Postethnic America: Beyond Multiculturalism (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780465030651)

Sympathetic with the new ethnic consciousness, Hollinger argues that the conventional liberal toleration of all established ethnic groups no longer works because it leaves unchallenged the prevailing imbalance of power. Yet the multiculturalist alternative does nothing to stop the fragmenting of American society into competing ethnic enclaves, each concerned primarily with its own well-being. Hollinger argues instead for a new cosmopolitanism, an appreciation of multiple identities -- new cross-cultural affiliations based not on the biologically given but on consent, on the right to emphasize or diminish the significance of one's ethnoracial affiliation. Postethnic America is a bracing reminder of America's universalist promise as a haven for all peoples. While recognizing the Eurocentric narrowness of that older universalism, Hollinger makes a stirring call for a new nationalism. He urges that a democratic nation-state like ours must help bridge the gap between our common fellowship as human beings and the great variety of ethnic and racial groups represented within the United States.

Author: David A. Hollinger
ISBN-10: 0465030653
ISBN-13: 9780465030651
Publisher: Basic Books
Language: English
Published: 02/28/2006
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.72lbs
Size: 8.06h x 5.38w x 0.77d