Spanning comedy and tragedy and brimming with heart, these extraordinary stories, originally told on stage for the live event This Alien Nation, brilliantly illuminate what it’s like to be an immigrant in America.“A moving look at what the American dream means today.”—Publishers Weekly

This collection of true stories captures firsthand the realities of immigration in its humor, pain, and strangeness. Travel from the Central Park playground where “tattle-tales” among nannies inspire Christine Yvette Lewis’s activism, to an Alexandrian garden half a century ago courtesy of writer André Aciman, to a bed-and-breakfast where Orange Is the New Black’s Laura Gómez makes an unlikely connection. Follow intersex activist Tatenda Ngwaru as she flees Zimbabwe with dreams of meeting Oprah, the dramatic group texts of Mazin Sidahmed’s family across time zones, and efforts by actress and comedian Aparna Nancherla’s mother to make Aparna less shy.Contributors—some well known, others regular (and fascinating) people—share the intimate and sometimes pivotal moments from their lives, re- minding us that immigration is not just a word dropped in the news (simplified to something you are “for” or “against”), but a world—rich with unique voices, perspectives, and experiences.Compelling and inspirational, Alien Nation is a celebration of immigration and an exploration of culture shock, isolation and community, loneliness and hope, heartbreak and promise—it’s a poignant reminder of our shared humanity and a thoughtful, entertaining tribute to cultural diversity.