The Colors of Freedom

Author Janet Bode collected stories, poems and essays from students and teachers around the country. Her cultural awareness project includes photographs and recipes in an effort to create a collage of immigration experiences. The accounts date back to the Mayflower as a Texas teacher discovers the last will and testament of an ancestor who bequeathed 5 pounds of sugar to his son. There are stories of descendants of slaves, Mexicans, Asians and Native Americans revealing cultural traditions and essays on what is means to be an American. The last chapter includes results from an immigration survey, sample questions from the citizenship test and a handful of lesson plan ideas. Bode book reads like an American family album where names are changed but the experiences of immigrants frequently depict feelings of sacrifice, fear and ultimately hope.