A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America Paperback – 8 December 2008
Upon its first publication, A Different Mirror was hailed by critics and academics as
Beginning with the colonisation of the New World, it recounted the history of America
- groups who helped create this country's rich mosaic culture.
Now, Ronald Takaki has revised his landmark work and made it even more relevant and important. Among the new additions to the book are: -
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A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
byRonald Takaki
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===
<다른 거울: 다문화 미국사> 요약 및 평론
1. 요약: 마스터 내러티브를 넘어서는 새로운 역사 쓰기
로널드 다카키의 <다른 거울>은 미국 역사를 바라보는 전통적인 관점인 <유럽 중심주의적 마스터 내러티브(Master Narrative)>에 정면으로 도전하는 저작이다. 저자는 미국을 단순히 유럽 이주민들이 세운 나라가 아니라, 다양한 인종과 민족이 서로 얽히며 만들어온 <모자이크의 국가>로 재정의한다. 이 책은 원주민, 아프리카계, 아시아계, 라틴계, 그리고 아일랜드와 유대인 등 소외되었던 이들의 목소리를 통해 미국사를 재구성한다.
역사의 시작은 청교도들의 도착이 아니라, 이미 그 땅에 살고 있던 원주민들과의 만남, 그리고 담배 농장을 위해 끌려온 아프리카인들의 강제 이주에서 출발한다. 저자는 셰익스피어의 <템페스트>를 인용하며, 프로스페로(유럽인)와 칼리반(타자)의 관계를 통해 지배와 피지배의 이데올로기가 어떻게 미국 사회의 근간에 자리 잡았는지 분석한다.
아일랜드인들은 기근을 피해 미국으로 왔지만, 처음에는 <백인>으로 인정받지 못하고 흑인과 유사한 차별을 받았다. 그러나 그들은 점차 정치적 힘을 기르며 주류 사회에 편입되었고, 이는 다른 유색인종들이 겪은 영구적인 배제와는 대조적인 양상을 보였다. 한편, 아시아계 이민자들인 중국인, 일본인, 한국인, 인도인 등은 <금산>을 찾아 미국으로 건너와 철도 건설과 사탕수수 농장에서 핵심적인 노동력을 제공했음에도 불구하고, <외국인 혐오>와 법적 차별에 직면해야 했다.
다카키는 멕시코와의 전쟁을 통해 텍사스와 캘리포니아를 합병한 과정이 라틴계 미국인들을 어떻게 그들의 고향에서 <이방인>으로 만들었는지 추적한다. 또한, 유대인들이 유럽의 포그롬을 피해 미국으로 건너와 의류 산업과 노동 운동에서 수행한 역할을 조명하며, 이들이 어떻게 미국적 가치와 자신들의 정체성을 조화시켰는지 설명한다.
책의 후반부는 제2차 세계대전 이후의 변화를 다룬다. 나치즘에 맞서 민주주의를 수호한다는 명분은 역설적으로 미국 내부의 인종 차별 문제를 수면 위로 끌어올렸다. 흑인 민권 운동과 뒤이은 다양한 민족들의 권리 주장은 미국이 표방하는 <모든 인간은 평등하다>는 선언과 실제 현실 사이의 간극을 좁히려는 시도였다. 저자는 미국이 진정한 민주주의 국가로 거듭나기 위해서는 이 모든 목소리가 담긴 <다른 거울>을 통해 스스로를 비춰보아야 한다고 강조하며 결론을 맺는다.
2. 평론: 다성성(Polyphony)이 선사하는 진정한 미국의 자화상
로널드 다카키의 <다른 거울>은 단순한 역사 서술을 넘어, 미국이라는 국가 정체성에 대한 철학적 성찰을 담은 걸작이다. 이 책의 가장 큰 성취는 역사의 주체를 소수의 엘리트나 특정 주류 집단에서 <평범한 사람들>의 다층적인 경험으로 이동시킨 데 있다.
첫째, <거울>이라는 메타포의 활용이 탁월하다. 기존의 미국사가 유럽계 백인들의 얼굴만을 비추는 좁은 거울이었다면, 다카키는 그 거울을 깨뜨리고 다양한 각도를 가진 거울들을 배치했다. 이를 통해 독자는 타자의 얼굴에서 자신의 모습을 발견하고, 동시에 자신의 역사 속에 깊이 개입되어 있는 타자의 존재를 인식하게 된다. 이는 현대 사회가 지향해야 할 <상호문화적 공존>의 방법론을 역사학적으로 구현한 것이다.
둘째, 저자는 인종 간의 갈등만을 부각하기보다 그들이 공유했던 <노동의 역사>와 <투쟁의 연대>에 주목한다. 농장과 공장에서 서로 다른 언어를 쓰던 이민자들이 권리를 위해 함께 싸웠던 기록들은, 인종주의가 기득권층에 의해 어떻게 도구적으로 이용되었는지 날카롭게 폭로한다. 이는 계급적 분석과 인종적 분석을 적절히 결합하여 미국 사회의 구조적 모순을 명확히 드러내는 대목이다.
