working example

List.js

import React from 'react';

export default ({
  items, fetchItems
}) => {
  if(items.size === 0)
    fetchItems();
  return (<div>{items}</div>);
};

ListContainer.js

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import List from './List';
import { connect } from 'react-redux';
import { fetchItemsFromApi } from './actions';

const getDescription = item => (a.getIn(['propLevel1','propLevel2'])); //item is an Immutable.js Map

const mapStateToProps = (state) => {
  const { items } = state; // items is an Immutable.js List of Immutable.js Maps. 
  return  {items: items.map(item => <ListItem  description={getDescription(item) id={item.get('id')}}/>)};
}

const mapDispatchToProps = (dispatch) => {
  return {
    fetchItems: () => {
      dispatch(fetchItemsFromApi());
    }
  }
}

export default connect(
  mapStateToProps,
  mapDispatchToProps
)(List);

Perhaps it is a better idea to refactor fetchItemsFromApi to fetchItemsFromApiIfNeeded in order to dispatch always an action.