Wiley-Blackwell Immigration and American Diversity: A Social and Cultural History (Problems in American History)

Review "An intelligent and readily accessible synthesis of much scholarship on immigration and ethnicity, Donna Gabaccia's new book blends clearly written accounts with stimulating exercises for students. Authored by a leading immigration historian, Immigration and American Diversity covers its topics from their historical beginnings to ‘tomorrow's nation.' Werner Sollors, Harvard University <!--end--> "Gabaccia, a noted specialist in Sicilian and women's immigration history, gives a well-informed, fresh and intelligently idiosyncratic, account of immigrants in North Americafrom the pre-Columbian era to the present day." History Product Description This engaging textbook is a concise overview of a sweeping topic - American Immigration. Immigration is core to the history of America - a "Nation of Immigrants" who are diverse by definition. Beginning with the first arrival of migrants from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and ending with a discussion of the United States at the turn of the 21st century, this book offers an unflinching analysis of the complex relationship between America's national solidarity and ethnic diversity. From the Inside Flap This engaging textbook is a concise overview of a sweeping topic – American immigration. Immigration is central to the history of America: a "nation of immigrants" that is diverse by definition. Beginning with the first arrival of migrants from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and ending with a discussion of the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century, this book offers an unflinching analysis of the complex relationship between America's national solidarity and ethnic diversity. The text introduces the main migrations of each era of American history, and examines the ensuing interaction between established citizens and new arrivals, and the formation of ethnic groups, regional cultures, and individual identities. The book describes how each are perceived "Americans," and how each most recent group of immigrants sparked the recurring debate over the concept of American nationality. Lively and straightforward, this valuable text shows both the optimistic and disparaging image of the United States as a "melting pot." From the Back Cover This engaging textbook is a concise overview of a sweeping topic – American immigration. Immigration is central to the history of America: a "nation of immigrants" that is diverse by definition. Beginning with the first arrival of migrants from Asia, Africa, and Europe, and ending with a discussion of the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century, this book offers an unflinching analysis of the complex relationship between America's national solidarity and ethnic diversity. The text introduces the main migrations of each era of American history, and examines the ensuing interaction between established citizens and new arrivals, and the formation of ethnic groups, regional cultures, and individual identities. The book describes how each are perceived "Americans," and how each most recent group of immigrants sparked the recurring debate over the concept of American nationality. Lively and straightforward, this valuable text shows both the optimistic and disparaging image of the United States as a "melting pot." About the Author Donna R. Gabaccia is Charles H. Stone Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is the author of We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans (1998) and Italy's Many Diasporas (2000).