They braved the rough voyage across the ocean to attain the American dream, but the ancestors of America's rich and diverse social landscape first struggled to make a life in their new homeland. Through the immigrants' own words and contemporary photographs and illustrations, these inspiring volumes not only tell the story of each immigrant group, but also provide insight on what it means to be an American today. Although considered "the founders of America" for their early explorers, the Italians who came to America in the 1800s were treated with disdain. Italian Americans have made major contributions to American culture, from the foods we eat to the politicians we elect.