Who Belongs Here?: An American Story

Nary is a young boy fleeing war-torn Cambodia for safety in the U.S.  To some of his classmates, however, he is a “chink” who should go back to where he belongs. But what if everyone whose family came from another place was forced to return to his or her homeland? Who would be left? Nary helps his class perform a lesson that teaches compassion for recent immigrants and tolerance. 

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