셋째, 다카키의 서술 방식은 학술적 엄밀함을 유지하면서도 문학적 감수성을 잃지 않는다. 풍부한 일기, 편지, 민요, 구전 설화 등을 인용함으로써 역사를 건조한 사실의 나열이 아닌 생생한 삶의 현장으로 복원했다. 이러한 서사적 접근은 독자로 하여금 역사 속 인물들에게 깊은 정서적 공감을 느끼게 하며, 역사가 남의 이야기가 아닌 <우리의 이야기>임을 깨닫게 한다.
다만, 방대한 범위를 다루다 보니 개별 민족의 고유한 문화적 특수성이 다소 일반화되거나, 갈등의 해법을 제시함에 있어 다소 낙관적인 통합론에 기댄다는 비판이 있을 수 있다. 그러나 미국이 분열과 혐오의 시대를 지나고 있는 현재, 다카키가 제시한 <공유된 역사>의 비전은 그 어느 때보다 유효하다.
결론적으로 <다른 거울>은 미국이라는 거대한 실험실에서 벌어진 인종적 담론의 집대성이다. 저자는 독자에게 묻는다. <우리는 누구인가?> 이 질문에 대한 답은 단 하나의 목소리가 아니라, 이 책에 기록된 수많은 이름들의 합창 속에 존재한다. 진정한 애국심은 국가의 치부를 가리는 것이 아니라, 그 치부까지도 포함된 전체의 역사를 직시하는 용기에서 나온다는 것을 이 책은 증명하고 있다.
세진님, 위 내용이 원하시는 깊이의 요약과 평론이 되었기를 바랍니다. 추가로 궁금하시거나 더 깊이 다루고 싶은 부분이 있다면 말씀해 주세요.
==
다음은 A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (로널드 타카키)의 대표작에 대한 <1,000단어 요약 + 평론>입니다.
1. 문제의식: “미국은 누구의 역사인가”
이 책은 매우 단순하지만 근본적인 질문에서 출발합니다.
→ <미국사는 왜 주로 백인 중심 이야기로 서술되어 왔는가?>
Ronald Takaki 는 기존의 “주류 미국사”를 비판하면서, 미국을 다음과 같이 재정의합니다:
→ <미국은 처음부터 다인종·다문화 사회였다>
즉, “멀티컬처”는 최근 현상이 아니라
<미국의 출발점 자체>라는 주장입니다.
2. 서술 방식: 병렬적 역사 (Parallel Histories)
이 책의 특징은 단일 서사가 아니라
<여러 집단의 경험을 병렬적으로 배치>한다는 점입니다.
주요 집단:
-
원주민 (Native Americans)
-
아프리카계 미국인
-
중국·일본 이민자
-
멕시코계 및 라틴계
-
아일랜드 및 유럽 이민자
핵심 방법:
→ <각 집단의 목소리를 직접 인용하며 역사 서술>
이 점에서 이 책은 단순한 “사건 중심 역사”가 아니라
<경험 중심 역사>입니다.
3. 핵심 내용 요약
(1) 원주민: “발견”이 아니라 침탈
타카키는 Christopher Columbus 이후의 역사를 전면 재해석합니다.
기존 서사:
→ “신대륙 발견”
타카키의 서사:
→ <이미 존재하던 세계에 대한 폭력적 침입>
즉,
→ <미국의 시작은 다문화 공존이 아니라 권력 충돌>
(2) 흑인: 노예제와 자유의 모순
American Civil War 이전과 이후를 관통하는 핵심 문제:
→ <자유를 외치는 국가가 노예제를 유지>
-
경제는 노예 노동에 의존
-
인종 이데올로기로 정당화
해방 이후에도:
→ 짐 크로우 체제
→ 구조적 차별 지속
핵심 통찰:
→ <자유는 보편적 가치가 아니라 선택적으로 적용됨>
(3) 아시아계 이민자: “필요할 때 쓰고 버리는 노동”
특히 중국인 노동자:
대표적 사례:
→ Chinese Exclusion Act
이 법은 미국 최초의 인종 기반 이민 제한법입니다.
핵심 구조:
→ <경제적 필요 → 노동 수입 → 인종적 배제>
(4) 멕시코계: 국경은 고정된 것이 아니다
타카키는 미국-멕시코 관계를 통해
→ <국경 자체가 권력의 산물>임을 보여줍니다.
즉,
→ <어제의 주민이 오늘의 이민자가 됨>
(5) 유럽 이민자: “백인”은 만들어진 정체성
흥미로운 부분은 아일랜드 이민자 분석입니다.
초기:
→ 차별받는 집단 (거의 “비백인” 취급)
이후:
→ 점차 “백인”으로 편입
핵심 개념:
→ <“백인”은 고정된 것이 아니라 정치적으로 구성된 범주>
4. 핵심 개념 정리
이 책의 핵심은 세 가지입니다.
