them to issues and events relevant to today's college student population. The text combines both empirical and theoretical material and is designed to help students better understand our highly diverse society. It illustrates the importance of using sociology to identify and assess both the dynamics of ethnic conflicts and the forces that might serve to create a more harmonious society.This text differs from other race and ethnic group texts in three significant ways:* First, it is more historically grounded, making use of the scholarship of social historians in an interdisciplinary way.* Second, it offers a genuinely comparative perspective. The authors highlight similarities and differences between and among groups--as well as distinctions in time, place, and circumstance--that account for contemporary differences in the social locations and well-being of the nation's major ethnic groups. Likewise, cross-national comparisons make sense of how the United States relates to other major liberal democracies in the world.* Third, the book examines the inner workings of racial and ethnic communities, including discussions of group cultures, institutions, resources, and internal divisions.New features of this completely updated and streamlined edition include:* A new chapter on multiculturalism that provides insightful comparisons between the United States and Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Great Britain.* "Voices"--boxed inserts in each chapter--that provide first-person accounts of the impact of ethnic identity on everyday lived experience.* In-depth discussions of theoretical developments in the field, particularly focusing on current discussions of multiculturalism and transnationalism.* Greater attention to the interplay between ethnicity, class, and gender.* Extensive use of the most cutting-edge research on new immigrants in the United States.* An Instructor's Manual/Testing Program and online Interactive Student Study Guide are available.

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