La Belle and Ward address a major question confronting American higher education--How do colleges and universities best prepare students for common citizenship in a diverse, democratic state while also nurturing their groups' cultures, values, and institutional participation?

The authors clarify current debates about diversity and the content of curriculum, what one commentator calls the "culture wars." The book includes an overview of ethnicity, intergroup relations, and related concepts; the history and development of multiculturalism and ethnic studies in higher education in the United States; and an analysis of the issues related to diversity in higher education, particularly as they relate to tensions between ethnic studies and multicultural efforts.

The authors share their vision of how higher education might be made more open to ethnic and other groups, while broadening the learning about diversity for all students. They emphasize the role that institutional and student cultures, including extra-curricular organizations and activities, play in achieving these goals.