American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context

by Barbara Roche Rico, Sandra Mano

American Mosaic helps students expand their historical awareness and critical-thinking skills while they study the development of literary, political, and cultural voices within the United States. A chronological framework allows students to examine key events in the history of ethnic groups in the U.S., with each chapter centering on a significant historical period for the group. An introductory chapter provides a foundation for multi-ethnic studies and the multicultural debate. Chapter introductions set the historical context and provide starting points for discussion.

736 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2000

Reviews

[PADC]

An anthology covering American history from the perspectives of virtually every ethnic group you can name (virtually). In some cases, it includes entire works of literature (poems and short stories) but in others, just excerpts (Autobiography of Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Cesar Chavez), but the editors provide historical background and context for each entry. It is arranged chronologically, but also by topic (i.e. ethnic group) and/or theme.

It's an amazing resource for a family to have on the shelf.

[Tiffany Cusick-Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even though I was not reading it for an undergrad English class. I think the selections and context discussions did a great job of making the readings meaningful. The mixture of literature and history was wonderful and this book is great for someone who is just embarking on a journey of discovery of how literature can provide historical insight. Most people have a difficult time making such connections. I enjoyed all of the reading selections and highly recommend this book. Even though I majored in History and minored in English, this book still gave me insights to the human condition. There were times I did feel that the book was focusing on the negative experiences people had in American history, but then again it was all interpretations of what immigrants went through or first hand experiences.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what I was looking for! These pieces fit right into our unit themes. American Lit teachers, this is a great anthology if you want to delve into immigrant literature. It is meant for college freshmen, so it is challenging enough for Honors or AP high school students.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok