20 Underrated Yet Powerful Books About Immigrants And Identity

Immigrants comprise a growing population in countries across America, Europe, and Oceania. This significant number challenges commonly stable notions of identity and belongingness, with the involved population getting the short end of the stick.

Now more than ever, there is a need for people to empathize with immigrants and refugees. With the growing number of controversies, they must see that people stand with them, hear and see their struggles, and are one with them in finding the strength to overcome these problems.

A way to do this is by honoring their experiences through books about immigrants. These materials highlight how they grapple with acceptance, inclusivity, and the likes, which will not only help readers understand them but also reflect on themselves. They’re also a means of showcasing stories of resilience, inspiring people to appreciate and mirror the lives they’ve led.

Overall, books about immigrants aren’t only a reflection of humanity and its capacity to empathize. Instead, they’re a celebration of these individuals, their uniqueness, and the significance they have.

Beyond the Bestsellers: Hidden Books About Immigrants

Immigrant stories can come from different countries. Told by people who left their origins to fend for themselves elsewhere, these tales reflect their diverse voices and experiences. Today’s list will be grouped by region, highlighting the expanse of their presence.

If you’re interested in reading about the concepts of immigration and identity, these books are perfect for your shelves. You probably haven’t heard of them, but the moment you go through each, you will realize why the article’s titled this way.

Stories from the Americas

As one of the most significant populations of immigrants and, perhaps, the worst demeanor towards them, these immigrant stories will make readers reflect on their morals and beliefs.

1. Echoes of the Tides by Adelina C. da Silva

If you’re fond of powerful and emotional poetry, this book is right for you. Echoes of the Tides by Adelina C. da Silva captures the experiences of immigrants through imaginative and creative prose, each depicting their struggles and triumphs. It highlights the changes these individuals experience and how their identity, history, and memories still echo through their new story unfolding.

2. Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat

Numerous books about immigrants exist, but most can’t be as moving and tear-jerking as this. Brother, I’m Dying is a heartfelt memoir on family separation, immigration, and the Haitian-American experience. Weaving intimate personal experiences and politics, the book is a refreshing commentary on the reality these immigrants face today.

3. The Book of Unknown Americans by
Cristina Henriquez

Books about immigrants can’t be written without highlighting their resilience, as in Cristina’s The Book of Unknown Americans. As the title posits, the book offers its pages to amplify the voices of Latin American immigrants who are living anew in the US. It dabbles into the concepts of love, loss, and resilience, focusing on people sharing an apartment complex.

4. The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea

This book is as factual and real as it gets, as it follows the lives of 26 men who tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. With only 12 surviving until the end, The Devil’s Highway captures how brutal “freedom” can feel to these individuals. It reflects the harsh truths behind immigration and belonging that these individuals will likely experience.

5. Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

A story of immigrants, resilience, and a brave, queer coming-of-age, Juliet Takes a Breath opens readers’ eyes into the numerous societal issues the world is facing. The tale, revolving around identity, feminism, and family, aims to expand readers’ perspectives and emotional clarity on these concepts.

Stories from Asia and the Middle East

These regions are more inclusive and understanding than the rest. However, this doesn’t discredit the challenges immigrants still experience in their lands.

6. A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar

This is a funny coming-of-age narrative about a girl who grew up between Egypt, Kuwait, and Texas. It tackles cultural and identity confusion and rebellion, taking readers along a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

7. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by
Mohsin Hamid

Books about immigrants delve into a sensitive and controversial topic, but this doesn’t stop most authors from being humorous about it. Mohsin Hamid is one of those. His book is a satirical narrative about poverty and migration to the city in pursuit of success. It blatantly critiques capitalism and classism in a way that readers will have a good laugh about them.

8. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

As the title suggests, this book follows a Bengali-American boy who struggles in life due to the weight his name has. It discusses cultural expectations, tradition, and the desire for individuality within immigrant families.

9. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

This novel takes readers to early 20th-century America through the collective story of Japanese picture brides. It provides a beautiful lyrical narrative blending unity and traditional erasure.

10. American Panda by Gloria Chao

This is one of those books about immigration that young adults would greatly appreciate. It follows a Taiwanese-American teen who juggles not only seeking and achieving her dreams but also cultural expectations and parental pressure.

Stories About Fearlessness in the Young Adult Space

Although these books don’t necessarily center on narratives of people from certain countries and regions, they still offer significant insights about the lives of immigrants. Told from the perspectives of young adults, these stories aren’t only refreshing and relatable.

11. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

This book follows a Korean-American teenager who fakes a relationship to appease family expectations—only to fall in love for real. It’s one of those immigrant stories that capture how messy life can be as an immigrant in terms of romance and choices.

12. Internment by Samira Ahmed

Samira Ahmed’s dystopian story follows Muslim Americans who are placed in internment camps. Although a fictional narrative, it gives off a chilling warning about the truths of political propaganda and immigration.

13. Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Told by a 12-year-old Iranian refugee, Everything Sad Is Untrue is a refreshing take on this cruel reality. It’s a memoir-like narrative that balances truth and myth, memory and fictional storytelling.

14. American Street by Ibi Zoboi

As reflected in the title, American Street tells the story of a Haitian girl who must navigate and survive the harsh Detroit streets alone. Zoboi’s story blends realism with gritty reality, exploring identity and empowerment.

15. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

This is another immigrant story mixed with romance. The book follows a soon-to-be-deported Jamaican girl who meets a Korean-American boy and falls in love. It tells the truth about immigrant romance, mixed with the concepts of fate, identity, and choice.

Literary Gems to Dig Into

The next stores are a mixture of fiction and reality, capturing the nitty-gritty of immigration and identity. This collection features less well-known writers whose influence and messages deserve to be amplified for others to hear.

16. The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives

This book features essays written by displaced writers worldwide, offering glimpses into immigrants’ lives. Each piece reflects how they live through conflict, migration, and hope.

17. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu

This follows an Ethiopian immigrant who runs a grocery store in Washington, D.C. It reflects the loneliness, memory, and nostalgia of a homeland left behind.

18. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Another masterpiece by this author, Exit West, is a love story unfolding when a couple flees their war-torn country through magical doors. It’s fantasy mixed with the harsh reality of global migration.

19. Call Me American by Abdi Nor Iftin

This memoir follows the author’s journey after he left Somalia, risking everything to get into the United States. His story chronicles his adventures from war-torn Mogadishu to Maine.

20. Borderline by Mishell Baker

Baker writes an exciting urban fantasy novel in Borderline. It’s about a mentally ill woman who gets recruited to police magical beings. Beyond a story about immigrants, it touches on themes of mental health and disability in this space.

Let These Stories Stay With You

Empathy isn’t about similarity. Instead, it’s about connection. The books above will invite you into unfamiliar worlds and expose you to unfamiliar experiences, broadening not only your understanding of the world but also your heart and mind.

Give these voices a place on your shelf and weave them into your conversations. Start with the first on the list: Adelina C. da Silva’s book, Echoes of the Tides. Grab a copy of it today!