Immigration, Immigrants & Refugees: Encyclopedias

These two-volumes are the key to opening the door to the immigrant experience in the United States. This set covers 161 nonindigenous cultural groups currently living in the United States. It discusses both European groups that have been components of American culture for centuries and those groups who arrived in the twentieth century and are therefore less assimilated and more culturally distinct. From the Acadians to the Zoroastrians, it discusses the unique cultural characteristics of each group including detailed immigration and settlement histories, language, economic patterns, housing, religion, marriage, family and kinship, relations with other ethnic groups, as well as discrimination experienced by the group.

Published with the cooperation of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights, this standard reference collects information on every important development in the field of human rights that occurred between 1945, when the UN Charter entered into force, and June 30, 1990 (a few later events are covered, such as the UN Security Council action immediately following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait). The materials, which are presented objectively and with a minimum of editorial comment, include the complete texts of some 200 international and regional treaties; reports on general and specialized subjects, such as health care, the environment, the rights of children, women, minorities, indigenous peoples; special conventions and declarations on such subjects as apartheid and terrorism; an overview of the rights situation in more than 150 countries, and information on about 130 non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

In this encyclopedia, Bakken (California State U. at Fullerton) and Kindell (Iowa State U.) seek to provide broad coverage of the major historical, economic, and demographic issues of immigration and migration in the American West, from the arrival of the Native Americans to the present time. A little over 100 entries touch upon the key themes of American Indians, biography, cities and towns, economic change and war, ethnic and racial groups, immigration laws and policies, libraries, natural resources and events and laws, and the way west. The choice of material can sometimes seem a little arbitrary, for instance the entries on cities and towns provide much discussion of California and Montana communities and not one town in Oregon, but the text also includes many topics that are neglected in other works, such as the Iran-Iraq War and the migration of Iranian youth to California, Basque Americans, and the forced migration of anarchists. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Covering the history of Japanese experience in the Western Hemisphere, separate chapters are provided for Japanese descendants in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and the United States. Each chapter contains a historical overview, a bibliographic essay of the Japanese life in the new country, and annotated bibliography, and supplementary data such as demographic statistics and maps. Also included is a similarly organized chapter on Japanese migration in general. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Thoroughly updated, re-written, and revised, this new edition of the 1985 standard work provides nearly 6,000 A-Z entries on the global body that has proved to be one of the great achievements of the twentieth century, and sheds light on its latest aims and initiatives at the start of the new millennium. The most in-depth reference of its kind, this work demystifies the vast universe of U.N. groups, causes and activities. The intensively revised articles explain essential concepts and philosophies, the role of the U.N. in international law and finance, the missions and accomplishments of non-governmental organizations [NGOs], and the galaxy of committees that work within this massive institution. In addition, readers will find an all-new set of entries on peace-keeping activities, and full coverage of every international treaty since the founding of the League of Nations, with generous quotations or full text for all key treaties, conventions, pacts, protocols, and declarations.

Alphabetical entries cover the institutions, policies, procedures, and historic personalities associated with the United Nations, and include information on the role of the United Nations in major world events.

Maddex, a lawyer and author, includes entries for some 150 concepts and terms, 100 documents, 45 agencies and organizations, and 46 individuals. He uses icons at the end of each entry to highlight sources of information and assistance, e-mail address and Web sites, documents (including national constitutions and laws, international and regional declarations, agreements, standards, rules, and guidelines), court decisions and other legal judgements, further reading, and related entries. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Archibishop Desmond Tutu provide forewords. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR