Multiculturalism in the United States: A Comparative Guide to Acculturation and Ethnicity

This reference volume provides information on the acculturation process of a representative number of ethnic groups in the United States. Each chapter focuses on a specific ethnic group and is written by an authority on the acculturation of that group. The volume includes such groups as the African-Americans, American Indians, Chinese-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and several European-American ethnic groups. Collectively, the chapters provide an excellent source for discerning both the unique experiences of the different groups and the similarities in their acculturation experiences. The book opens with an introductory chapter, providing an overview of the contributors’ accounts and discussing the creative tension between diversity and unity in American culture. In the following chapters, the authors address similar issues and themes, including (1) the role pf voluntary self-help groups in interactions between the ethnic groups and the mainstream culture, (2) the impact of modernization on traditional culture and values, (3) political strategies used to gain recognition, (4) the continuum in the group ranging from Americanizers to Separatists , (5) the effect of social and residential mobility, (6) integrational change and conflict, (7) the impact of americanization crusades, (8) the impact of the American education system, (9) the incidence and impact of exogamous marriage, (10) the role of religion and language maintenance, and (11) the specific variables that determined the pace and degree of acculturarion. Each chapter concludes with a bibliographical essay on the subject ethnic group. A concluding bibliographical essay discusses works on the acculturation process.