A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America

This is the revised addition, with extra chapters added in 2008 to more fully reflect the history of various groups in America including Afghan immigrants and the post-9/11 world. A solid introduction to American history and the parallels between various groups as they immigrated, were forcibly brought here, or were invaded. I'm a bit loathe to say this is the "hidden" part of American history, but if you think back to your schooling, how much space is given to immigration, and how often is it a paragraph about Ellis Island?

The most striking aspect to me was how much of American's immigration waves are due to labor, in a very cyclical way: "oh hey, we need cheap labor so let's import as many of these folks as we can; oh no there's too show more many of them we don't want to be taken over so let's ban them/send them home; oh wait we need cheap labor where's another place we can exploit", rinse and repeat. I'm a fourth generation Chinese American so it's a familiar story to me (familial, even), and I am quick to remind my social feeds of how the Chinese Exclusion Act set the blueprint for restrictive immigration police in the United States. The frustrating aspect to my more organized-labor minded friends is how often solidarity would've bonded the working class immigrants together, if not for the easy division tactic of xenophobia.

Strongly recommend this to supplement or educate yourself about the history of this country, and certainly for the reading lists y'all made in 2020 that you're definitely going to get around to reading in 2021, right? show less

I found this book a profoundly moving, profoundly sobering look at the history of our country. It is also a book I couldn't recommend more enthusiastically. In my opinion it is a "must read." I first came across the title on a book table set up by two women who came to NCF to talk about Reba Place's experience with racial reconciliation. I carried the title around with me for a year or two and finally checked it out at the public library. I don't know if I've ever been impacted so strongly by a book before. Takaki, a third-generation American (as is my mother) covers American history from the perspective of some of the various minorities that have made America their home, and one that is indigenous. He covers African Americans, Irish show more Americans, Mexican Americans, Chinese Americans, Native Americans, Japanese Americans, and Jewish Americans from the beginnings of our country to the early 1990s. He evenhandedly paints a picture of the reality of American experience for these different groups. He describes the difficulties they had both on a societal level and on an official government policy level. For those who shudder at the thought of reading through a dry history, never fear. This book is most readable. In fact it is downright engaging. Even eloquent. It is heart-changing. Read it.
(Carolyn Vance) show less

Takaki's sweeping text is an excellent introduction to the history of people in the United States who have been oppressed and exploited by the dominant White culture. Really, what he writes in this book is a robust, and concentrated narrative of history that does not shy away from real hurt, violence and affords the reader many opportunities to reflect on how racist and fearful policies of the past are recapitulated in a modern context. While Takaki goes into the violent and painful legacy of violence in the United States he also offers his own story, and a tangible vision of hope for a pluralistic multi-cultural society where all people are treated with dignity and respect.

From the cover and the author's last name, I assumed over 400 pages of Nisei recollection. Interesting enough, but a couple of years before I started to dive in. Nisei and Issei together aren't even a chapter in this book wide in scope of the spectrum of immigrant experience. It starts pre-colonial and wraps up quickly after WW II. Covering Africans, Irish, Chinese (barred from citizenship by pre-WWI "white"-only Federal laws), Japanese (unable to own land in California as late as the '40s) and more is done two distinctive attributes that make this work superlative. First, there is a lengthy comparison to one of my favorite Shakespeare plays The Tempest as New World fantasy and, secondly, immigrant poems and songs are continually show more brought forward to evoke the experience and point of view. show less

Takaki does an absolutely phenomenal job in exploring the history of multicultural America highlighting the often ignored and left out parts of history that showcase just how badly the "white european" treated anyone else. It's a great introduction to real American history not the whitewashed versions heard in grade school. It covers nearly every "race" and ethnicity except the Arabs which is why I can only give it 4 stars. By leaving out Arabs it's left out the immigrants from an entire region of the earth. Otherwise the book covers pretty much everyone. Takaki's writing style is fluid and easy to follow making it easy to read an understand yet contains enough depth that it stimulates thought and discussion.

An amazing book for me to read since I grew up in the decades where much of the history of people of color in America was not present in my history books. This book changed my perspective and profoundly changed me. Brilliant author, easy to read - prepare to be educated. A MUST read for those educated in the American School System prior to the early 1990's.

One of the best books on multi-culturism in America I have read. Mr. Takaki is an excellent writer and uses a comparative approach to understand race and culture through the stories of immigrants.