We Were Strangers Once, Too: An Immigrant Memoir Collection

by Shawn Adler (Editor)

Overview

Drawing from students across the entire city of Newark, New Jersey, "We Were Strangers Once, Too" is a first of its kind collaborative project in American educational history, a collection of 58 student stories centered around themes of immigration and identity.

Each individual story showcases a first-person account of a journey to the United States from one of America's most vulnerable voices, representing 24 countries, 5 continents, and told in over a dozen unique languages. These narratives provide a window into all aspects of life as an immigrant child in America, including a breathtaking series of individual stories that combine to take readers the complete way from South America to the border, through jungles and over rivers and under cover of night as gang members and police make hot pursuit.

100% of the profits from all book sales will be donated to student fund accounts at Science Park High School and Newark Public Schools, dedicated to providing resources for students who are experiencing food or financial insecurities.

"I'm inspired by the extraordinary Newark students who shared their stories of immigration with courage and vulnerability. Each journey reflects a conspiracy of love-loved ones and countless others seen and unseen propelling them towards a better future-and each journey speaks to the strength, beauty, and enduring promise of this great city." - Senator Cory Booker

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798341877054
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	01/23/2025
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Shawn Adler is a high school teacher of English and AP Psychology at Science Park High School in Newark, New Jersey. A firm believer in elevating the voices of vulnerable young people, Shawn has edited five volumes of student memoirs: The Class of COVID-19: Insights from the Inside, The Class of COVID-19: Second Wave, The Class of COVID-19: Unmasked, The Helpers, and We Were Strangers Once, Too, . These books have been featured on major news outlets like NBC News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine, and have been celebrated at every level of American government. In 2023, Shawn was named a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, a $1 million award of excellence called the "Nobel of Teaching." In 2024 he was a recipient of a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms award. Shawn believes deeply that the people with the best stories live the best lives. He is proud to serve so many students by helping them find and tell theirs.