Crossing the BLVD: Strangers, Neighbors and Aliens in a New America

edited by Warren Lehrer & Judith Sloan
(Norton)

Queens, a part of New York City, is the most ethnically diverse community in the country. Over a period of three years, from 1999 to 2002, editors Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan collected stories from a sampling of the borough's two million residents. The result is this book, a much-needed tribute to the people, most of them immigrants, who make Queens such a culturally rich locale. Their stories are wide and varied, and the words of the storytellers are, for the most part, kept intact. Crossing the BLVD is also visually engaging. There are numerous photographs, pieces of artwork, maps, and other visuals. This compilation of contextualized oral histories is a useful book for students in learning about immigrants to the United States, and about the rich tapestry of urban life.