Mixed Blood: Intermarriage and Ethnic Identity in Twentieth-Century America

From Library Journal
Spickard, professor of history at Capital University, has written a massive study of the interrelationships between intermarriage and ethnic identity. Focusing on three groups--Japanese-Americans, Jewish-Americans, and African-Americans--he combines historical and sociological analyses to test basic theories explaining intermarriage patterns. A brief review cannot do justice to this complex work. In essence, the author concludes that the large number of variables involved makes it impossible to adopt a singe explanatory model. Although there are some commonalities among his groups, e.g., members of the third generation tend to intermarry more frequently than those in the first two, variations virtually preclude generalizations. We simply cannot say whether intermarriage increases or decreases levels of ethnic identification. More impressionistic and anecdotal than statistical, this well-written and extensively researched work is an impressive contribution to American social and ethnic history. Highly recommended, especially for college and university libraries.
- Anthony O. Edmonds, History Dept., Ball State Univ., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.