Race and diversity are the characteristic of a truly metropolitan region where different people form varying ethnicities and races co-inhabit peacefully. However the differences between the people can make way for tension, disparity and often varying perception and way of thinking that result in racial conflicts. The book by Susan Wyle titled ‘Revisiting America, Readings in Race, Culture, and Conflict’ highlights the racial tension, conflicts and struggles that have taken place in America during its history while depicting what factors have led to the ensuring struggles. The Development of the Book
The book itself is a comprehensive source for getting to know America ad the different people that have resided in the region. The book highlights the contributions that have been made by the diverse cultures, races and type of living in America over the period of years and how their presence in the region has enabled America to become a multicultural hub in the world of today. The book itself is arranged in a chronological format starting from the early history of America and highlights how the presence of the settlers in the region, brought a different way of thinking, laws, culture and lifestyle to the New World.
Following on Susan Wyle has taken excerpts and contributions form the other cultures and diverse races that have mad their ay into America since then to arrive at the America of today where numerous types of cultures, and races co0inhabit. Wyle highlights the different social and racial conflicts that have taken place in the past in America and the ensuing struggles that have left their mark on the region. For the book, the author has made use of primary as well as secondary sources of data along with other literacy sources to ground the concept of the book with strong support.
The book is an illuminating literary pierce of work that encourages one to think about their past, and the different cultures, religions and races that have had an effect on the development of America while shaping it into the socially and culturally diverse United States of America that we are aware of today. Through the book Susan Wyle depicts the power that written as well as spoken language can have on the perceptions, the attitudes and the politics of a region thus contributing to the development of a struggle in time of racial, tensions and conflicts.
In this regard Wyle has sought help from her peers and other literary works to trace the evolutions of the various race based conflicts that have taken place America starting form the seventeenth century pertaining to the issues of gender based and racial discrimination. The Themes of the Book and their Applicability on Life Today The book is an engaging read with themes based on the various events and prominent figures that have shaped America and its society into its diverse and multicultural state.
The first section of the book deals with the conflicts that were present in America along the eastern shore in the 17th Century. This sections highlights the discrimination against the local aboriginal Red Indians in the region, the myth of the Pocahontas, the politically correct Pocahontas that has been depicted in the Disney cartoon along with the incidents of the Salem which hunt and the ensuring Salem Which Trials. The trade in the black salves in early America is also highlighted upon along with the role that they played towards the independence of the country.
The next theme that is predominantly seen in the book is the comparison and contrast of the Native Americans with the white settlers and how the racial disparity, different traditions and attitudes towards life as a whole contributed to their differences resulting in the newcomers overriding the Native Americans. The political initiates taken to initially hunt capture and contain the Native Americans have been highlighted along with the reforms that were put in place in later years to restore the Native Americans top their way of life.
The third theme of the book has been identified pertains to the analysis of the black slavery America and how it has shaped the modern America. The issues pertaining to slave trade and the discriminated rights of the blacks that led to civil revolution in America have been clearly depicted. The role played by the black slaves to free themselves has been monumental leading to their victory in the civil war, however the mindset on the political front in the following years have depicted the same discriminated attitude of the whites towards the blacks that continued till early 21st Century.
The other theme of the book that has been identified is the effect that immigration into the region in the 18th and the 19th century had on the social as well as the economic development of America. The first to migrate to America were the Irish followed by British, European, South Americans and then people from the far flung areas of the South and South East Asia in the 20th Century. All these people came to America a land of opportunities to make a life for themselves. They brought with them different cultures, way of life, traditions, as well as racial issues that were highlighted due to their discrimination in the American society.
The struggle of the people to attain the American dream has been clearly described in the book as a futile attempt to achieve their dreams in a controversial and setting where the society has been against them on every step. The book provides insight into the history of the modern American society and what factors have contributed to structuring it. The reprehensive attitudes of the Native Americans and The African Americans against the White population in America can be understood in the light of the book while the issues being faced by the migrant workers from Asia and South America in the United States presently can also be comprehended.
A lot of the issues that are highlighted by Wyle in the book are still present in the modern American society as they have their roots firmly set in history. the problems faced by the south Asians and South East Asians pertaining to employment and social life in the United States is characteristic of the treatment that the Irish got after their migration. Similarly the African Americans while have been decreased independent citizens with their own rights, while discrimination against them has been made illegal, the [perceptions and attitudes of many towards the African Americans remain the same affecting their judgement.
The Features of the Literary Work Wyle has organized her book in a chronological format while tracing the development of conflicts in America starting its position I the 17th century to present day America. This feature of the book enables students to be able to compare the different issues pertaining to race, social class, and gender that were predominant in the various stages of American history and compare them against the status and the stance of these issues in present day America.
Moreover the book makes use of archives of periodical, internet based sources, contribution from author well known writers as well as personal diaries and literary sources. This aids in creating an experience for the readers whereby they share the experience of the different races in the ensuring conflicts that have shaped America to become the multicultural society that it is today.
Excerpts from trials and speeches that have been included in the book enable the reader to get to develop a well rounded view and comprehension of the laws, regulation, attitudes as well as the political scenarios that are at play in Modern America. Conclusion The book ‘Revisiting America, Readings in Race, Culture, and Conflict’ by Susan Wyle is a literary price of work that is source of immense knowledge providing insight into how societies develop over time and what factors influence the structure of the society in the modern world.
The main proposition that can be derived from the book pertaining to how to deal with the racial, cultural and discrimination issues n any society pertain to increasing the level of tolerance and being empathetic as this strategy is best suited to resolving ethnic differences nad issues related to them.
References
Wyle, S. , (2003), Revisiting America, Readings in Race, Culture, and Conflict, Pearson/Prentice Hall: