Howard wrote that the book should have incorporated more direct quotations from the primary sources. Patricia Sullivan, a New York City resident who reviewed the book for "International Migration Review", stated that the book was "a useful addition to the literature of ethnicity and population". Timothy Walsh of the Hoover Presidential Library described the book as "an excellent addition to the historical literature on urbanization, religion, and education". Boyea wrote that the book is a "detailed and attractive picture of a community's struggle to educate its youth".