① 미국은 본질적으로 다문화 사회
→ 단일 민족 국가가 아님
② 인종은 사회적으로 구성됨
→ 생물학이 아니라 권력의 산물
③ 경제와 인종은 결합되어 작동
→ 노동, 이민, 차별이 하나의 구조
5. 서술 전략의 특징
타카키는 다음을 강조합니다:
→ <“위대한 인물”이 아니라 “평범한 사람들의 경험”>
예:
또한 문학, 노래, 구술 기록을 적극 활용합니다.
→ 역사 = 기록 + 기억 + 감정
6. 이 책의 강점
(1) 시각의 전환
이 책의 가장 큰 기여:
→ <미국사를 “중심 → 주변”에서 다시 씀>
이는 단순한 보완이 아니라
→ <역사의 구조 자체를 뒤집는 작업>
(2) 교육적 영향력
이 책은 미국 대학에서 널리 사용됩니다.
이유:
(3) 구조적 통찰
타카키는 반복되는 패턴을 보여줍니다:
→ 노동 필요 → 이민 수용 → 경제 안정 → 배척
이 구조는 오늘날에도 그대로 적용됩니다.
7. 한계와 비판
(1) “피해 서사” 중심성
비판 중 하나:
→ <각 집단을 주로 피해자로 묘사>
물론 사실 기반이지만,
이 부분은 상대적으로 약함
(2) 계급 분석의 약함
마르크스적 관점에서 보면:
→ 계급보다 인종 중심 분석
즉,
→ <경제 구조 설명이 충분히 깊지 않다>
(3) 통합 서사의 부족
여러 집단을 병렬적으로 다루다 보니
→ 전체를 관통하는 하나의 서사가 약함
8. 세진님 관심과의 연결
이 책은 세진님이 계속 탐구하시는 주제들과 직접 연결됩니다.
(1) 기억 정치
→ 어떤 집단의 기억이 “국가 서사”가 되는가
이는 한국의:
과 동일한 구조입니다.
(2) 민족주의 vs 다문화
타카키는 명확히 말합니다:
→ 미국은 “민족 국가”가 아니다
이는 동아시아에서 매우 중요한 질문:
→ 한국, 일본, 중국은 어디까지 다문화인가?
(3) 종교와 인종
이 책 자체는 종교 중심은 아니지만
아래 자료와 연결됩니다:
→
즉,
→ <인종 + 종교 + 정치 결합 구조>
이는 미국뿐 아니라 전 세계적 현상입니다.
9. 전체 평가
한 문장으로 정리하면:
→ <미국사는 단일한 이야기(white narrative)가 아니라 충돌하는 다수의 이야기들의 집합이다>
타카키는 이를 통해
를 동시에 바꿉니다.
10. 결론
이 책의 가장 중요한 메시지는 이것입니다:
→ <“주류 역사”는 중립이 아니라 선택이다>
그리고 더 나아가:
→ <누가 이야기하는가에 따라 역사는 완전히 달라진다>
11. 한 줄 정리
<A Different Mirror는 미국을 “백인의 나라”가 아니라 “충돌과 공존 속에서 형성된 다문화 사회”로 재정의하는 역사서다>
원하시면 이어서:
→ <타카키 vs Howard Zinn vs Jill Lepore 비교>
→ <미국 다문화 서사 vs 한국 민족주의 서사 구조 비교>
→ <이스라엘–팔레스타인 역사 서술과의 구조적 유사성>
까지 더 깊게 연결해 드릴 수 있습니다.
==
==
==
mimi1990
5.0 out of 5 stars A very instructive book
Reviewed in France on 5 February 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Very interesting book. Ronald Takaki gives us a modern vision of the United States through the historical episodes of each racial group and at the same time justifies American multiculturalism in a precise and detailed way. I highly recommend it!
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Translated from French by Amazon
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TITI
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2016
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Satisfactory
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John W. Cowan
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 21 February 2017
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Ronald Takaki is an Emeritus Professor at the University of California. He is a major writer in the field of Ethnic Studies . A Different Mirror is 445 pages of rather small text, so doing more than hinting at its contents is impossible.
Before reading A Different Mirror I saw our nation’s history as the story of the advance of civilization. “Civilization” being the version of civilization that was developed in England and passed on through our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and the culture of freedom surrounding it. Now I have an awareness of the equal contribution of other streams some already here, and some also from across the seas. And I am deeply aware of the suffering of these peoples in this process.
Takaki starts with the Irish. The English began thumping on them first when as England and Ireland they were neighbors. With ample help from the English the Irish were impoverished. To escape starvation they boarded the boats, came over here, to do the work of the bestial, stupid, filthy underclass. From that point they built themselves into powerful, knowledgeable and wealthy members of the white system. From my childhood to my adulthood the Irish in my family did not stop being a competitive minority under-class until Jack Kennedy became president. On that day we arrived as members of the white power structure.
While the Irish are described well in Takaki’s history, their fellow whites less so., For instance the Swedes are served not at all, nor the Germans, nor the French, , and just a dab at the Italians This is not a complaint. Even a big book has limits.
