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Growing Up Ethnic in America: Contemporary Fiction About Learning to Be American
Stories navigating the commplicated terrain of race in America, from acclaimed writers like Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, Sandra Cisneros, Sherman Alexie, and Amy Tan
The editors who brought us Unsettling America and Identity Lessons have compiled a short-story anthology that focuses on themes of racial and ethnic assimilation. With humor, passion, and grace, the contributors lay bare poignant attempts at conformity and the alienation sometimes experienced by ethnic Americans. But they also tell of the strength gained through the preservation of their communities, and the realization that it was often their difference from the norm that helped them to succeed. In pieces suggesting that American identity is far from settled, these writers illustrate the diversity that is the source of both the nation's great discord and infinite promise.
"These beautiful stories radiate with the poignant, ingenious ways young people come to terms with their ethnic identities, negotiating their families, school, friends and their futures . . . This exemplary collection fulfills the editors' to open dialogue and encourage the telling of difficult, adaptive or affirming life experiences." - Publisher's Weekly
The editors who brought us Unsettling America and Identity Lessons have compiled a short-story anthology that focuses on themes of racial and ethnic assimilation. With humor, passion, and grace, the contributors lay bare poignant attempts at conformity and the alienation sometimes experienced by ethnic Americans. But they also tell of the strength gained through the preservation of their communities, and the realization that it was often their difference from the norm that helped them to succeed. In pieces suggesting that American identity is far from settled, these writers illustrate the diversity that is the source of both the nation's great discord and infinite promise.
"These beautiful stories radiate with the poignant, ingenious ways young people come to terms with their ethnic identities, negotiating their families, school, friends and their futures . . . This exemplary collection fulfills the editors' to open dialogue and encourage the telling of difficult, adaptive or affirming life experiences." - Publisher's Weekly
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
26 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Maria Mazziotti Gillan
43 books27 followersMaria Mazziotti Gillan is a recipient of the 2011 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award from Poets & Writers, and the 2008 American Book Award for her book, All That Lies Between Us (Guernica Editions). Her latest book is What We Pass On: Collected Poems 1980-2009 (Guernica Editions, 2010).
She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ, and editor of the Paterson Literary Review. She is also Director of the Creative Writing Program and Professor of Poetry at Binghamton University-SUNY.
She has published twelve books of poetry, including The Weather of Old Seasons (Cross-Cultural Communications), and Where I Come From, Things My Mother Told Me, and Italian Women in Black Dresses (Guernica Editions). With her daughter Jennifer, she is co-editor of four anthologies: Unsettling America, Identity Lessons, and Growing Up Ethnic in America (Penguin/Putnam) and Italian-American Writers on New Jersey (Rutgers).
Maria was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, attended Paterson public schools and is a graduate of Eastside High School. She now lives in Hawthorne, New Jersey.
She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ, and editor of the Paterson Literary Review. She is also Director of the Creative Writing Program and Professor of Poetry at Binghamton University-SUNY.
She has published twelve books of poetry, including The Weather of Old Seasons (Cross-Cultural Communications), and Where I Come From, Things My Mother Told Me, and Italian Women in Black Dresses (Guernica Editions). With her daughter Jennifer, she is co-editor of four anthologies: Unsettling America, Identity Lessons, and Growing Up Ethnic in America (Penguin/Putnam) and Italian-American Writers on New Jersey (Rutgers).
Maria was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, attended Paterson public schools and is a graduate of Eastside High School. She now lives in Hawthorne, New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 16, 2020
This is the opposite of a timely book, in that it is both timeless and extremely dated. It's timeless because it's a series of stories about growing up (as the title states) and that is a process that everyone has to undergo, even if everyone undergoes it very differently. And it's dated because most of the narrators grew up in the fifties or close to the middle of the last century (I think the latest I registered was Nixon's presidency). Therefore, their experiences are inextricably linked to that time period, from the attitudes of people towards everything from politics, to teenagers, to gender, to the experience of being 'ethnic' - for instance one story discusses the experience of black teenagers going to an all-white swimming pool. The stories couldn't be further from the 'pulse of the times' if they tried. It is also a series of short stories focused entirely on personal experience, with no references being made to broader, structural issues (you can read some between the lines but only if you try very very very hard). So, if you're looking for a book to reflect current real world events and especially issues and attitudes - this definitely isn't it.
