Customer Reviews

A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is an excellent multi-cultural account of American history. Takaki focuses on the perspectives of many different cultural groups, providing several interesting, unique and sometimes sobering stories of America's history. After reading this book, you may find yourself feeling cheated by your grade school history lessons. This work is fair, honest, and *VERY* well documented, with endnote references on almost every page.

I don't believe Takaki has a score to settle with this book. Nor do I believe he is racist or *overly* slanted, but I can see how some might feel that way. His focus on nontraditional perspectives seems to me an effort to balance the scale a bit by emphasizing the viewpoints, stories and facts that have been under-emphasized in the past. Perspectives include those of the Irish, Japanese, blacks, Native Americans, and others as various times throughout American history. To me, Takaki does a very good job of putting the reader in the mindset of the people at a certain place and time.

Stories in this book are not sugar-coated, which may at times be unsettling, but the facts and research that back the stories up are indisputable. Takaki uses many direct quotes and indirect references to underscore his points. His accounts are credible, believable and educational. This book should be required reading in all high schools, but should not be considered a replacement for traditional American history texts. It is more a book about cultural perspectives in history than about historical facts. As an example, Takaki will devote many pages to very specific events in history to catch a specific cultural perspective, while completely glazing over many larger and arguably more historically significant timeframes.

The book is a good read, but because of several references, chapters should probably be read in order. For example, at the start of the book Takaki sets up the story of Shakespeare's Tempest as a point of comparison throughout. (It was tempting to me to skip around, since each perspective seems well encapsulated in a chapter.)

I hope you enjoy it!

If one were to write a history of any nation exclusively from the perspective of minority groups would it be a fair, complete and accurate portrait of that nation's story, character and culture? Probably not, but nonetheless you would have a penetrating look inside the world view of those who may get overlooked in the panoramic style of many history books. This is what you walk away with from Ronald Takaki's wonderful book `A Different Mirror'.

The book is somewhat dated considering many newly published American history books include the tales of blacks, women, Indians, Jews and even gays but `A Different Mirror' remains valuable because Takaki provides nuggets of information about the contributions of particular groups that aren't well know but are important and deserve acknowledgement.

A downside to this book, and it's serious, is that with the use of Shakespearean and other literary references, Takaki weaves a common thread of victimhood among all groups, suggesting that American society is nothing close to what it claims to be in the preamble of the Constitution. No society is perfect and though groups in America may have been exploited, America does not hold a monopoly on exploitation. Yet millions of minorities continue to rush into this nation for its distinct qualities that are rare and non-existent in other parts of the world. It would have enhanced Takaki's goal, which was to tell the stories of minority groups, if he didn't overlook the positive factors that compelled many to select this country.

If you want an introduction into American history this shouldn't be the only book you read, but `A Different Mirror' is enjoyable and highly recommended for anyone who wants to get a fuller picture of the American story.

Normally this isn't the sort of book that I would pick up , however I was assigned it for an environmental history class and had to in order to write several reflection papers on it. When I was done reading it, I must admit that I experienced a huge sense of White Man's Guilt, but at the same time I was elated that someone had bothered to collect such gruesome, no-holds-barred accounts of our country's beginnings. Too often we like to gloss over the darker parts in order to hold up a shining vision of what we have now. There are times when the stories are a bit excessive, and times where the information he gives is obviously just to disgust and turn the stomachs of those reading the book. I am sick and tired of being ashamed of my ancestors and their actions, but I also want to know what it was they did so that I will not repeat there mistakes. This book was the gateway to that knowledge. I'm forced to agree that Takaki does seem to subscribe to the idea that the white man is the devil. At the same time, however, he does an excellent job of discussing the background of those people he talks about, the historical events of the time, and the cultural influences that affect their mindset and behavior towards other cultures. He doesn't simply leave it hanging that the Native Americans were slaughtered , he goes in to detail why, what concepts were behind it, and the general psychology of the time that would allow those people to act in such a fashion. If one can get past Takaki's constant re-assertion that the original settlers were murderers and thieves, you find a fascinating study in sociology and man's relationship to the land as well as himself and other cultures. I fould it worthwhile to read for that information alone.

