The child of Italian parents growing up at the turn of the century in New York City and the child of Mexican parents growing up today in Los Angeles likely share much in common. To suffer the loss of a familiar place, to feel like an outsider in a new one, to be torn between the cultural values of those old and new places, to know discrimination, to grow up in poverty: this has long and often been the lot of immigrant children. Growing Up American is a testament to the struggles, the defeats, and the accomplishments of these children - be they Italian or Mexican, German or Irish, West Indian or Asian - on their way to becoming adults.