Perhaps no segment of the United States population is more conscious of American ideals than the immigrants who journey here seeking opportunity and freedom. How have the multitudes adapted to a new culture while trying to preserve their ethnic identity as they pursue the American dream, and how has this acculturation affected their lives and changed the cultural profile of American society? This volume answers these questions by presenting essays that reflect the experiences of many diverse ethnic groups as they struggle to achieve a balance between assimilation and ethnic identity.
Issues specific to certain nationalities are discussed, as well as those that cross national boundaries--such as concerns over education, the role of women, and the realities versus the myth of immigration. Studying how first-wave European immigrants, their descendants, and the more recent arrivals from Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America have helped to shape America's past and present history lays the groundwork for the formulation of new questions for the future regarding assimilation and acculturation within our maturing economy. These issues receive thoughtful attention in the work's closing pages. This new insight into the issues which naturally surface in an increasingly multilingual, multicultural country wil encourage debate and hopefully result in the emergence of a more united society.