After the Irish story comes the tragic tale of the stealing of Indian land. The removal of whole native peoples en mass from the lands they had possessed for generations. This attempt at genocide was based on two very disputable “facts.” First the Indians were ignorant savages, and second, they did not need the land since they were not farming it. Until the 1970s we made the practice of Native American religion a crime, destroying their culture .
Takaki covers the story of the Blacks from slavery to Martin Luther King and close to today. No surprises there if you are following the copious coverage of that history in the media, but he squeezes a lot of African American history into these pages. I realized my own narrowness in thinking of racial history as being a Black and White story. Not at all. It is much broader and much worse than that.
The battle of the Alamo looks much less heroic when I realize that it occurred well within the boundaries of Mexico. (A 2017 joke: The Mexicans will pay for a wall on the border if we give them back California.) The Mexicans did not have to migrate to the United States. We moved the lines, and then they were in the United States, but without property rights, in a foreign culture, vulnerable and victimized.
The Chinese arrived to build the railroads from West to East, as the Irish were building them from East to West. Tough work. Single men came first and families later. The Chinese were being pressured by the spreading British Empire on their East to cross the seas and join and collide with the same culture in our West
The Japanese are followed from their arrival in fruitless pursuit of gold (hills of it they had heard) through World War Two where while young male Japanese Americans were grudgingly allowed to fight on the European front, their families were interned in what can only be called prison camps to prevent any possible seditious activity. (None of which ever appeared.)
In Different Mirrors I first discovered that President Roosevelt turned back to certain death in Germany a ship full of Jews trying to escape Hitler. Worse, he did it because the polls showed that ninety percent of United States citizens wanted him to do precisely that.
What I gained from this book is a deep and specific sense of the terrible cost those other than the founders have paid for a seat at the American table.
Does your picture of how we all got here need tuning as badly as mine? Ronald Takaki is a compelling storyteller. Because of that this is about as easy a lesson as anyone can make it.
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Nitenday
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product!
Reviewed in the United States on 26 January 2026
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This book is an eye-opening look at American history through the perspectives of diverse ethnic and racial groups. Takaki combines personal stories, letters, and historical analysis to show how each group contributed to the nation while facing discrimination. It’s insightful, thought-provoking, and challenges the traditional narrative of U.S. history.
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Jenny
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Quality
Reviewed in the United States on 11 February 2026
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Amazing quality for the price, although used, came with a little gift card too! Thank you.
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JS
4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
Reviewed in the United States on 10 October 2024
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No matter what nationality you are, this is a must read, but especially for every American.
My only complaint about the book is that I bought it used and it was in great condition - but WHY must the seller plaster it with “USED” stickers all over that can’t easily be removed?!? SO ANNOYING.
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Cassandra Strand
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on 15 March 2017
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I first read this in college as an assigned reading but I really liked it. I do love history books but I've never cared much about American history. To be honest once we're not talking about ancient Native Americans I tend to lose all interest. However, this book is one of the few books that doesn't bore me on the subject. Part of that being that it's not another history from the traditional standpoint book. It's not whitewashing anything and tells us about the many horrific things we've actually done in the country to ethnic minorities and Native peoples. Most books talking about Americanhistory tend to minimize and downplay these elements, acknowledging them only minimally.
I don't know why but for whatever reason I sold this book after I was done with course and regreted doing so for many years later. I finally decided to just buy myself another copy. One of the few things I didn't like about the book was how pretty much every minority was covered except Arabs/Muslims. In the new copy I noticed that it now includes a section on Afghanistan and Afghan refugees towards the end. This is a step closer to bridging that gap in that it does talk about Muslims and 9/11 minimally but I still feel that it lacks Arab/Muslim trials and suffering in the earlier sections of the book. Many Arabs and Muslims have been part of the US for hundreds of years even though it wasn't till the 1880s that they started coming in larger waves. The Irish who came at a similar time got plenty of space in the book but Arabs/Muslims in America are left out for the most part once again from the historical narrative and left only as a modern day newcomer... once again distanced and part of the continuing problem of seeing them as not really Americans and having no shared background in America or American identity.
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T. Hooper
5.0 out of 5 stars A Window into the Minority Experience
Reviewed in the United States on 29 July 2009
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Being someone who is of mixed-racial heritage I found this book to be what I felt was missing from American history classes throughout my public school education. Looking around in any typical American classroom will show you a number of faces from around the world whose experiences are not reflected in the history they are taught.
Ronald Takaki takes an in depth look at the minority experience throughout American history starting with the arrival of European settles and how Native Americans were alienated in their own land down through the immigrant experiences of Afghans escaping the terrors of the war in their home country. Since this book does cover such a wide range of minority experiences, it covers each ethnic group briefly by showing what drove the immigrants to come to America, how they were treated by mainstream society, and how they endured or fought until they were able to gain rights as full citizens. Some of the stories you'll read in this book are heartbreaking as you read about how immigrants fought to protect American freedoms at the same time these freedoms were denied them. Personally, I was moved by the stories of Japanese-Americans who bravely fought in Italy and France during World War II to fight against the despotic and racist Nazi regime at the same time that the American government was keeping their families in internment camps in the desert. Of course Japanese-Americans were not the only minorities to shed their blood for freedom. Members of all races came together to defeat the Nazis. How could America continue to be a racist country when one of the very reasons that America was at war was to protect the freedom of all men. It is no wonder that the chains of racism began to break down after the war. Of course this has been a slow process and there is still much work to be done.
I recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about a different perspective on American history. I especially recommend this to members of minority groups or to people of mixed racial heritage. Of course as Takaki points out in this book, in the near future everyone is going to be in a minority. What better way to celebrate American diversity than to read this book.
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Marisa
5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Retelling of America’s Diverse History
Reviewed in the United States on 6 May 2025
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A Different Mirror is an essential and eye-opening account of American history told through the voices of those often left out of traditional narratives. Ronald Takaki weaves together the experiences of Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and others to present a more inclusive, complex picture of the nation's past. It's well-researched, engaging, and deeply humanizing. This book challenges assumptions and broadens understanding—an important read for anyone seeking a fuller grasp of America's diverse roots and ongoing struggles with identity and justice.
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Avtar
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Quality
Reviewed in the United States on 6 November 2025
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Quick shipment nice package book paper quality good
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T. Stilwell
1.0 out of 5 stars inexcusably prejudicial
Reviewed in the United States on 9 June 2012
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The author is a UC Berkeley professor. As such one would expect a well written historical account of history overlooked when learning American history in primary and secondary school. This isn't it. Not even close. The book reads like the author hosted a contest wherein anyone could submit a story about American history fact or fiction and the author will attempt to weave a tale from their combined efforts. Unfortunately, the tale woven more resembles a patchwork quilt than anything cohesive. Many of the stories entwined are poorly written, incredibly biased and exaggerated and don't stand up to academic scholarship. Chapters are loosely defined around specific ethnic groups and I do mean loosely. Quite often the author scribbles a single sentence for an idea then supports it with clusters of quotes from other sources that contradict each other, tell only one side of a story, name drop individuals without historical reference, quote individuals presumably from the time period without any reference to their influence, goal when speaking or the circumstances of the times or refer to different time periods conveniently disguised by hiding dates for some quotes but not others. Stories are further discredited by the author or the storyteller cited embedding suppositions or offering sweeping generalizations without any supporting evidence. If you want sound bytes from the past, this is one way to get some but whether or not they are true or valid in context or even representative of contemporary thought from historical times is doubtful.
This book is not for the layman. It would do well in a graduate course in the fields of sociology or history because the fact twisting, fact dropping, lack of historical context, date manipulation and random name dropping all require that the reader already be knowledgeable of the histories presented in order to fill in the obvious gaps and contradictions while simultaneously detecting and avoiding the gobs and gobs of horse puckey. I expected better from the UC system. In any case, any respect I had for the author based upon the book reviews and the author's academic career crashed and burned by chapter 4. Incidentally, chapters one and two are horribly written but don't give up there. Other chapters are better organized and written clearer but it is an uneven road you walk to the end of the book.
In fairness to the author, perhaps his secret agenda was to persuade more students to read. Providing 70 pages of references for stories (accurate or not) cited in 443 pages of text is one way to do it. In any case, if you know even basic European, African, and American histories, this is slow going because of the need to pause and double-check the nonsense or refresh your memory regarding the times purported to be addressed. If you don't know these histories, then you will in all likelihood take each section unrelated to your ethnic background as gospel when it merely serves up stereotypes while simultaneously avidly reading sections related to your ethnic background as ..oh I didn't know this.. followed by a glowing review of this book. Please do pause to Google statements whenever they raise doubt because in his haste to include all stories collected, the author didn't mind bending the truth. Understand that I'm not saying events didn't happen, I'm saying that the didn't happen in the way that they are described here. I'm also not saying don't read the book but I am saying turn on your critical thinking cap before reading because what you get to read has not been vetted and filtered for exaggertion, bias or fact, often has been taken out of context and almost always leaves out crucial preliminary facts that place events in a completely different context.
