From Acadians to Zoroastrians-Asians, American Indians, East
Indians, West Indians, Europeans, Latin Americans, Afro-Americans,
and Mexican Americans-the Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic
Groups provides the first comprehensive and systematic review of
the many peoples of this country. It should excite all Americans
about their nation. Informative and entertaining, this volume is an
indispensable reference work for home, library and office. It
establishes a foundation for the burgeoning field of ethnic
studies; it will satisfy and stimulate the popular interest in
ancestry and heritage. It is a guide to the history, culture, and
distinctive characteristics of the more than 100 ethnic groups who
live in the United States. Each ethnic group is described in
detail. The origins, history and present situation of the familiar
as well as the virtually unknown are presented succinctly and
objectively. Not only the immigrants and refugees who came
voluntarily but also those already in the New World when the first
Europeans arrived, those whose ancestors came involuntarily as
slaves, and those who became part of the American population as a
result of conquest or purchase and subsequent annexation figure in
these pages. The English and the Estonians, the Germans and the
Gypsies, the Swedes and the Serbs are interestingly juxtaposed.
Even entries about relatively well-known groups offer new material
and fresh interpretations. The articles on less well-known groups
are the product of intensive research in primary sources; many
provide the first scholarly discussion to appear in English. One
hundred and twenty American and European contributors have been
involved in this effort, writing either on individual groups or on
broad themes relating to many. The group entries are at the heart
of the book, but it contains, in addition, a series of thematic
essays that illuminate the key facets of ethnicity. Some of these
are comparative; some philosophical; some historical; others focus
on current policy issues or relate ethnicity to major subjects such
as education, religion, and literature. American identity and
Americanization, immigration policy and experience, and prejudice
and discrimination in U.S. history are discussed at length. Several
essays probe the complex interplay between assimilation and
pluralism-perhaps the central theme in American history-and the
complications of race and religion. Numerous cross-references and
brief identifications will aid the reader with unfamiliar terms and
alternative group names. Eighty-seven maps, especially
commissioned, show where different groups have originated.
Annotated bibliographies contain suggestions for further reading
and research. Appendix I, on methods of estimating the size of
groups, leads the reader through a maze of conflicting statistics.
Appendix II reproduces, in facsimile, hard-to-locate census and
immigration materials, beginning with the first published report on
the nativities of the population in 1850.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
