A Different Mirror : A History of Multicultural America

Rating:
Summary: great ethnic history
Review: A different mirror is a well researched and easy to read account of an ethnic history of the united states looking at things like the effects of colonialism on native americans and the mexican-american war on chicanos as well as how different immigrant groups like the irish, jews, asians and latin america came to this country and the difficulties that they faced. It really provides a lot of useful informtion into our past by looking at our nation's prejudices and racism and how people from different parts of the world have come toghether to help build this country.

Rating:
Summary: Telling it like it is
Review: A Different Mirror is just that...a way for the majority culture to see itself. Without placing blame or guilt, Takaki discusses the principal ethnic groups whose roles in history have deeply affected the American experience. This is not to deny the validity of the experiences of other ethnic groups-- each has its unique story to tell. But the invasion of Native America, the enslavement of Africans, the betrayal of Mexicans, and the prejudicial treatment of the other groups mentioned are embedded in our national psyche and have to be exorcised before America as a society can begin to heal and to deal honestly with all of its separate ethnic parts. The "racialization of savagery" and demonizing of ethnic groups are valuable insights about intercultural interaction. A Different Mirror is a required text in my cultural diversity classes, though many students are uncomfortable with some of it, particularly the Mexican American chapters. Making members of the majority culture uncomfortable is part of what makes A Different Mirror effective. We need to be honest about our past so that we can ensure that our future as a multiethnic society makes it possible for all groups to be acknowledged and to contribute to the whole of who America is.

Rating:
Summary: Telling it like it is
Review: A Different Mirror is just that...a way for the majority culture to see itself. Without placing blame or guilt, Takaki discusses the principal ethnic groups whose roles in history have deeply affected the American experience. This is not to deny the validity of the experiences of other ethnic groups-- each has its unique story to tell. But the invasion of Native America, the enslavement of Africans, the betrayal of Mexicans, and the prejudicial treatment of the other groups mentioned are embedded in our national psyche and have to be exorcised before America as a society can begin to heal and to deal honestly with all of its separate ethnic parts. The "racialization of savagery" and demonizing of ethnic groups are valuable insights about intercultural interaction. A Different Mirror is a required text in my cultural diversity classes, though many students are uncomfortable with some of it, particularly the Mexican American chapters. Making members of the majority culture uncomfortable is part of what makes A Different Mirror effective. We need to be honest about our past so that we can ensure that our future as a multiethnic society makes it possible for all groups to be acknowledged and to contribute to the whole of who America is.

Rating:
Summary: not for everyone
Review: he was my professor. he's not a bad or racist guy in real life. but i do have to admit this book is a little biased and I am asian if that is of any importance. enjoy. This book is very long and he uses tons of resources which I assume are slighly biased as well

Rating:
Summary: A Different Mirror
Review: I enjoyed this book tremendously!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!!!
Review: I have found this book to be the most informative among many books I have read. It gives the background on several different ethnic groups, along with their experiences, and is written in a way that keeps the reader interested. I have recommended this book to several friends who have also felt the same, even though they were not the type to read anything but novels. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: What Takaki sums up in a mere six pages.
Review: I loved the book. I am however quite surprised to find that such an articulate author would only discuss Italian Americans in a few short sentences on aprroxiamately six pages. My family and other Italian Americans broke their backs and endured predjudice to the tenth power in America and there whole story is practically deleted from this text as in History to this present day. Hope he mentiones us in the revised version.

Rating:
Summary: What Takaki sums up in a mere six pages.
Review: I loved the book. I am however quite surprised to find that such an articulate author would only discuss Italian Americans in a few short sentences on aprroxiamately six pages. My family and other Italian Americans broke their backs and endured predjudice to the tenth power in America and there whole story is practically deleted from this text as in History to this present day. Hope he mentiones us in the revised version.

Rating:
Summary: Real America
Review: I thought this book was wonderful. I read it for an intro course at my college, and the only thing I was upset about was that it took until my 14th year of education to be exposed to a U.S. history textbook that wasn't from a white, European bourgeois perspective. I think that junior high and high schools should be assigning Takaki's book to students--it offers an honest look at American history.

Rating:
Summary: Very realistic (and inclusive) social/historical work.
Review: I was introduced to Takaki as an undergrad in Louisiana, reintroduced as a gaduate in New York, and again as a Graduate Assistant in Ohio. I don't believe my instructors in three states could all be wrong. Takaki does what many American writers seem to be wary of doing: putting the emphasis where it belongs. The multicultural history of this country has been based on little more than exploitation. It doesn't necessarity matter who it was being done to, because it had similar results with nearly each minority group. One thing I have to teach my conservative, mid-Western students is to move beyond the "white guilt" many Americans seem to suffer from in order to see that the oppression minorities were victim to was a systematic process based on totalitarian ideals, and not some inherent white evil. I believe by presenting the information the way Takaki has, he allows readers to read a multifaceted version of American history (not the myopic, one dimensional history taught in American schools) that effectively places different groups within a specific time and place in history. If you are not afraid to read some truth about America (without the artificiality of "Pomp and Circumstance"), this is for you. This book does not make America out to be the melting pot it wishes it were. I will teach this book in my future classes.