Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
This is a major work of scholarship, something that has never been attempted before. It will be an enduring monument to the foresight and large-mindedness of those responsible for its landmark publication. It will be something our grandchildren will thank us for. Daniel P. Moynihan
Review
Certain to be the standard reference work, to which scholars and lay people alike are certain to turn for many years to come. There is literally no other work which approaches it in comprehensiveness. Even more impressive, however, is the quality of the articles. The editors should be congratulated. Seymour Martin Lipset
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
The Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups is a guide to the history, culture, and distinctive characteristics of the more than 100 ethnic groups who live in the United States. The origins, history and present situation of the familiar as well as the virtually unknown are presented succinctly and objectively.
About the Author
Stephan Thernstrom is Professor of History, Harvard University, and Director of the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History.Ann Orlov is a freelance writer and consultant. From 1968 to 1975 she was Editor for the Behavioral Sciences at Harvard University Press.Oscar Handlin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, is Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University. He is the editor of This Was America.
Table of Contents
Groups and Definitions Acadians
Marietta M. LeBreton Afghans
David C. Champagne Africans
Afro-Americans
Thomas C. Holt Albanians
Aleuts
Dorothy M. Jones Alsatians
Frederick C. Luebke American Indians
Edward H. Spicer Amish
John A. Hostetler Anglo-American
Anglo-Saxon
Appalachians
Dwight Billings and David Walls Arabs
Alixa Naff Armenians
Robert Mirak Aryan
Asian
Assyrians
Arian B. Ishaya and Eden Naby Australians and New Zealanders
Andrew Parkin Austrians
Frederick C. Luebke Azerbaijanis
Alexandre Bennigsen Bangladeshi
Enayetur Rahim Basques
William A. Douglass Belgians
Pierre-Henri Laurent Belorussians
Paul Robert Magocsi Bosnian Muslims
William G. Lockwood Bulgarians
Nikolay G. Altankov Burmese
Canadians, British
Alan A. Brookes Cape Verdeans
Francis M. Rogers Carpatho-Rusyns
Paul Robert Magocsi Central and South Americans
Ann Orlov and Reed Ueda Chinese
H.M. Lai Copts
Raef Marcus Cornish
John Rowe Cossacks
Paul Robert Magocsi Creole
Richard A. Long Croats
Cubans
Lisandro Pérez Czechs
Karen Johnson Freeze Danes
Dorothy Burton Skårdal Dominicans
Glenn L. Hendricks Dutch
Robert P. Swierenga East Indians
Joan M. Jensen Eastern Catholics
Paul Robert Magocsi Eastern Orthodox
Thomas E. Bird English
Charlotte J. Erickson Eskimos
Arthur E. Hippler Estonians
Tonü Parming Ethnic Heritage Studies Program
Filipinos
H. Brett Melendy Finns
A. William Hoglund Foreign Stock
French
Patrice Louis René Higonnet French Canadians
Elliott Robert Barkan Frisians
Gentile
Georgians
Nathela Chatara Germans
Kathleen Neils Conzen Germans from Russia
La Vern J. Rippley Greeks
Theodore Saloutos Gypsies
Ian F. Hancock Haitians
Michel S. Laguerre Hawaiians
Alan Howard Hispanic
Hungarians
Paula Benkart Hutterites
John A. Hostetler Icelanders
Valdimar Björnson Indochinese
Mary Bowen Wright Indonesians
Iranians
John H. Lorentz and John T. Wertime Irish
Patrick J. Blessing Italians
Humbert S. Nelli Japanese
Harry H.L. Kitano Jews
Arthur A. Goren Kalmyks
Arash Bormanshinov Koreans
Hyung-chan Kim Kurds
Margaret Kahn Latvians
Edgar Anderson Lithuanians
Arunas Alisauskas (need accents) Luxembourgers
Paul Robert Magocsi Macedonians
Maltese
Manx
Ann Orlov Mexicans
Carlos E. Cortés Mormons
Dean L. May Mother Tongue
Muslims
Thomas Philipp Nordic
North Caucasians
Alexandre Bennigsen Norwegians
Peter A. Munch Oriental
Oriental Orthodox
Thomas E. Bird Orthodox
Thomas E. Bird Pacific Islanders
Bradd Shore Pakistanis
Arif Ghayur Pennsylvania Germans
Poles
Victor Greene Portuguese
Francis M. Rogers Puerto Ricans
Joseph P. Fitzpatrick Race
Romanians
Gerald J. Bobango Russians
Paul Robert Magocsi Scotch-Irish
Maldwyn A. Jones Scots
Gordon Donaldson Serbs
Michael B. Petrovich and Joel Halpern Slovaks
M. Mark Stolarik Slovenes
Rudolph M. Susel South Africans
Stanley Moss Southerners
John Shelton Reed Spaniards
Spanish
Frances Leon Quintana Spanish-Surname
Swedes
Ulf Beijbom Swiss
Leo Schelbert Tatars
Alexandre Bennigsen Teutonic
Thai
Tri-Racial Isolates
Turkestanis
Alexandre Bennigsen Turks
Talat Sait Halman Ukrainians
Paul Robert Magocsi Welsh
Rowland Berthoff Wends
George R. Nielsen West Indians
Reed Ueda Yankees
Oscar Handlin Zoroastrians
Eden Naby Thematic Essays
American Identity and Americanization
Philip Gleason
American Indiand, Federal Policy Toward
Edward H. Spicer
Assimilation and Pluralism
Harold J. Abramson
Concepts of Ethnicity
William Peterson
Education
Michael Olneck and Marvin Lazerson
Family Patterns
Tamara K. Hareven and John Modell
Folklore
Roger D. Abrahams
Health Beliefs and Practices
Noel J. Chrisman and Arthur Kleinman
Immigration: Economic and Social Characteristics
Richard A. Easterlin
Immigration: History of U.S. Policy
William S. Bernard
Immigration: Settlement Patterns and Spatial Distribution
David Ward
Intermarriage
David M. Heer
Labor
David Brody