Who Belongs Here?: An American Story

by Margy Burns Knight, Anne Sibley O'Brien (Illustrations)

In this probing, plain-spoken book, based on a true story, Margy Burns Knight and Anne Sibley O'Brien, author and illustrator of the acclaimed "Talking Walls," invite young readers to explore the human implications of intolerance. Anecdotes relating the experiences of other refugees and their contributions to American culture play counterpoint to Nary's tale, all enlivened by O'Brien's full-color pastels. A compendium at the end of the book offers more detailed information about Pol, Pot, Ellis Island, and other topics in this text.


Who Belongs Here? will lead to discussions about



The effects of war on children and families
Refugees and relocation processes in the U.S.Cambodian culture
U.S. History and attitudes towards immigration
Bullying and intolerance
Conflict-resolution skills

Lexile Level 1040


Fountas and Pinnell Level W

Genres: Picture Books, Immigration, Childrens, History, Nonfiction, Family, Cultural

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those books whose didactic purpose really resonates with me, but which falls short in other areas, Who Belongs Here? is a picture-book with a dual narrative, following the true-life tale of a young Cambodian-American immigrant, while also presenting information about the history of immigration in the United States. The story of Nary, who, together with his grandmother and Uncle Savy, manages to escape the murderous Khmer Rouge, finding his way to a refugee camp in Thailand, and then to America, is juxtaposed with passages discussing everything from Ellis Island to the United Farm Workers.

Unfortunately, this structure doesn't always work so well. Although obviously intended to reinforce the personal story being presented with general historical knowledge, its effect was one of dividing the reader's attention, making each component weaker. I felt that Nary's journey was strong enough of a story to stand on its own, and that the informational asides could have been presented in an appendix at the rear. I was impressed that Knight discussed the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the American form of government (adult readers interested in this subject should examine Donald Grinde's excellent The Iroquois and the Founding of the American Nation ), but appalled to see that she listed potatoes amongst the food crops brought to the Americas! How on earth did that get past an editor? And what other mistakes didn't I catch?

A book with a good purpose - teaching respect for diversity, and for our fellow immigrants - and appealing illustrations, Who Belongs Here? nevertheless had some serious weaknesses. I can see that it might be useful in a classroom setting, if a teacher is involved in the reading (and able to correct that odd error concerning the potato!), but sadly, it isn't one I would highly recommend.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, there’s not much poetic about this book. It starts off as though it will be a storybook but quickly changes into a non-fiction text type book; the way it all fit together seemed a bit incongruous to me. It’s based on true stories and contains valuable information for children about respecting diversity and the evils of intolerance. The book is about the long history of immigration into the United States by many different peoples and how they sometimes have had difficulty being fully accepted. I was gratified to see brief mention (too short) about the Native Americans who lived and continue to live in the U.S. and farther along the story mentions made of the Iroquois Confederation. The text does not flow smoothly throughout the book. I’m not sure if the book tried to do too much or communicated too little. I do recommend it though for its message and the information given about U.S. being a land of immigrants and for the story that starts off the book. I enjoyed the illustrations and appreciated how their tone changed to fit each page of text.

[Ferdye Bamaca-forkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would work as a great discussion stimulator with older elementary school children. The fictional story of Nary, a young Cambodian refugee, is mixed with facts about immigration, citizenship, and other cultures. Young students may not be able to make the jump required to connect the story with the facts with the illustrations, but older students should not have a problem with this. The overall effect, though, is of disconnectedness. The story is an important one with themes teachers may want to use in their classrooms like immigration, multiculturalism, racism, tolerance, and refugees.

[Set · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true story of a Cambodian refugee to America, fleeing from the violence in his country. It starts off as a story and quickly becomes informative about the early days of America and the process of becoming an American Citizen. They speak about how the Irish had "sponsors" to come to America but failed to explain that the Irish became indentured slaves for years to pay off the debt. The Irish were very discriminated when they first arrived here, as were the Italians.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Brittany for lend it to me tonight!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more relevant now than it was first written, this story of a boy who leaves behind his homeland to settle in the United States is poignant and troubling. Nary and his family were forced to leave Cambodia because of the violence in the country. The boy suffered many losses and was confused as he had to live in a refugee camp in Thailand before finally relocating here. But all is not perfect. Even though he had hoped to be accepted, Nary experiences bullying and unfriendly comments that don't make him feel welcome or as though he belongs here. Alongside Nary's story, the author poses questions about who belongs in this country and just how few of the nation's citizens are not immigrants or their descendants. There are also sidebars next to his story that credit the U.S. Constitution, in part, to the Iroquois's Great Law of Peace. The questions raised in this book are important ones to consider as our nation once again faces issues surrounding immigration and immigration laws, and the back matter provides additional information about the events and individuals referred to in the text. There is even a section that focuses on terms associated with immigration. Some of the softly-colored images show scenes of violence and fear while others celebrate the nation's rich diversity. Unquestionably, after reading the book, many students will have questions about immigration policies and might want to discuss their own family's journey to this country. It is interesting to consider how many of us or our own families might have been allowed into these portals if the migration had been occurring today. This book offers an excellent starting place to explore important questions about who is allowed into this country and who is denied access and why.

