Collection 1: "A Place to Call Home" by Scott Bittle and Jonathan Rochkind

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cliche
    a trite or obvious remark
    It’s a cliché to say that America is a nation of immigrants, but like most clichés, this one began as a statement of simple truth.
  2. overhaul
    make repairs, renovations, revisions or adjustments to
    Another truth is that if we're going to overhaul immigration policy, it only makes sense to listen to the people who will be most affected by it: immigrants.
  3. implement
    pursue to a conclusion or bring to a successful issue
    You can’t hope to implement sound strategies unless you understand what brings people to the United States and what they think about the nation once they get here.
  4. pioneer
    take the lead or initiative in
    That’s what Public Agenda hopes to accomplish with A PLACE TO CALL HOME: WHAT IMMIGRANTS SAY NOW ABOUT LIFE IN AMERICA, the follow-up to our pioneering 2002 survey of immigrants, NOW THAT I’M HERE.
  5. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
    The economic tumult in our society may be shaping some of their perceptions—and motivations.
  6. pundit
    an expert who publicly gives opinions via mass media
    There’s always been a fierce debate among pundits and political scientists about “American exceptionalism,” the idea that the United States is unique among nations.
  7. ennoble
    confer dignity or honor upon
    Some find this idea ennobling, others pernicious.
  8. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
    Some find this idea ennobling, others pernicious.
  9. naturalize
    make into a citizen
    Most of the immigrants we surveyed either were citizens already or were in the process of being naturalized.
  10. emigrate
    leave one's country of residence for a new one
    We’re talking about people who say they’re taking a big financial and cultural gamble when they emigrate to the United States.
  11. assumption
    a hypothesis that is taken for granted
    “There’s the assumption that when you come here you will become wealthy very fast and very easily. I have to work 12, 16 hours a day to make a living. [In my birth country]...they work, like, from nine until two and then go home.”
  12. sentiment
    a personal belief or judgment
    Her sentiment is partly borne out by the survey, which also asked how often immigrants found themselves living “paycheck to paycheck.”
  13. propaganda
    information that is spread to promote some cause
    “All the movies [are] just great propaganda...like it’s a lot of fun and [you have] a lot of money and all that. You don’t think about, like, you have to pay [the] mortgage. You don’t know.”
  14. telecommunication
    (often plural) systems used in transmitting messages over a distance electronically
    The number of immigrants who tell us that they call home at least once a week rose 12 points (40 percent from 28 percent). Granted, this may be partly because telecommunications is better and cheaper than even a few years ago.
  15. materialism
    a desire for wealth and possessions
    Many immigrants mentioned the materialism often associated with America as a drawback, although how they responded to it depended greatly on their personal beliefs.
  16. drawback
    a feature that makes something less convenient or acceptable
    Many immigrants mentioned the materialism often associated with America as a drawback, although how they responded to it depended greatly on their personal beliefs.
Created on Wed Jun 03 13:56:33 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Jun 05 14:00:17 EDT 2020)

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