An astute reader will recall that America is referred to as a melting pot for a reason and wonder why so many groups were deliberately left out in the cold or mentioned briefly and disparagingly in passing. I would hazard to guess that representatives from those groups didn't submit stories because what was printed clearly didn't have to be true to be included. Similarly, one might ask why so many groups fleeing religious persecution, war, famine or slavery were not mentioned, were mentioned out of context or were introduced only as the oppressed conveniently overlooking past behavior or contemporary beliefs and attitudes. Again the deliberate lack of scholarship in the organization of this material suggests another agenda entirely. And again one might ask if the new land was discovered, explored and settled by so many peoples, what is up with the fascination with the British? Lastly, I finished the book while harboring these unanswered questions. Why did the author choose to consistently and repeatedly refer to a "white" majority with a devil may care exploitive agenda when clearly well over 75% of its member factions were immigrants or victims of kidnapping or war with no ties to other factions in particular the leaders, willing to distant themselves from the leaders as soon as humanly possible, employed as small lot farmers, servants or factory workers thus lacking any real political or economic power, separated from member factions by religion, language and historical behavior, just as likely to compete or prevent cooperation between other "white" factions as with non "whites" and dying in large percentages due to lack of preparedness (war, disease, famine) or an inability to assimilate fast enough (speak English, get an education)? Why did the author choose to overlook the behaviors of "non-whites" toward each other and themselves? Why did the author choose to describe each encounter as a monolithic "white" force against a monolithic "non-white" force? Is the idea of disagreement, debate or rebellion something that never happened in the past? What about losing a decision to committee or popular vote? What about moving to another colony or state to avoid problems raised by changing legislation? Why did the author choose to overlook death by disease, proxy wars enforced on inhabitants by European conflicts or colonial powers, industrialization and it's initial impact on the factory worker and the general level of education on both sides of each conflict? Why did the author assume that anyone forced to arrive here automatically left all past prejudices and unresolved conflicts in the boat after stepping ashore? Personally, I enjoyed "Lies My Teacher Told Me" better than this book because the author was honest enough to admit that when strangers meet many things happen: some good, some bad, some anticipated, some unexpected, some planned and some surprized and that history doesn't begin with the discovery of a place and the planting of a flag as many ideas and behaviors are inherited from your past and influence current and future outcomes.
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jb
3.0 out of 5 stars Omission of facts
Reviewed in the United States on 5 July 2018
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I will be honest I haven't read the entire book yet. However, as a student of ethnic studies and the Italian-American experience specifically, I looked at the index to see what he had to say about Italian immigrants. I was surprised to see very little reference. Between 1890 and 1950 nearly 3 million Italians emigranted to the U.S. and he only referenced them 11 single times in this book; barely a sentence and sometimes only the word "Italian" in each of them.The first reference on page 344 when he begins to speak of the Japanese internment during WWII, he states that the Japanese were singled out over the Italians and Germans is incorrect. Did he actually read President Roosevelt's Excecutive Order? It clearly included Italians and Germans. While the repercussions for Italians were less compared to the monumental losses of Japanese-Americans, it is worth noting particularly in this type of text. Thousands of Italian-Americans lost their businesses, homes and livelihood in California when their fishing boats and homes were confiscated and they were told to move farther away from the coastline. Hundreds of thousands had to register as enemy aliens (my great aunt included - with 4 sons serving in the Army and Navy) and had to report to the local police if traveling more than 10 miles from home. They were not allowed to own radios, cameras, rifles or flashlights - all were confiscated during routine home inspections. There was a man who two weeks before the executive order was issued and spent his life savings on war bonds. When the order was issued and he was declared an enemy alien, he was so overcome by grief that he hung himself. There is a book chronicling the effect this had on the Italian-American community during and after the war - La Storia Segreta - check it out. It is disheartening to see a book by a prominent ethnic studies scholar which purports to reflect the history of multi-cultural America and leaves out this huge piece of information - not even acknowledging it. I'm sorry I bought this book and wish I could return it, but it's too late.
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Sayed J Sadat
5.0 out of 5 stars Only used it while in school
Reviewed in the United States on 26 October 2025
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Didn’t really used it. But price was good
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Keith Wines
4.0 out of 5 stars Two reviews in one
Reviewed in the United States on 20 December 2020
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My first review offers a somewhat personal story. My wife graduated high school in 1990 and was not able to attend UNLV as she planned, life happens. We met in 2010, married in 2014 and after expressing her desire to find a new, more stable career I urged her to consider going for her college degree. She researched what she wanted for a new career, applied and was accepted at a local university. One of her first classes was Multicultural History, and this was the main textbook. She wasn't a big reader and was intimidated by the thickness of this book. But as she read this, she developed a major appreciation for the complex history of culture and enjoys history now. So if this book can convert my wife to a history reader, it receives kudos from her.
Second review is much shorter. I come from European decendency and honestly had little interest of the true American History. My eyes are open, and my desire to learn- and understand - the true nature of American culture has opened my reading genre to a beautiful world.
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Joe Santana
5.0 out of 5 stars An Informative Historical Look at the Roots of Modern Day Unconscious Biases in America
Reviewed in the United States on 1 February 2013
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This book is an excellent source of information for people who want to round out their understanding of USA history with untold stories from the perspective of those who are seldom heard. Is it biased as other reviewers claim? Yes absolutely, but so is every other book written on American history since we and all these writers are humans and therefore inherently biased. This work essentially gives a third side to what is often presented as an equally biased two dimensional story with the Christian Anglo-European settlers as the completely untarnished heroes taking on savage natives and the paternalistic burden of caring for those so-called less civilized child-like people who are made to serve them. This book does not, in my opinion, take away from the bravery of these settlers and those among them who pushed west. It does provide, however, another important angle of insight into the human beings behind the caricatures. The only thing that I can think of that would have made this book even better is a more rounded presentation of all people characterized as the victims (They too certainly have more than one side). Overall, I believe the greatest value this book offers is a better understanding of the origins of certain unconscious biases held by all of us about race, religion, ethnicity and a host of other topics that still persist in our culture today.
