wˈʌn ʌvðə mˈoʊst pɹəlˈɪfɪk ænd ˌɪnfluːˈɛnʃəl sˌoʊsɪˈɑːlədʒˌɪsts ʌv hɪz dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən, ɡˈænz kˈeɪm tʊ ɐmˈɛɹɪkə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi æz ɐ ɹˈɛfjuːdʒˌiː fɹʌm nˈɑːtsi dʒˈɜːməni ænd hɐz sˈʌmtaɪmz dᵻskɹˈaɪbd hɪz skˈɑːlɚli wˈɜːk æz ɐn ˈɪmɪɡɹənts ɐtˈɛmpt tʊ ˌʌndɚstˈænd ɐmˈɛɹɪkə.
One of the most prolific and influential sociologists of his generation, Gans came to America in 1940 as a refugee from Nazi Germany and has sometimes described his scholarly work as an immigrant's attempt to understand America.