A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. First Edition.

Overview & Synopsis

The history of the United States is recounted from the viewpoint of the many peoples previously left out of the historical canon. The traditional Eurocentric viewpoint is turned inside out, beginning with the arrival of English strangers as seen by Native Americans. Also examined are the perspectives of African Americans, the Irish, Asians who came from China and Japan, European Jews, and Latinos. How racism has divided U.S. society is explored, considering how the conflict of the inner cities has developed. Issues of access to education and equal education are explored for several ethnic groups, including African Americans, faced with school segregation and racial prejudice. The consideration of education for Chicanos centers on political influences and the roles for which Chicanos were being educated, with education linked to questions of equal employment. For the Japanese immigrants to Hawaii, education provided a way of recognizing new opportunities and clarifying dissatisfaction with limited social and economic activities. Education had always been a high priority of Jewish immigrants, despite efforts, in higher education in particular, to establish quotas or limit opportunities. The role of education for these minority groups is included in the over-all discussion of what it means to be American. (SLD)