San Antonio College Library

In 1865, the United States experienced its worst maritime disaster in history because of greed, overcrowding, a poorly maintained boat, and the elements.

In the late 19th century, as America's teeming cities grew increasingly congested, the time had come to replace the nostalgic horse-drawn trolleys with a faster, cleaner, safer, and more efficient form of transportation. Based in part on Doug Most's acclaimed non-fiction book of the same name, The Race Underground tells the dramatic story of an invention that changed the lives of millions.

For some it was the Isle of Hope. For others, it was the Isle of Tears. For half a century, Ellis Island was America's "golden door," where entrance meant a new life and rejection meant a heartbreaking return to hopelessness. In this A & E Special, we meet an ethnically diverse group of immigrants who recall their extraordinary adventures, from the treacherous passage across the sea to the daunting challenge of starting life over in a new and foreign...

Out of Ireland is a documentary about Irish emigration to America, from the famine-swept villages of 19th century Ireland to the industrialized cities of 20th century America. It is told through the lives and letters of eight immigrants andfeatures the voices of Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Gabriel Byrne and more.

In the past decade, a large influx of immigrants has expanded beyond traditional polyglot cities. This has produced a backlash, especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, made immigration a national security issue. Some argue that the U.S. economy demands immigrant labor, and by denying these workers legal status, the government is fostering a shadow sub-class subject to abuse. Others, contending that illegal workers depress wages...

This historical documentary compares the different ways that ethnic groups arrived in America. The film focuses on the difference between the arrival of Africans through slavery and the arrival of Irish, Italians, and Asians through immigration. The footage emphasizes the economic disparity and prejudice that all ethnic groups faced and the conditions that allowed successive generations of European-Americans and Asian-Americans to improve their conditions...

The new immigration laws of 1965 were a turning point for the Chinese in America and allowed a new wave of immigrants to enter the country. Chinese American life has flourished in the years since. Narrated by Bill Moyers, this program presents intimate portraits of the new Chinese Americans who face a struggle common to so many immigrants: to reconcile some losses of their old culture in order to embrace their adopted American one.

Astoria, Queens, New York is the melting pot of melting pots, with a range of skin tones, heights, weights, hair types, and eye shapes, to say nothing of their beliefs, cultures, languages, and trades. But just how different are we? At a street fair in the heart of Astoria, on a sweltering July day, geneticist Spencer Wells and his team take DNA samples from this amazingly diverse group. These samples will show how a selection of New Yorkers: a waitress,...

Jack London, the world-famous author of The Call of the Wild, is one of the most significant American figures of the 20th century. Born at the very time when the conquest of the West was living its final moments and America was entering modern times, Jack London participated in all the major political, social, and cultural evolutions of the time. Episode two covers the years 1905-1916.

The conclusion of the story of Ireland's Great Famine is the beginning of another vast saga-the story of a million Irish men, women, and children who left their country rather than face death and destitution at home.