Aliens or Americans?

Published in the early twentieth century during an era of unprecedented immigration to the United States, Aliens or Americans? confronts the central question that haunted a nation absorbing millions of newcomers annually. Howard B. Grose examines the waves of immigrants arriving from diverse nations, exploring their backgrounds, motivations, and the profound challenges they face in assimilating to American life. Writing from a perspective that blends civic concern with evangelical conviction, Grose argues that American society bears a moral responsibility toward these newcomers, one that extends beyond economic integration to encompass spiritual transformation and cultural adoption. The book reflects both the genuine anxieties and paternalistic optimism of its era, presenting immigration as simultaneously a crisis and an opportunity. While contemporary readers will certainly critique its assimilationist assumptions, the text serves as a valuable historical document revealing how earlier generations wrestled with questions of national identity, religious obligation, and what it truly meant to become American. Those studying immigration history, American religious culture, or the evolution of assimilation policy will find Grose's argument a revealing window into early twentieth-century American thinking.