This provocative, commentary serves as a concise introduction to an Ethnic Studies examination of the multiple dimensions of persistent and hotly debated topics around race and culture in the United States. Using anecdotal narratives this E-book explores the roles of public policy, the media industry, religion, and identity formation as it pertains to the mosaic of ethnic, racially and culturally designated groups in this country. Critical perspectives are presented in historical framework linked to contemporary social political issues of the 21st century. This is accomplished employing descriptive anecdotal narratives, supported by pictorial and video links to testimony from members of impacted ethnic minority and other historically oppressed people of this evolving United States society. Explored are concepts of identity, knowledge construction, social networks, social movements, and inequalities. With today’s intensifying public distrust and confrontation, this book offers a nuanced perspective of how social advantage and disadvantage accumulate, and how constructions of race, ethnicity, class, ability, and gender influence how we navigate life in this country of diversity.
Darryl Omar Freeman, is a University Faculty Senator and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Sacramento. He is an accomplished writer, speaker, and social/political issues researcher. His scholastic work focuses on issues of public policy transformation and racial/ethnic identity development in the United States. “American Diversity” is his third publication project regarding issues of social/political justice and multicultural identity.