Companion Map to John F. Kennedy's Work on Immigration

"A Nation of Immigrants",

This vintage pictorial map was created to accompany a special edition of John F. Kennedy's pamphlet of the same title, "A Nation of Immigrants." Kennedy was commissioned to write about immigration on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League, which had witnessed an increase in xenophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric in the 1950's. Kennedy completed his book on American immigration in 1958, while still a senator. The book included information on the history of immigration in America and its importance to the development of the nation, as well as proposed changes to immigration law. The book was published in multiple formats and editions both before and after Kennedy's death, including a special pamphlet edition in 1963 with this map by Daniela Passal.

The map lists the prominent immigrant groups that can be found in each state, along with caricatures of peoples from these nations. A Mexican with a sombrero takes a nap in southern Texas; a German wearing lederhosen drinks a beer in Missouri; a Chinese man with a Fu Manchu enjoys tea in California; and a Russian performs a traditional folk dance in North Dakota. A list of peoples from 38 different nations form the border of the map. Conspicuously absent are any African nations on the map or any hint of slavery. The only African person represented is a saxophone player in Alabama, but no immigrants are listed in that state. The cotton pickers in Mississippi and South Carolina are depicted as Caucasians.

The text at bottom explains that the United States is "composed almost entirely of immigrants or the descendants of immigrants." Immigrants are described as "the magnificent story that is America" and as enabling the United States to grow and thrive: "Through their ingenuity, their industry and their imagination, they were able to create out of a wilderness a thriving and prosperous nation -- and, through their dedication to liberty and freedom, they helped to build a government reflecting man's most cherished ideals." The most populous immigrant groups are listed along with their "reason" for immigrating to the United States, the estimated number of immigrants since colonial times, and the peak year of immigration for that nation. This map represents an interesting combination of pro-immigration sentiment with the pervasive stereotypes of the time.

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Condition: A+

A fine example, issued folding.