An American in the Making was written in part to address the anti-immigrant prejudice held by some in the early 20th century. Author Marcus Eli Ravage was an immigrant himself, and as heℓstates in the book’s introduction,ℓ“It is the free American who needs to be instructed by the benighted races in the uplifting word that America speaks to the world.” To that end, Ravage’s autobiographical workℓtells the story of an immigrant—in this case, himself—coming to the United States.