This book describes and analyzes the educational and training needs of immigrants in the new and distinctive inflow that currently characterizes immigration to the United States, and the effects of pressures exerted by the newcomers upon institutions and agencies of education and training that are often unprepared for the task that is being presented to them. Twenty chapters discuss the following topics: the history of immigration in the United States; the dynamics of immigration; immigration law; immigrant education and the courts; refugees' special needs and issues in education; educating illegal and newly legal immigrants; pressures on schools; programs that respond creatively to immigrant children's educational needs; teaching in a multicultural population; adult education for immigrants; learning English as a Second Language; bilingual education; the politics of language in education; immigrants and higher education; financing immigrant education; the politics of immigration and education; and diversity, unity, and opportunity in educating immigrants. A central theme of the volume is the immigrants' commitment to the values of democracy and the importance to the nation's democratic future that immigrants' educational needs be met. Contains over 200 references. (JB)