The topic of immigration has occupied a central place in the historiography of American history since the end of the nineteenth century. The article looks at seminal works on the history of immigration to examine the major topics and paradigm shifts within immigration history and migration research in the last hundred years. During this period historians moved away from depicing immigration as a linear movement between two states towards more complex models of migration. America- and Europe-centered narratives have been complemented by research informed by transnational approaches. The last hundred years saw radical shifts in the definiton of migration, the institutional structures as well as the function of historical research. Narratives of immigration and migration have, however, consistently reflected the changing understandings of American society and identity.