Customer Reviews

Beyond the Melting Pot, Second Edition: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City

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Daniel Patrick Moynihan's sociological study, " Beyond The Melting Pot; The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City" provided sociologists a basis for interpreting the cultural differences in an urban society. Besides being a fascinating and amazingly well written book, it truly is a must read for anybody who wants to truly understand the racial/ethnic conflict in America today. This book rings as true in the year 2000, as it did in the 60's

This work when it was first published stirred great controversy as it seemed to be overthrowing a fundamental American ideal, the melting pot. My great teacher of American Studies at Cornell University, Cushing Strout used to however point out that America was more like a ' salad bowl'than a melting pot. You put different elements in and some new dish emerged while the old elements nonetheless preserved their original identity. Moynihan and Glazer portray with sympathy and insight the worlds of New York Negroes( today 'blacks')Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians and Irish. They make understand that the way to a richer and more harmonious America is not through the destruction of communal pasts and identities but rather through the transformation of them to help create a better America.

Beyond the Melting Pot is informative and very well written, but a little dated. Of the five ethnic groups profiled - blacks, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Irish, and Italians - the last two are not so ethnic anymore, nor numerous. Also, Arabs, Asians, and South Americans are missing. (though I suppose much of what is written about Jews would sound familiar to someone with knowledge of East (and South) Asian-Americans)

However, as a history of the five ethnic groups it sets out to profile, Beyond the Melting Pot is excellent. It outlines the differing values each group had, plus the niches each group filled. Beyond the Melting pot also avoids misrepresentation by not reducing everything to economics, and admitting that certain groups/cultures really can value (and excel at)different things, something probably offensive to pc'ers.

I disagree with the review from JSB below that this book is dated. He (or she) cites as an example of this by stating that the Irish and Italians are no longer significant immigrant groups. Perhaps these two groups do not compare, with respect to recent entry, with other ethnic groups, but they are highly significant. Take for example New York City's borough of Staten Island, which claims 44.5% of it's population as having Italian ancestry. Ancestry is a very significant indicator, and still has a very real influence on group morals, actions, politics, voting patterns, etc. As a student of urban planning and demography, this book was one of my most memorable!