Join me this week as I sit down with educator and author Jessica Lander to review her new book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education. Lander takes readers on a historical journey through the ways in which education for immigrants has evolved in the United States and contrasts it with some of the amazing work still being done by educators and students alike. To learn more about Jessica, please head to her website at <a href='https://www.jessicalander.com/making-americans'>www.jessicalander.com</a> and for show notes and other source material, please visit <a href='https://www.civicsandcoffee.com/'>www.civicsandcoffee.com</a>

Gatekeeper: Sarah Childress Polk

Civics &amp; Coffee delivers bite-sized U.S. history with clear, engaging storytelling — all in the time it takes to drink your morning cup of coffee. Host Alycia brings America’s past to life with well-researched episodes that are approachable, human, and impossible to forget.In 2026, Civics &amp; Coffee dives into the Gilded Age - a transformative era of booming industry, powerful presidents, labor uprisings, immigration waves, inequality, and social reformers. From national crises like the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 to personal stories of figures such as Rutherford B. Hayes, Lucy Webb Hayes, and the Exodusters, each episode uncovers the people, tensions, and turning points that shaped modern America.Whether you’re a longtime history lover or just history-curious, Civics &amp; Coffee offers context without the homework and storytelling without the fluff. Grab your mug and join the conversation, one cup at a time.