DOC Yurok Myths by Alfred L. Kroeber in History

Description

In this perceptive and revealing study; Mary Waters explores the "reinvention" of ethnicity in the lives of the grandchildren and great grandchildren of European immigrants; asking how their ethnic heritage is lived; maintained; and celebrated. Through in-depth interviews with sixty third and fourth generation white ethnics in suburban California and Pennsylvania; the author discovers a surprisingly resilient sense of ethnicity among people who could reasonably label themselves simply "American."Mary Waters' research brings to light a fascinating history of American immigration; revealing aspects of a shared culture and ideology and the unique ways in which ethnic identities fulfill very American needs. Describing the "symbolic ethnicity" of later generation white ethnics as a quintessential American phenomenon; she argues that ethnicity has retained its importance in our lives precisely because it allows people to reconcile the contradictory American values of choice; individuality; and community.In addition to her exploration of the symbolic ethnicity of later generation middle-class whites; Mary Waters addresses its cost to society; contrasting it with the optionless ethnicity of non-white Americans. Her conclusions in Ethnic Options constitute an invaluable contribution to our understanding of contemporary American life.