The massive, worldwide emigration to the United States has been a major feature of world history for more than five centuries and into the present day. Facts About American Immigration explores this extraordinary saga, focusing on who came to the U.S. and from where, their reasons for coming, the nature of their journey, and where they settled, starting with the earliest Americans, who crossed the Bering Land Bridge into Alaska between 12,000 and 15,000 B.C.

The work opens with an overview, including extensive statistical materials, to place the process of immigration in a wide historical context. This section also includes:

1. A survey of the efforts to restrict immigration
2. A portrait of the immigrant journey over the centuries
3. A discussion of Native Americans and immigration
4. A chronology of immigration

The main section of the book delves into immigration experiences, numbers, and motives, by region of emigration: Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. Each section begins with a brief introduction to the region, followed by a series of articles focusing on specific countries or groups of countries.