Nevertheless, I heartily recommend it for anyone looking to read a series of extremely diverse and well-written coming of age stories, since the protagonists are almost all teenagers recounting or reflecting on the most important experiences that shaped them. Even the stories told from an adult perspective are focused solely on one defining event experienced as a child or teenager. In fact, it is the best example of coming-of-age stories I have ever read. It is also the most diverse collection of stories I have come across (far outstripping Nguyen's work). And I am referring here to diversity of experience and not just ethnic background of the authors (although the backgrounds are certainly very diverse as well). Each story is absolutely unique in the perspective it offers, the writing, the characters portrayed and I dearly loved each and every one of them. I haven't yet come across a collection where I would evenly rate the stories but here almost every story is worth 5 stars. They are some of the most intimate, moving and well-written stories I have ever read (alongside some of Kate Chopin's best) and I would recommend this collection to everyone (except people looking for a collection of essays or stories on present-day issues).
Nevertheless, I heartily recommend it for anyone looking to read a series of extremely diverse and well-written coming of age stories, since the protagonists are almost all teenagers recounting or reflecting on the most important experiences that shaped them. Even the stories told from an adult perspective are focused solely on one defining event experienced as a child or teenager. In fact, it is the best example of coming-of-age stories I have ever read. It is also the most diverse collection of stories I have come across (far outstripping Nguyen's work). And I am referring here to diversity of experience and not just ethnic background of the authors (although the backgrounds are certainly very diverse as well). Each story is absolutely unique in the perspective it offers, the writing, the characters portrayed and I dearly loved each and every one of them. I haven't yet come across a collection where I would evenly rate the stories but here almost every story is worth 5 stars. They are some of the most intimate, moving and well-written stories I have ever read (alongside some of Kate Chopin's best) and I would recommend this collection to everyone (except people looking for a collection of essays or stories on present-day issues).
January 6, 2020
I read this book looking for a variety of ethic American short stories and this book is a treasure trove. I found several stories fabulous and even the ones that I wouldn't consider using in my Ethnic lit course are still great. This collection brings together a large variety of ethnic writers and stories that should be an interesting group for anyone interested in the minority experience in America.
February 6, 2022
This was an awesome, extensive collection of short stories by authors from many different heritages. They included anecdotes of traditions followed by their families, growing up and coming of age in America, stories of not fitting in, being treated differently, or straddling two different generations and cultures. Super interesting!
October 16, 2025
Some amazing writers here, such as E.L. Doctorow, Sherman Alexie, Amy Tan, Sylvia Watanabe. I was able to enjoy some writers I would not have noticed. However, the editors filled it with stories from some really mediocre writers. Maybe the editors here wanted to add their friends and other editors who wanted to get published.
December 14, 2017
A mixed bag, but there are some really outstanding stories in this collection. I particularly enjoyed those by E.L. Doctorow, Lynn Sharon Schwartz, Roshni Rustomji, Simon Ortiz, and an especially beautiful story by Louise Erdrich.
January 10, 2018
I read this for work (woo, curriculum revisions!) and found it excellent. There's a wide range of stories here addressing many different aspects of living in America. Not every story was my favorite, obviously, but it's a fantastic collection.
August 29, 2023
i’m going to rate each of the essays individually here, but overall the average is 3.6 stars!
September 8, 2017
As with many anthologies, a bit of a mixed bag. Some were stand alone short stories or essays, but others were excerpts of longer works. It does have a wide sampling by American authors of various backgrounds: some of whom are authors I have read independently and love, others for whom I kept meaning to check out, and some whom I've never heard of. I now have a couple of new authors on my to-read list, but also some who I'll probably not pick up.
