Contemporary Ethnic Geographies in America

Terry-Ann Jones (with Thomas D. Boswell) is a contributing author, "Caribbean Hispanics: Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans”, pp. 123-150.

Book description: Ethnic diversity has marked the United States from its inception. From the migration of the ancestors of Native Americans to the increasingly diverse immigrant populations arriving today, it is impossible to separate ethnicity from an understanding of the United States as a country and "Americans" as a people. At an ever-increasing pace, America today is experiencing watershed changes in its social, cultural, and ethnic/racial geographies. Considering the impact of these transformations, this unique text examines the experiences of a range of ethnic groups in both historical and contemporary context. It begins by laying out a comprehensive conceptual framework that integrates immigration theory; globalization; transnational community formation; and urban, cultural, and economic geography. The contributors then present a rich set of case studies of key ethnic and racial communities—including those of long-standing significance such as Native Americans, African Americans, and Mexican Americans, along with the Latin American and Asian groups that make up the vast majority of newer immigrants. Each case offers a brief historical overview of the group's immigration experience and settlement patterns and discusses its contemporary dynamics. All of these people have transformed—and been transformed by—the places in which they have settled. Exploring these changing communities, places, and landscapes, this book offers a nuanced understanding of the evolution of America's contemporary ethnic geographies.