community resources, lesson ideas, and additional recommendations for class curriculum and programming. Here are a few we encourage you to explore:
- From Immigration to Sexuality and Beyond: “Include” Graphic Novels to “Explore”
- New American Programming Ideas from Programming Librarian
- Immigration History: Lesson Plans
- The Welcoming Library from I’m Your Neighbor
Recommended Reads by Age Group
Several authors have contributed to the sharing and honoring of immigrants' journeys, lived experiences, and rich histories. Here are a few essential reads to get started:
Children
Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn and Victo Ngai
- Van and Ngai created this children’s book inspired by actual events in their lives. The powerful story chronicles a Vietnamese family’s journey on a crowded boat, carrying what they could, headed to a new, unknown place.
Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim
- This award-winning picture book from Méndez and Kim beautifully captures what happens to a little girl struggling to answer a question many who are different have been asked. It’s her abuelo who helps her realize she belongs.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
- Yang’s novel drops you into the life of Mia Tang, a 10-year-old who lives in a motel where her immigrant parents work cleaning rooms. From helping her parents hide immigrants from the motel owner to dreaming of becoming a writer one day, this emphasizes the importance of courage, kindness, and hard work.
Teen
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
- Warga’s award-winning lyrical novel follows Jude, a Syrian girl, who has to leave behind her father and brother to live in Cincinnati with her mother and other relatives. From being labeled “Middle Eastern” to new friendships, Jude discovers America might be a home for her, too.
The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz
- Diaz’s book is inspired by true events and tells the story of 12-year-old Jamie and his cousin's journey from Guatemala to New Mexico. With fear that a powerful gang will target him following the death of another cousin, Miguel, fleeing home is Jamie’s only choice.
Home of the Brave: 15 Immigrants Who Shaped U.S. History by Brooke Khan
- Khan’s illustrated history book brings 15 immigrant stories to life for children, including Mexican-American Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana, Chilean-American magic realist writer Isabel Allende, Bavarian-born entrepreneur and founder of Levi Strauss & Co., Levi Strauss, and others who contributed to American life, history, and culture.
Young Adult
Illegal by Eoin Colfer
- New York Times bestselling author Colfer explores the plight of undocumented immigrants in this multi-award-winning graphic novel.
The Sun is also a Star by Nicole Yoon
- Yoon’s #1 New York Times Bestselling YA fiction novel tells the story of Jamaican immigrant, Natasha, and Korean-American born, Daniel, who fall in love one day in NYC during complexities in their lives.
Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, Newcomers, and Our Future by Jessica Lander
- Lander’s book explores immigrant education across the U.S. through historical moments, current experiments to improve it, and the lived experiences of immigrant students.
Adult
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
- The daughter of Cypriot refugees, Lefteri’s novel tells the story of Nuri and Afra, a fictional couple who flee the Syrian war through Turkey and Greece enroute to family in Britain. Through gentleness and beautiful imagery, the couple’s journey does not shy away from individual and systematic atrocities they experience along the way.
Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind by Loung Ung
- Ung’s memoir shares the story of her own adjustment to living in the U.S. after escaping genocide in Cambodia – only, her sister, Chou, is left behind. A truly heartbreaking journey to reunification and how unbreakable family love and bonds are.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- Diaz, a Dominican-American author, chronicles the life of Oscar de León in this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Oscar is a Dominican boy growing up in Paterson, NJ, obsessed with sci-fi, fantasy, and love – but his story is narrated by his college roommate, Yunior de Las Casas.
Comics & Manga Spotlight on Comics Plus
Comics, manga, and graphic novels are powerful ways to engage a wide range of readers, especially those who may not gravitate toward traditional books.
With Comics Plus® readers can explore thousands of titles for National Immigrant Heritage Month. Here are a few selections from our Elementary, Middle, and High School collections:
Children
- Paper Son: Lee's Journey to America by Helen Foster James, Virginia Shin-Mui Loh, and Wilson Ong (Cherry Lake Publishing Group)
- The Color Collector by Nicholas Solis and Renia Metallinou (Cherry Lake Publishing Group)
- Isabel and Her Colores Go to School by Alexandra Alessandri and Courtney Dawson (Cherry Lake Publishing Group)
Teen
- Cartoon Nation: U.S. Immigration by Liam O'Donnell and Charles Barnett III (Capstone)
- Cartoon Nation: Citizenship by Jason Skog and Kelly Brown (Capstone)
Young Adult
- La Cucaracha by Lalo Alcaraz (Andrews McMeel)
- Una historia más: Un relato gráfico de migración by Ernesto Saade (Lerner)
- LaGuardia Deluxe Edition by Nnedi Okorafor, James Devlin, Karen Berger, and Tana Ford (Dark Horse)
- Drawn to Berlin by Ali Fitzgerald (Fantagraphics)
- Hakim's Odyssey: Book 1 - From Syria to Turkey by Fabien Toulmé (Graphic Mundi)
Adult
- Illustrating Spain in the US by Ana Merino (Fantagraphics)
- Refuge by Bill Campbell and Lois Netter (Rosarium)
Bring It to Life with a Reading Challenge
All of these stories and resources can come together in a meaningful way through a reading challenge.
A reading challenge helps:
- Build engagement
- Encourage exploration of diverse perspectives
- Create a shared experience across your community
With Beanstack, it’s easy to create and manage reading challenges for:
- Classrooms
- Grade levels
- Entire schools or communities
You can even extend the impact by running a summer reading challenge, helping readers stay engaged, learning, and growing.
Ready to Get Started?
National Immigrant Heritage Month is a powerful opportunity to celebrate identity, culture, and storytelling through reading.
Ready to bring it to life in your school or library? Reach out today, and build a more inclusive, vibrant reading culture.
