The Ethnic Dimension in American History

The Ethnic Dimension in American History is a thorough survey of the role that ethnicity has played in shaping the history of the United States.

Considering ethnicity in terms of race, language, religion and national origin, this important text examines its effects on social relations, public policy and economic development.

• A thorough survey of the role that ethnicity has played in shaping the history of the United States, including the effects of ethnicity on social relations, public policy and economic development
• Includes histories of a wide range of ethnic groups including African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Chinese, Europeans, Japanese, Muslims, Koreans, and Latinos
• Examines the interaction of ethnic groups with one another and the dynamic processes of acculturation, modernization, and assimilation; as well as the history of immigration
• Revised and updated material in the fourth edition reflects current thinking and recent history, bringing the story up to the present and including the impact of 9/11

Introduction 1

Part I Worlds Collide: Indian People, Africans, and Europeans in Colonial America 7

1 The First Americans 17

2 The European Migrations 29

3 Ethnicity and Manifest Destiny 58

4 African Americans in the Early Years 92

Conclusion: Ethnic America in 1890 113

Part II Ethnic America in Transition, 1890–1945 121

5 The Age of the New Immigrants 128

6 American Jews 151

7 Asian America, 1882–1945 165

8 The Nativist Reaction 179

9 Native Americans: The Assault on Tribalism 191

10 Jim Crow and Ghettos: African Americans 205

11 Mexican Americans 218

Conclusion: Ethnic America in 1945 230

Part III Change and Continuity in Ethnic America, 1945 to the Present 241

12 The African Americans 246

13 The Latino Mosaic 263

14 Asian Americans in the Modern World 282

15 The Newest Arrivals 298

16 Native Americans in the Modern World 314

17 White Ethnics in Modern America 329

Conclusion: Ethnic America in 2010 345

Selected Readings 357

Index 364

James S. Olson is Distinguished Professor of History at Sam Houston State University, Texas, where he has been honored with the university's Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research Awards. He is the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of over 30 books. His book Bathsheba's Breast: Women, Cancer, and History (2002) won the History of Science Category Award from the Association of American Publishers and was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as one of the best non-fiction books in America for 2002.

Heather Olson Beal is Assistant Professor of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

The Ethnic Dimension in American History is a thorough survey of the role that ethnicity has played in shaping the history of the United States. Considering ethnicity in the sense of race, language, religion, and national origin, this important textbook examines the effects of ethnicity on social relations, public policy, and economic development. Ethnic groups covered in the book include African Americans, Native Americans, and Americans of varied backgrounds from across the globe including Jewish, Chinese, European, Japanese, Muslim, Korean, and Latinos.

Examining the period from the first Americans before colonization to the present day, the fourth edition of The Ethnic Dimension in American History has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect current thinking and recent history, including the impact of 9/11. This book presents ethnicity as a central dynamic in US history. It is not just concerned with the history of immigration, but considers the interaction of ethnic groups with one another, and describes the dynamic processes of acculturation, modernization, and assimilation, which have had such a great impact on the United States throughout its history. “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