Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City

by Nathan Glazer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Beyond the Melting Pot was one of the most influential books published during the 1960s. This second edition includes a new 90-page Introduction, "New York City in 1960," in which the authors, with all their previous depth and verve, examine the turn of events since 1963, the date of the first edition. Their concerns are directed to such developments as the rise of militant black demands and the response to these of the city's peoples and political structures; the decline of Catholic power in Lindsay's New York and the rise in power of Jews and WASPs; the growth of a black middle class and the economic and political difficulties of the Puerto Ricans. The authors note that events and further study have led them to change their views on several matters, and these points are clarified in the Introduction.

Nevertheless, most of their perceptions and their central thesis (that "melting pot" assimilation does not happen) remain as valid as ever. In the same way, these appraisals of the first edition remain fully in force:Richard H. Rovere, The New Yorker: "Beyond the Melting Pot... is perhaps the most perceptive inquiry into American minorities ever made." Oscar Handlin, New York Times: "They have put together a thoughtful analysis that will help Americans deal with one of the most pressing problems of the great cities. That itself is a substantial accomplishment." Harpers Magazine: "...sure in its grasp of relations between economic and social fact, cogent, complex, and brightly written."Time Magazine: "...provocative...Glazer...and Moynihan...write with a refreshing candor on a subject that is usually treated all too delicately.... They write compassionately of the problems minority groups have faced, but they forthrightly point out that many of these problems are compounded by each group's special characteristics."

Genres: History, Sociology, Nonfiction, New York, Race, Politics, American

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Nathan Glazer was an American sociologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and for several decades at Harvard University.

Reviews

[Jesse Kraai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sometimes insightful read, with a voice on race/ethnicity that can speak to the present.
My sense is that Glazer mostly wants to write about what it means to be a Jew in NYC, and how that identity shapes him. But, since he's an academic, he shrouds his knowledge and views with a drapery of stats.
The takeaways I want to write down are:
1) the ethnic identities Glazer couldn't see mixing have in fact mixed (even Jews!)- into 'whiteness'. And this new identity of 'white' causes so much of the shouting today, though people talk about whiteness as if it weren't something new.
2) What is now called east coast elitism arose out of a coalition between the rising Jewish class and the old time wasps when the unions lost their influence in the 1960s.
3) Tammany Hall was an Irish institution. The Irish got Jackson elected. The Irish we behind the Civil War draft riots. The Irish gave up on the democratic party when the unions and Tammany lost power. And the Irish are the model onto which the current idea of whiteness is being grafted.

[Conrad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the most boring thing I have ever read. So boring, that I had to read full books between chapters to make it to the end. This is exactly how I'd expect two 40 year old men in the 1960s to describe different minority groups, full of stereotypes and prejudices. The only interesting thing from the entire book was the idea that the Irish immigrants and Americans were cool when England was the enemy, but things got rough when England and America formed an alliance.

[Blt · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring beyond belief.

[Casae]

Neat view of 1960s sociology in NYC populations of negroes, puerto ricans, jews, italians and irish. Stat-heavy objective research with an ease of reading.

[Kirby Quinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buckley

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a difficult read. I would read a chapter, read another book, then read another chapter. However, I found it useful for getting inside the minds of leading sociology scholars of that time. There were many times when I wrote notes because of the anger or disagreement that would rise in me, but then I would continue, reminding myself that I was reading from a 2024 vantage point. Still, the work lacked perspective and would not measure up to the qualitative research standards of today. But, it is worth working through if you are interested in research on identity formation.

After reading this book, you will want to read follow-up articles about it. Glazer reflects upon his work in an article titled "On Beyond the Melting Pot, 35 years later." In this reflection, he acknowledges a few errors in assumptions and perspectives that have caused the book not to stand the test of time. Elijah Anderson's article "Beyond the Melting Pot Reconsidered," published in 2000, characterizes America's sociological developments as a salad bowl instead of a melting pot. He explores sociocultural phenomena contributing to the vastly different outcomes observed in society versus those anticipated by Glazer.

[Serge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what passed for sociology in 1963 but this book is a compilation of impressions that Glazer and Moynihan have of five sioloed ethnic groups in New York City. They reserve their most disparaging remarks for "negroes" and "Puerto Ricans" whose dysfunctions they decry and whose militancy they denounce. They resent the urgency of now that these two groups in particular keep championing and hold up the three other ethnic groups as success stories in an assimilationist American Dream story. Moynihan's contempt for "concubinage" and "sexual adventurism" which he will parlay into a job in the Nixon administration is already on display in this book. I plan to use this book which just celebrated its 60th anniversary as a starting point for my Immigrants in American history class. Competition among ethnic groups for poliical legitimacy and social recognition continue to be a salient part of intercultural dialogue in the wake of the waves of immigration to the United States. Gazer and Moynihan's premise that "all policies in the city are inevitably policies for ethnic and race relations." I wish their filter for these relations were rooted in solidarity rather than in condescension.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. NY in the first half of the 20th century was majority minority in a big way. Actually in 5 specific ways. Each group has a very rich and sympathetic characterization, even though every group has their negative features highlighted as well. Realizing that Italian Americans basically copied Southern Italian peasant culture was very eye opening, and I had never quite appreciated how having Puerto Rico as a third world country that is also attached to the United States would affect the culture of New York. The detailed story of how the Irish perfected acquiring political power but had no aspirations for what to do with it, helped me understand traditional politically apt groups worldwide.

60 years later the ethnic picture in New York is very different: In 1960 there was 1% non black or white. The ethnic picture that, sadly, has changed the least is the Black one...

[Sabeeha Rehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish we had a sequel of sorts to this book. It is rich with sociological data and trends of ethnic groups in New York City. It was published in 1970, so the data is historical. Being a New Yorker, I yearn to know what trends in society from the 1970s onwards, brought us to today.

[Cardemonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining mostly, and with insightful and witty comments. Part of me wishes it were more current but on the other hand the New York of the 60s is a romantic time for me, so I appreciate it.

[Poofygoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Moynihan Report first appeared in 1963, Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan were lambasted as short-sighted racists who were trying to separate Americans and destroy the American Dream. But as the struggle for civil rights became increasingly complicated, the Report became one of the seminal works to address the issues of race and class as legitimate social constructs that needed to be addressed based on the cultural values that different ethnicities bring to the table. The report is an unwitting ode to multiculturalism.

[Matthew Matheson]

Argueing the World: (documentary)
Daniel Bell
Nathan Glazer-3
Irving Howe
Irving Kristol

[Dewey Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written when Moynihan was a professor. Helped me understand how ethnic groups maintain their identity even as they live in the U.S. over several generations.

[Enakshi]

Interesting, that some stereotypes mentioned are still present today. However, a lot of the information is outdated, which makes sense since it was published in the 60s.