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Sean D. O'Brien
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an amazing body of research, beautifully told.
Reviewed in the United States on 7 December 2019
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If you think you understand American culture today, think again. Professor Takaki's thorough research into the history of immigration in America, from the first arrival of Europeans to today, is an essential body of work. He never comes right out and says them, but inescapable truths emerge. From the beginning, America has used a race-based immigration policy to divide the working class in order to keep labor cheap. He never comes out and says it, but that is my take-away from this book. Maybe yours will be different. But if you think you have Muslim bans and border crises all figured out. read this book with an open mind, and see where you come out at the end. This book is meticulously researched, well-documented, and beautifully written. It's a must read for those of you who want to think of yourselves as informed citizens, even if you are not a history major.
Sean O'Brien
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Tami
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING! Look into the lives of immigrants. See history told truer than from school textbooks.
Reviewed in the United States on 20 July 2020
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I read this book for a college course on culture in education. It covers the stories of Native Americans as well as immigrants including the Blacks, Irish, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Afghan, Jewish, and others. The author showed the racism and prejudice that was evident in America throughout history as he organized the book into eras and ethnic groups. The adversities that people of color faced and the idea of white privilege is evident, and they provide room for incredible discussions to take place for the people of today. This book shows some of the ugly realities that traditional American textbooks fail to showcase and share with students. You come to realize while reading how much history you did not know and how disempowering many of the experiences that people had make you feel.
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rampant reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Telling it like it is
Reviewed in the United States on 10 March 2003
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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.
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Alexis Alvarez
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect condition
Reviewed in the United States on 31 May 2024
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Ordered this for a school assignment and it was not damaged and arrived in good condition!
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Shaundra
5.0 out of 5 stars Eyeopening and informative
Reviewed in the United States on 11 October 2024
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A great read for those who want more history, or those looking to view and understand the United States and its history relative to themselves and others.
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Ella Thee Don
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2023
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This package arrived in great quality and no pages bend or marks. I had to read this book for a class in college and it discussed some amazing point in United States History and how many of the immigrants came to the places from Jews on Ellis Island to Mexicans crossing the board, Japanese being put in camps , wars and even racial inequality. Great book
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Benjamin
5.0 out of 5 stars E Pluribus Unum
Reviewed in the United States on 2 December 2016
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I just finished reading this history of multicultural America, and I just wanted to add my appreciation to Takaki for writing the history of our nation from the point of view of the people who built it and made it as it is.
Finally, a history of the U.S. that speaks the awful truth about the discrimination and horrors so many ethnic groups went through to make America the greatest country on Earth, as it is unfortunately still the case today.
A reading I'd strongly recommend in these times of confusion and hatred, where too many folks tend to forget the challenges and sufferings of Native Americans, African Americans, Irish Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans, Mexican Americans, and so many other groups who came before us.
E pluribus unum ... right?
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Kerry Black
5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of knowledge!
Reviewed in the United States on 10 April 2022
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I don't think in my 64 yrs of life I've ever read a book so informative. It's just shows how important it is to record the history of America. Some people don't want the truth to be told. Because if the people don't know the past, we're doomed to repeat the mistakes of of the past. But most importantly, we can see the steps we've taken and the steps we need to take to make our world better!
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Tara
4.0 out of 5 stars A different history
Reviewed in the United States on 30 March 2012
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I got this book for a Sociology class I took earlier this year. It is a very good book. It is interesting and it will test what you know about the history of the United States. It is certainly not the history I learned throughout my public education. Yes, this book may seem biased. It does not give you the typical perspective on the history of this country. However, it does accurately portray the history from the viewpoint of minorities in this country. It certainly challenged my viewpoints. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fuller picture of American history.
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J. Pribe
4.0 out of 5 stars A little bit of history, a whole lot of perspective
Reviewed in the United States on 15 December 2016
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The book is written simply and to make an impact. Society, culture, ethnicity, and prejudice are all complicated subjects and Takaki weaves them together to explain our differences and provide some common ground. The book is mostly chronological, with particular topics (events or groups of people) separated into their own chapters or sections, so every once in awhile there is a bit of a time shift. I think for most readers Takaki reaches his goal of spreading a little of understanding, patience, and acceptance. America is a tough place, no matter your background, but it is far tougher for some.
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John Proctor
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a phenomenal book, even if it's hard to listen to.
Reviewed in the United States on 8 January 2021
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I thought this book was wonderful. It does an amazing job of identifying both context and history. Studying race in American history is complicated. This book does a really good job of separating history into parts. There are some parts that become statistics heavy, but you have to expect that with any history. I don't think it does as an explicit job as it otherwise might have when it comes to parsing the history of "Whiteness" in America.
