Instead, Takaki’s book addresses the foundational contributions of minority groups and puts their experiences at the forefront of American history. Takaki’s approach to history is highly comparative and inclusive, as he disrupts a “Master Narrative of American History” that largely focuses on the achievements of white Americans (4). ' A Different Mirror advances a truly humane sense of American possibility.' - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Takaki’s main argument in A Different Mirror is that the United States, from its inception, has been a multicultural and diverse country, originally inhabited by Native Americans and by subsequent ethnic groups who have worked to advance the ideals of American democracy and its promise of “equality for all.” Takaki provocatively states that America was not settled and developed primarily by Europeans rather, it was built from the appropriated land and labor of Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and many more ethnic immigrant groups. 'While Takaki's subtitle is 'a history of multicultural America,' his book is also a manifesto for the future.'- New York Review of Books 'A groundbreaker.It's fascinating to watch Takaki weave these multifaceted strands into a single narrative text.' - San Francisco Chronicle 'An excellent place to start in understanding how this uniquely diverse country came to be and where it is headed.'- Christian Science Monitory

'One closes the book with a deepened sense of the centrality of ethnicity in the American past.' - Washington Post It is clearly not intended to divide Americans but rather to teach them to value the nation's inescapable diversity.' - New York Times Book Review

It is a laudable effort - humane, well-informed, accessible, and often inclusive. 'Takaki's book is nothing less than an attempt to view all of American history from a multicultural perspective. The research is meticulous, the writing powerful and eloquent, with what can only be called an epic sweep across time and cultures.' - Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

'A splendid achievement, a bold and refreshing new approach to our national history.

Ronald takaki's a different mirror