The Ethnic Press in the United States: A Historical Analysis and Handbook

(Hardback)

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A fine scholarly collection that evokes the pre-WW I era when some 1,300 foreign-language newspapers served America's immigrant millions. It consists of essays by qualified scholars on the newspapers of 27 immigrant groups, ranging from the important German and Jewish presses to comparatively obscure ones such as Arabic, Danish, Portuguese, and Ukranian. . . . [T]his volume offers valuable references and suggestive interpretive insights to students of American jouralism, immigration, urbanization, and ethnic studies. Choice

Reviews

. . . The Ethnic Press in the United States adds depth to our knowledge and understanding of the great American experiment and provides a basis for observing the current immigration phenomenon involving Southeast Asians, Central Americans, Caribbean Islanders, and Middle Easterners. The book will serve well as a reference work for those interested in beginning an inquiry into the dynamics of immigrant acculturation and intracultural communication. . . .-Journal of American Ethnic History
A fine scholarly collection that evokes the pre-WW I era when some 1,300 foreign-language newspapers served America's immigrant millions. It consists of essays by qualified scholars on the newspapers of 27 immigrant groups, ranging from the important German and Jewish presses to comparatively obscure ones such as Arabic, Danish, Portuguese, and Ukranian. In an interesting introduction, Miller calls the ethnic press the best primary source of understanding of the world of non-English speaking groups in the United States.' Immigration restriction and assimilation contributed to a long decline of these presses after 1920, but the Hispanic and Asian immigration of recent decades has generated a renaissance of the ethnic media.' Yet, as Miller notes, this important source has been curiously neglected. . . . An important contribution toward remedying such neglect, this exemplary volume offers valuable references and suggestive interpretive insights to students of American journalism, immigration, urbanization, and ethnic studies. Eash essay has a bibliography and the volume as a whole is indexed.-Choice
The ethnic press of many U.S. immigrant groups is currently marking its centenary. The newspapers that were published by and for various groups now comprise primary research material for students of immigration history. This volume is intended to be an introduction to the foreign-language press in the United States and to contemporary research in this subject. In her introduction, the editor acknowledges the impossibility of compiling a comprehensive survey of the ethnic press: the twenty-seven groups covered in the essays represent those who chose to immigrate to America and who have significant publishing histories. In this work, the term ethnic press refers to general circulation newspapers that were usually published in the language of the immigrant group. The essays are written by ethnic studies specialists; the writers are historians, sociologists, and journalists. Each author explains the background of the ethnic group in America and the political and cultural environments that influenced the foundation and fortunes of their newspapers; historical commentary generally covers through the early to mid-1980s. Although their approaches and styles vary, the contributors all provide succinct historical surveys and analysis. Extensive notes and a bibliography are included in each chapter. The volume has an index that includes subject terms; newspaper titles; and names of editors, journalists, and publishers. This volume will provide excellent coverage of the foreign-language press in America.-ARBA
." . . The Ethnic Press in the United States adds depth to our knowledge and understanding of the great American experiment and provides a basis for observing the current immigration phenomenon involving Southeast Asians, Central Americans, Caribbean Islanders, and Middle Easterners. The book will serve well as a reference work for those interested in beginning an inquiry into the dynamics of immigrant acculturation and intracultural communication. . . ."-Journal of American Ethnic History
"A fine scholarly collection that evokes the pre-WW I era when some 1,300 foreign-language newspapers served America's immigrant millions. It consists of essays by qualified scholars on the newspapers of 27 immigrant groups, ranging from the important German and Jewish presses to comparatively obscure ones such as Arabic, Danish, Portuguese, and Ukranian. In an interesting introduction, Miller calls the ethnic press the best primary source of understanding of the world of non-English speaking groups in the United States.' Immigration restriction and assimilation contributed to a long decline of these presses after 1920, but the Hispanic and Asian immigration of recent decades has generated a renaissance of the ethnic media.' Yet, as Miller notes, this important source has been curiously neglected. . . . An important contribution toward remedying such neglect, this exemplary volume offers valuable references and suggestive interpretive insights to students of American journalism, immigration, urbanization, and ethnic studies. Eash essay has a bibliography and the volume as a whole is indexed."-Choice
"The ethnic press of many U.S. immigrant groups is currently marking its centenary. The newspapers that were published by and for various groups now comprise primary research material for students of immigration history. This volume is intended to be an introduction to the foreign-language press in the United States and to contemporary research in this subject. In her introduction, the editor acknowledges the impossibility of compiling a comprehensive survey of the ethnic press: the twenty-seven groups covered in the essays represent those who chose to immigrate to America and who have significant publishing histories. In this work, the term ethnic press refers to general circulation newspapers that were usually published in the language of the immigrant group. The essays are written by ethnic studies specialists; the writers are historians, sociologists, and journalists. Each author explains the background of the ethnic group in America and the political and cultural environments that influenced the foundation and fortunes of their newspapers; historical commentary generally covers through the early to mid-1980s. Although their approaches and styles vary, the contributors all provide succinct historical surveys and analysis. Extensive notes and a bibliography are included in each chapter. The volume has an index that includes subject terms; newspaper titles; and names of editors, journalists, and publishers. This volume will provide excellent coverage of the foreign-language press in America."-ARBA

Author Bio

SALLY M. MILLER is Professor of History at the University of the Pacific and Managing Editor of The Pacific Historian.