Ethnic American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students

(Hardback)

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Description

Unlike any other book of its kind, this volume celebrates published works from a broad range of American ethnic groups not often featured in the typical canon of literature. This culturally rich encyclopedia contains 160 alphabetically arranged entries on African American, Asian American, Latino/a, and Native American literary traditions, among others. The book introduces the uniquely American mosaic of multicultural literature by chronicling the achievements of American writers of non-European descent and highlighting the ethnic diversity of works from the colonial era to the present. The work features engaging topics like the civil rights movement, bilingualism, assimilation, and border narratives. Entries provide historical overviews of literary periods along with profiles of major authors and great works, including Toni Morrison, Maxine Hong Kingston, Maya Angelou, Sherman Alexie, A Raisin in the Sun, American Born Chinese, and The House on Mango Street. The book also provides concise overviews of genres not often featured in textbooks, like the Chinese American novel, African American young adult literature, Mexican American autobiography, and Cuban American poetry.

Reviews

This single-volume encyclopedia provides an introduction to unique and specific topics that may not have as extensive coverage in other works. * Booklist *
[T]he encyclopedia contributes to a broadening of the American canon to serve as a resource for teachers and students alike. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates, community college students, and teachers. * Choice *
I enthusiastically recommend this reference work for all academic libraries. Students of literature at all levelsfrom enrollees in introductory courses to advanced researcherswill find it informative, enlightening, and useful. The entries in this work will enhance and enable further understanding of the complex matrix of connections, interactions and negotiations that, taken together, constitute America's literary heritage. * Reference Reviews *

Author Bio

Emmanuel S. Nelson is professor of English at the State University of New York campus at Cortland.