Review
“A rich and rewarding account of the disparate ethnic and religious groups that shaped this nation’s history and culture—African, Caribbean, Chinese, Irish, Italian Japanese, Jewish, Mexican, Native American, Polish, Puerto Rican, among others—this eloquent and moving book explains how American society has evolved out of a complex process of migration, social conflict, cultural contention, and mutual discovery.”
Steven Mintz, Columbia University“This new edition of The Ethnic Dimension is a highly readable exploration of the experiences of the diversity of peoples that have populated the United States since colonial times. Kudos to the authors for producing a volume so sweeping in scope and, in places, controversial in its interpretations. . . . Deserves a wide readership. . . . Highly recommended.”
James Kirby Martin,University of Houston
“This new edition of Ethnic Dimensions retains all of the virtues that made its predecessors an invaluable introductory text — clear and engaging prose, well-chosen vignettes, comprehensive coverage, and a persuasive thesis that ethnic and racial diversity is a primary path to understanding U.S. History.”
John F. McClymer, Assumption College
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
From the Back Cover
Through association with others, individuals come to know themselves; and through placement among people of their own national, cultural, and religious kind they gain a larger American identity. This paradoxical relationship between individual and community has special meaning in American history. In neighborhoods and other forms of association, members of immigrant ethnicities along with racial and religious minorities have sought to preserve their distinctiveness against social homogenization.
This book's 17 chapters cover the history of ethnicity in American society, from the first Americans before colonization up to the present day. Groups covered include Native Americans and Americans of varied backgrounds: European, Chinese, African, Jewish, Filipino, Japanese, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Korean, Haitian, Indonesian, and Muslim.