[Sasha Harriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story tells the journey of Nary, a young boy from Cambodia. Nary leaves Cambodia because of a war and finds safety in the United States. This book shares his experience as he matriculates into the American school system. Some of his classmates felt it was better for him to return to his home and leave the country. This text goes deeper into immigration and discusses the impact that immigrants have made on America. How would America be if every immigrant left the land? This text allows scholars to look at immigration as a whole and understand it’s importance and how it has shaped America into how it is. It allows them to analyze immigration on a deeper level than just the surface on thinking how much someone is different from them within a classroom, which can lead to a critical thought proving discussion.

[Claire Clayborn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grade Level/Interest Interest Level Grades 3 - 5
Reading Level: 900L (5th)
Main Characters: Nary
POV: First Person (Nary)



The book is about the long history of immigration into the United States by many different peoples and how they sometimes have had difficulty being fully accepted. It is narrated by a young boy named Nary, a Cambodian refugee who has just moved to America. The text does not flow smoothly throughout the book. For that reason I would not use it in the classroom, unless I choose to only give the students the factual information presented in the text. In that instance, we would not read the entire book, instead just pull out certain pieces.

[Caitlin Bonde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book has a great massage - it is narrated by a young boy named Nary, a Cambodian refugee who has just moved to America. It has a story plot that is fictional, but also includes true historic facts that relate to the passage. Although this story has a great message and is information, I found it a little confusing. The story kind of skips around and sometimes I felt it didn't connect properly.

[Marilea Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story! Also great to see how a young boy can make a difference in the attitudes of his peers. I would keep this book in the classroom library and have it hand for if there is a case of bullying due to cultural differences, I would also use it if doing a Social Studies lesson about Cambodia or about the diversity that is found in America.

[Alesha Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a cambodian little boy named Nary, who.is a refugee. This would be a great book to read to student in Social Studies. Children would learn more about the history of immigration. Also, children would become familiar with what it feels like to be an immigrant.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book when searching for another book--Talking Walls--by the same author. This is another great book to have in all school and/or classroom libraries. There is an activity guide that goes along with this book that might be interesting to explore.

[Peggy]

This is a double story. You can read the story/fiction part of the book, and/or the facts written in italics on each page.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to purchase for class and the immigration unit. I really loved the historical reference this book has. My students enjoyed the connection to our immigration unit.

[Whitney Zollman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book is about the United States being filled with people from all over the world. This is a good book to teach diversity with.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Bernadeh Mokhatas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a young boy, Nary, who flees his country Cambodia impacted by war, for the safety of the United States. To some of his new classmates, Nary, is a "chink" who should go back where he belongs. But what if everyone whose family came from another place was forced to return to his or her homeland? Then, who would be left? This story teaches empathy for recent immigrants while sharing the history of immigration in America and some of the vital contributions made by past immigrants. During so much chaos and hurt in the world, it is important more than ever to instill love and inspire acceptance into the hearts of everyone we can, and a perfect place to start is with our children. Young children are like sponges, absorbing everything they see and hear. So, it only makes sense to start incorporating diversity and acceptance when they are most likely to take it in. Reading such amazing books for children, not only helps them learn about diversity but also shapes these young minds and creates morals and values that will help them better themselves and the world.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The lesson reminded Nary of his own experiences and he told his classmates that no one should have to be a refugee.”

A young boy and his family come to the United States from Cambodia, escaping Pol Pot’s regime.

Dated and yet some of the same problems are faced by refugees today. Notes in the back of the book go into more details about names, events and terms used throughout the book like Pol Pot, Dolores Huerta, Dith Pran, and more.

[Cait]

read both the original and then the updated 2018 version. the updated version is nice (corrects some errors, reflects some changing viewpoints) but also hits some Patriotic stuff a little harder, and doesn't have the nice illustrated versions of the author and illustrator!! worth a read from the library but maybe not one to have in the personal collection

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good taste of what it is like to come from somewhere dangerous and have to adjust to a new life. I think I will be able to use this with my students.

[Jacquelyn Coronado · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very lengthy book. There are better picture books to describe the immigrant experience, and ones actually written by immigrants.