Product Description

The editors who brought us Unsettling America and Identity Lessons have compiled a short- story anthology that focuses on themes of racial and ethnic assimilation. With humor, passion, and grace, the contributors lay bare poignant attempts at conformity and the alienation sometimes experienced by ethnic Americans. But they also tell of the strength gained through the preservation of their communities, and the realization that it was often their difference from the norm that helped them to succeed. In pieces suggesting that American identity is far from settled, these writers illustrate the diversity that is the source of both the nation's great discord and infinite promise.

"A moving collection featuring some of the nation's brightest voices on the complex and profound subject of race and ethnicity in America

Contributors include:

* Toni Morrison
* E. L. Doctorow
* Sherman Alexie
* Amy Tan
* Louise Erdrich
* Gary Soto
* Gish Jen
* Diane di Prima
* Afaa Michael Weaver
* Bebe Moore Campbell
* and many more

* Penguin Readers Guide Bound into Every Book

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #259063 in Books
• Published on: 1999-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780140280630
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
The stories and memoirs in this collection are great: Sherman Alexie, Amy Tan, Toni Morrison, E. L. Doctorow, Sandra Cisneros, and many more of our best writers deal directly, but never simplistically, with the conflicts of becoming American. They personalize what you lose by crossing borders, what you leave behind, what you gain, what America gains. They write with humor and poignancy, rooted in particulars that speak to everyone about dislocation, about being an outsider at school, in the neighborhood, at home. Some stories will be new to most readers; some are often anthologized. In her fine introduction, Jennifer Gillan points out that the stories show empathy without sweet nostalgia or any idealization of ethnicity. This kind of collection, with its literary quality and multiple perspectives, is the best answer to those who expect only messages with multiculturalism and who sneer "P.C." at the mention of diversity. Hazel Rochman

From Kirkus Reviews
A companion volume to Unsettling America: An Anthology of Contemporary Multicultural American Poetry that draws on work by some first-rate writers to make the point that that modern ideas about what it means to be an American are changing. The change, of course, is a result both of the influx of new immigrants and of the growing awareness of distinct identities and unique histories among older immigrant groups. While this is not entirely news, the Gillans generally strong anthology does demonstrate the ways in which some very skilled writers have explored these issues. The tales are divided into four sections: ``Performing'' gathers stories (by E.L. Doctorow, Amy Tan, Gary Soto, and Daryl Pinckney, among others) that focus on the ways members of distinct ethnic communities have tried to identify and (to varying extent) adapt or imitate concepts about what it means to be an American. The tales in ``Crossing'' (which includes work by Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, and Lynne Sharon Schwartz) follow a variety of hesitant efforts by such individuals to straddle the divide between their cultures and American society. ``Negotiating'' features stories (by, among others, Gish Jen, Bruce Jacobs, and Diane Glancy) that probe the many ways in which those without much power to effect change try to find some sense of security in the US without entirely jettisoning their past. And the pieces in ``Bridging'' (including those by Sherman Alexie, Simon Ortiz, and Sylvia Watanabe) deal largely with the efforts of outsiders to reconnect with the cultures they have left behind. The stories, set largely in the recent past or in the present, and ranging in setting from Indian reservations to besieged urban neighborhoods, offer some sensitive and compelling readings of the struggles of those often rendered voiceless by society. An impressive gathering of tales charting the turbulent nature of modern American society, and the efforts of individuals and groups often considered outside the mainstream to discover and maintain their identities. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Maria Mazziotti Gillan is the director of The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey, and the author of five collections of poetry.

Her daughter, Jennifer Gillan, is Assistant Professor of English at Bentley College in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

BUY THIS BOOK, SHARE IT, TEACH IT, CHERISH IT!!!
"Growing Up Ethnic in America" is an immensley important anthology of honest, emotionally-charged, compassionate prose by established and newly emerging writers of all backgrounds. It is a testament to the truly groundbreaking work that the Gillans have been doing in book after book. This dynamic cultural duo have managed to not only change the face of mainstream anthologies by challenging the same old dominance of the mostly white male contributor, but have managed to create teaching tools for teachers faced with educating students of diverse backgrounds. I don't know how many times a student has come to me testifying that something they read in "Growing Up Ethnic in America" speaks to their personal experience and has inspired them to write, think and feel deeply, not only about themselves, but of others as well. "Growing Up Ethnic in America" is a life-changing anthology of brave and honest testimony from those often pushed to the margins of our society. The Gillans have done a remarkable job in culling together all of these fascinating and incredible writers. This should be one ... anyone's book club; but especially for educators and readers who truly care about where we've been as a country, where we are, and where we are headed.

The Real Thing
A very powerful collection of work that tells the real story of what it means to be an American. As an educator, I have researched and read other collections that claim to be similar, even superior but there are no comparisons. GROWING UP ETHNIC IN AMERICA is by far superior in quality.

Powerful words from often-neglected voices
The best thing about this anthology of short stories is the real-world voice that it provides for teenagers who read it. So many teens can feel disenfranchised by the American perspectives on opportunity, and this book shows a very valuable multicultural and immigrant perspective. I teach creative writing in a high school program, and this book, containing such excellent writers as Judith Ortiz Cofer and Gary Soto, is a strong resource for providing modern examples of differing aesthetics and points-of-view.