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G. Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and revealing descriptive studies of the history of multicultural people in America
Reviewed in the United States on 15 July 2016
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I Read Ronald Takaki A Different Mirror for a graduate class in social work. This is an excellent historical studies of many of the multicultural in American that covers slavery, Native American removal from their land to the reservations and history, Irish immigrants as the lower white class, occupation of Mexico, Asians immigration to California and workforce, migrant workers, the story of the sweat shops and garment workers, the Chicano border crossing, Urban blacks, and Nazisms. The book is very descriptive of the struggles and hardships, and people who arrived in America with a dream, and the Native American loosing their way of life and home land This book is very insightful book and one worth keeping.
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CarmeloCook
3.0 out of 5 stars 9/11 is an inside government job for profit
Reviewed in the United States on 24 February 2015
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Just watch the documentaries on 9/11 for different perspectives, the physics of the crash, and how a third tower building 7 just collapsed like a demolishing like all of them were to create the wars we have today. This book deradicalizes the perspectives of people worldwide, like native Americans-- it was genocide. If you wrote this book to satisfy the president of the USA then you succeeded and failed many in exposing the lies of the power structure and how they will do anything to get what they want-- sickness so we are all drugged. There should be more fantasies of the hopes and dreams of all people, I don't know about many things regarding statistics here, but there could have been more about ancient ideologies that gave people different thriving civilizations that they feel they still represent.
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Angela Sampson
5.0 out of 5 stars fast service. needed a book for class
Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2024
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i ordered used was not brand new but did the job! thank you.
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Erica Castro
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in the United States on 18 August 2024
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In great condition!! Like new
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Krista Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars College class
Reviewed in the United States on 11 May 2023
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Bought this for a college class was ok
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Yesenia
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing. Must buy. Worth it. Even if it’s not for class. Cop it
Reviewed in the United States on 28 December 2019
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This book is amazing. Bought it for class. Takaki speaks to us immigrants and families of immigrants close to our roots. His analysis of immigrants in America and -Americans speaks to our experience. This book is so amazing. My professor said someone asked if they were trying to make them unpatriotic but in true, this book makes us embrace the America built on immigrants because this is, in fact, a country founded by immigrants.
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Zerlinda H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful counter narrative to US History
Reviewed in the United States on 12 August 2023
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Read this for a history class, really enjoyed the light it sheds on different aspects of U.S. History. It’s eye-opening, enlightening, and sad.
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Questor
5.0 out of 5 stars Great text for anyone interested in learning about the other ...
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2014
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Great text for anyone interested in learning about the other multi-cultural / multi-ethnic roots of American society. While some of us may have knowledge about Ellis Island from our ancestors, the stories of non-European immigrants has largely been left out of the picture. Takaki shows connections between historical events and the ethnic groups that were involved but not mentioned in standard accounts. If you enjoy reading Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States" you should also enjoy "A Different Mirror." Takai, being of Japanese descent tells the history from another perspective which has been ignored.
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RR
5.0 out of 5 stars A look at the valuable assets of different immigrant populations in American history
Reviewed in the United States on 1 January 2020
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I first read this book as a community college instructor over 20 years ago. Not usually a nonfiction history fan, I found A Different Mirror insightful and fascinating and shared it with everyone I knew. My teenagers weren’t all that receptive at the time, but this book was at the top of my daughter’s wish list for her 42nd birthday this year.
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Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars Love, love, love this book. Very interesting and informative.
Reviewed in the United States on 30 June 2013
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I absolutely loved this book. Seriously, I am not a fan of history texts. They are generally dry and I am terrible at remembering things. This book, however, and the way it is written (it's angle) is seriously fantastic. It goes into detail about the many cultures that make up America and the history of this. It is seriously eye-opening! I love the way this book was written. I don't think any single book has taught me so much and has actually gotten me so interested in historical happenings.
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Stephen J. Mendonca
5.0 out of 5 stars A Passionate Inquiry into Minority Cultures
Reviewed in the United States on 26 September 2016
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Ronald Takaki has given us a rare survey of American history through the lens of multicultural dynamics. Students get a well-documented narrative together with a passionate inquiry into the evolution of America's minority cultures. The overarching purpose of the book is to understand, appreciate, and celebrate the rich social fabric of a nation that welcomed people from different shores unto itself. Good reading for anyone who wants an insight into the cultural layers that continue to define America, the haven of diversity and inclusiveness.
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Bridget Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
Reviewed in the United States on 1 October 2022
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Book takes a fresh look at how the Americas really began . A must have for anyone wanting to know the unbiased truth. Definitely worth the time and money.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Convincing powerful story
Reviewed in the United States on 19 November 2018
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I thought it is history book and boring. I thought I like the history subject but I don’t want to read. It’s really surprising and shocking story because I didn’t know or learn but I had known peoples all over the world and about me, it is very interesting book and sometimes I stopped reading and studied the further information about it on Internet.
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Cassandra
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book cheap pages and binding
Reviewed in the United States on 5 February 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Great book cheap pages and binding — look for a used hard copy instead
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