Publishers Weekly called this, "a brilliant revisionist history of America that is likely to become a classic of multicultural studies." I would totally agree if they would have only added the word "biased" to their list of adjectives. This book has a strong anti-Anglo bias from cover to cover. As a history text it offers an extremely limited scope. It is an historical account of how the racist Anglos persecuted all non-Anglos through American history.

That doesn't mean it shouldn't be read. I never give out ***** without reason.

For non-Anglos this book should be read for the comfort it offers. At last someone has found the courage to tell the story of those who came from the margins of society. I am white. My heritage traces predominantly from Native American (Cherokee) and Irish indentured servitude stock. The book was informative concerning my heritage.

For Anglos this book should be read to help remove cultural blinders. Such a book can be threatening, but it has the potential to expand our universes way beyond the scope of monocultural prejudice. Books such as this help us to better understand where our brothers and sisters of other cultures are coming from.

FOR EVERYONE, this book should be read to understand the past, NOT keep alive prejudice for another generation. My prayer is that a day will come when we have the ability to scale the walls of blindness and forgive the offenses of the past. I would like to see a new world when we are neither ruled by bigotry or guilt.

I was introduced to Takaki as an undergrad in Louisiana, reintroduced as a gaduate in New York, and again as a Graduate Assistant in Ohio. I don't believe my instructors in three states could all be wrong. Takaki does what many American writers seem to be wary of doing: putting the emphasis where it belongs. The multicultural history of this country has been based on little more than exploitation. It doesn't necessarity matter who it was being done to, because it had similar results with nearly each minority group. One thing I have to teach my conservative, mid-Western students is to move beyond the "white guilt" many Americans seem to suffer from in order to see that the oppression minorities were victim to was a systematic process based on totalitarian ideals, and not some inherent white evil. I believe by presenting the information the way Takaki has, he allows readers to read a multifaceted version of American history (not the myopic, one dimensional history taught in American schools) that effectively places different groups within a specific time and place in history. If you are not afraid to read some truth about America (without the artificiality of "Pomp and Circumstance"), this is for you. This book does not make America out to be the melting pot it wishes it were. I will teach this book in my future classes.

The author's writing is excellent, well researched and documented. It starts out with a "spring board" analogy from Shakespeare, showing how we can all be prone to prejudgement of someone whom we don't understand. From this we get the story of many of America's ethnic minorities, showing what a many portions of each ethnic group experienced.

I was assigned this book for a diverstiy class that I had to take in college. Too often authors will try and make whites out to be the devil. Takaki doesn't. If one understands this books to be an incomplete history (the history of minorities), then they can understand that it compliments dead-white dude's history well. Students of history need to make sure they are versed in both.

The books only limit is that he cannot show the diversity within certain ethnic groups. For example, not all members of a certain ethnic group bore the same experiences. Although limited in that sense, it would take volumes of books to tell the story of each ethnic group in each region. So I don't hold that against him. Plus -- I would like it if he would focus a little more on the friendships that occur between ethnic groups. Those examples which make us proud of our past and give us hope for the future.

I got this book because it was required for a history class. Unlike the other students in the class, I was excited to read a book like this for class rather than a boring, monotonous chronology of events. Instead of the boring, monotonous chronology, I found a monotonous gathering of an author intent on painting a bleak image of America.

I learned a long time ago that if you want to write an unbiased paper, you gather the data and then form your hypothesis from that data. Mr. Takaki, however, seems to have formed his hypothesis and then looked for data that supported that hypothesis. The end result is a VERY biased book that doesn't follow basic rules for publishing scholarly works. More than half the text is just gathered quotes without the author adding explanation or background to the quote, with some chapters being 80-90% gathered quotes! With each event cited to prove a point, Mr. Takaki will give a quote about the event and then make a blanket statement from that quote. As an example, he will talk about the horrors that one individual suffered at the hands of another, and then make a blanket statement that an entire group of people was like that one person was.

