American Identities: An Introductory Textbook

American Identities is a dazzling array of primary documents and critical essays culled from American history, literature, memoir, and popular culture that explore major currents and trends in American history from World War II to the present. The textbook charts the rich multiplicity of American identities as refracted through the different lenses of race, class, and gender, and shaped by common historical social processes such as migration, families, work, and war. Rather than simply teaching history, American Identities actively engages students in the history-making process while developing the skills crucial to interpreting meaningful and enduring cultural texts.

Substantial editorial matter and the accompanying instructor’s guide provide resources for classroom use and for student projects, including:

• Headnotes and study guide questions for each reading


• Exercises for individual and group reading and viewing


• Timelines


• Interview questions


• Bibliographies to guide students into becoming readers of American culture and historians of their families.