Review by Choice Review
Each of these 11 articles deals with a specific immigrant group in Philadelphia--Jews, Italians, Germans, Puerto Ricans, Chinese, Irish, Mexicans, Haitians, Africans, Indians, and Cambodians. The editors present the articles in three parts, each with a brief introduction: "Community Formation and Intra- (and Inter-) Ethnic Relations," "The Role of Institutions," and "Identity Formation in a Transnational Context." The articles are well done, although they strain a bit at the categories imposed by the editors. Many articles discuss late-19th- and early-20th-century conditions that the groups confronted, but the focus is clearly on developments in the last half of the 20th century. Some chapters deal with specific community matters--for example, Hindu nurses and healthcare access for Mexicans--but most are more generic in content. Not surprisingly, the diverse academic specialties of the authors and editors (sociology, American studies, education, economics, history, and reading/writing/literacy) inform the content of the articles and make unifying themes difficult. Some articles will stir disagreement. For example, historians experienced in 19th- and early-20th-century immigration may object to assertions by sociologists that transnational identities are "unique" to recent immigrant groups. However, differences aside, scholars will find the articles well researched and worth reading. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students/faculty. J. P. Rodechko emeritus, Wilkes University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