Worse than that, he often cites other people's retelling of someone else's account of an event...rather than citing the original source! When the original source is checked, it often has a different meaning than the book conveys, but the person who retold the original source's account gave an opinion of what was meant. I might not be an expert, but quoting an opinion of someone else's words seems unethical when quoting the original source doesn't support what you're trying to prove. If the book were truly unbiased, it would present the original source and let the viewer see for themselves. Mr. Takaki rarely does that in his book.

The tone itself is depressing as all get out, and the intent seems to paint a picture of White Americans as barbarians. His overgeneralizing to make all white people seem horrible and bloodthirsty is unfair and unscholarly. The picture he paints is bleak and the book is a downer to read. I would have been angry at the white people after reading this book...if I hadn't gone to verify his sources and found the information to be skewed and half-true. He's good at collecting data that supports his claims, but not-so-good at actually looking at all the data available. Every argument he puts forth about the horrible white Americans can be unwound when original sources are used, and when you read just as many counter-claims out there. In a scholarly paper, you would think someone would present ALL the facts, not just distorted ones you want to use.

Bottom line? If I hadn't checked sources and verified claims made, I'd hate all my white neighbors because of this book. It does give me a better view of how some people view things, however, whether or not they're true. I suppose that's a good thing...

A Different Mirror is just that...a way for the majority culture to see itself. Without placing blame or guilt, Takaki discusses the principal ethnic groups whose roles in history have deeply affected the American experience. This is not to deny the validity of the experiences of other ethnic groups-- each has its unique story to tell. But the invasion of Native America, the enslavement of Africans, the betrayal of Mexicans, and the prejudicial treatment of the other groups mentioned are embedded in our national psyche and have to be exorcised before America as a society can begin to heal and to deal honestly with all of its separate ethnic parts. The "racialization of savagery" and demonizing of ethnic groups are valuable insights about intercultural interaction. A Different Mirror is a required text in my cultural diversity classes, though many students are uncomfortable with some of it, particularly the Mexican American chapters. Making members of the majority culture uncomfortable is part of what makes A Different Mirror effective. We need to be honest about our past so that we can ensure that our future as a multiethnic society makes it possible for all groups to be acknowledged and to contribute to the whole of who America is.

Apparently this book is now almost 20 years old, and it shows. The current (2011) crop of high school / college students have been immersed in multi-culturalism all their lives. Jefferson and Sally Hemmings? check- they've seen the movie. Reparations to Japanese-Americans for WWII internment? check. And on and on and on. This generation grew up with "A History of US", which covers most of the major points that Takaki does (at a late elementary or junior high level). So the first premise of this book- that it is the 'untold' story is no longer true.

That is not to say that the stories and perspectives in the book don't add value- they do. My (born and raised) Irish children were outraged by the Irish section- but also noticed that the harsh treatment of the Irish in the US was less systematic and less enduring than the treatment that the Irish had at home from the English. Having read in their history classes about the history of slavery in Africa (which went on long before AND after England and the US participated in African slavery) they know that it is not a uniquely American story. But there is plenty of room for these stories to be told, to add depth and understanding. Instead, Mr. Takaki goes for shock and awe.

The polemic nature of the book builds, until by the end it becomes an anti-Reagan rant. For the current crop of college students, the Reagan era is ancient history, but Obama is now. At this stage this book is only useful as a book to provoke discussion in a classroom. If you are old enough that you missed 'multiculturism' in history class- and have not read newspapers or news magazines since- reading this book will fill you in a bit, but with a little effort you can certainly do better.

I remember reading Takaki on Reagan in Different Mirror in the late 90's and feeling that Takaki was rather pulling the punch. But now! Let a new reader read even this late edition, and then look from the page and think about the centenary antics of last week for St Ronnie. Even Obama boarded the bandwagon. No doubt sightings and miraculous healings are soon to be reported from Simi Valley.