Mission
I’m Your Neighbor Books strives to build a stronger America, one where immigrants are welcomed and where first-through-third-generation Americans truly belong.
We facilitate deep engagement with the children’s books that represent our New Arrival and New American communities. By curating, loaning, and gifting these diverse titles with educational materials, we:
* Start conversations on modern immigration
* Refute false narratives about communities of color
* Create emotional connections to a vast diversity of voices
* Share the joy and strength of immigrant and new generation families
* Build the cultural competency of all readers
* Lay the groundwork for cross-cultural communication
Method
What happens when we read and share immigration literature?
Long-Term Citizens develop empathy, cultural competency, and a willingness to welcome.
Immigrants — 3rd Generation Americans develop a crucial sense of belonging in our schools and communities.
Why children’s books?
Children’s literature is accessible to people of all ages and most English language abilities. The artwork in many children’s book further increases that reading accessibility and the ability to relate to the character.
Projects
Welcoming Libraries are touring collections of New Arrival and New American picture books. Highlighted in a pop-up display unit, the books have embedded discussion questions written by I’m Your Neighbor Books. These questions help people of all ages and backgrounds have conversations on immigration, welcoming, and belonging.
New Arrival / New American Children’s Books are uniquely catalogued by I’m Your Neighbor Books. Schools, libraries, community groups, and readers can locate books based on the communities they represent or their theme. We also help curate book collections based on a community’s populations and needs.
Rapid Response Book Boxes are single titles or book collections sent to schools, libraries, or individual readers to provide supportive and true narratives when hurtful and false narratives about immigrants and first-third generation Americans arise.