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April 19, 2007From the Publisher
Filled with humor, passion, and grace, Growing Up Ethnic in America features some of America's brightest voices in pieces that shed light on the many ways individuals from distinctly ethnic backgrounds come to terms with the multicultural terrain that is America. These stories depict a variety of experiences, including poignant but failed attempts at conformity and the alienation often felt by ethnic Americans. But they also tell of the strength gained through the preservation of their communities, and the realization that it is often the difference from the norm that helps them to succeed. In pieces that suggest that what constitutes American identity is far from settled, these writers testify to the profound effect ethnic differences have on personal and communal understandings of America, and illustrate the diversity that is the source of the nation's great discord and infinite promise.
From Kirkus Review:
he tales are divided into four sections: "Performing" gathers stories (by E.L. Doctorow, Amy Tan, Gary Soto, and Daryl Pinckney, among others) that focus on the ways members of distinct ethnic communities have tried to identify and (to varying extent) adapt or imitate concepts about what it means to be an American. The tales in "Crossing" (which includes work by Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, and Lynne Sharon Schwartz) follow a variety of hesitant efforts by such individuals to straddle the divide between their cultures and American society. "Negotiating" features stories (by, among others, Gish Jen, Bruce Jacobs, and Diane Glancy) that probe the many ways in which those without much power to effect change try to find some sense of security in the US without entirely jettisoning their past. And the pieces in "Bridging" (including those by Sherman Alexie, Simon Ortiz, and Sylvia Watanabe) deal largely with the efforts of outsiders to reconnect with the cultures they have left behind. The stories, set largely in the recent past or in the present, and ranging in setting from Indian reservations to besieged urbanneighborhoods, offer some sensitive and compelling readings of the struggles of those often rendered voiceless by society. An impressive gathering of tales charting the turbulent nature of modern American society, and the efforts of individuals and groups often considered outside the mainstream to discover and maintain their identities.
Filled with humor, passion, and grace, Growing Up Ethnic in America features some of America's brightest voices in pieces that shed light on the many ways individuals from distinctly ethnic backgrounds come to terms with the multicultural terrain that is America. These stories depict a variety of experiences, including poignant but failed attempts at conformity and the alienation often felt by ethnic Americans. But they also tell of the strength gained through the preservation of their communities, and the realization that it is often the difference from the norm that helps them to succeed. In pieces that suggest that what constitutes American identity is far from settled, these writers testify to the profound effect ethnic differences have on personal and communal understandings of America, and illustrate the diversity that is the source of the nation's great discord and infinite promise.
From Kirkus Review:
he tales are divided into four sections: "Performing" gathers stories (by E.L. Doctorow, Amy Tan, Gary Soto, and Daryl Pinckney, among others) that focus on the ways members of distinct ethnic communities have tried to identify and (to varying extent) adapt or imitate concepts about what it means to be an American. The tales in "Crossing" (which includes work by Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, and Lynne Sharon Schwartz) follow a variety of hesitant efforts by such individuals to straddle the divide between their cultures and American society. "Negotiating" features stories (by, among others, Gish Jen, Bruce Jacobs, and Diane Glancy) that probe the many ways in which those without much power to effect change try to find some sense of security in the US without entirely jettisoning their past. And the pieces in "Bridging" (including those by Sherman Alexie, Simon Ortiz, and Sylvia Watanabe) deal largely with the efforts of outsiders to reconnect with the cultures they have left behind. The stories, set largely in the recent past or in the present, and ranging in setting from Indian reservations to besieged urbanneighborhoods, offer some sensitive and compelling readings of the struggles of those often rendered voiceless by society. An impressive gathering of tales charting the turbulent nature of modern American society, and the efforts of individuals and groups often considered outside the mainstream to discover and maintain their identities.
June 23, 2012
Solid collection of stories by ethnic authors residing in the continental US. The ethnic circle includes Irish, Italians, Jewish people, Native Americans, Muslim, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, with diverse perspectives. Most of the stories fell into the tragic catagory though some such as Sherman Alexie's story carried some irony with it. I would have liked to have read more comic pieces. As an ethnic American myself, my own life has not been about racism, immigration, living with stereotypes, though I realize that many ethnic Americans have experienced those situations and I do not devalue their experiences, but these types of stories make it difficult for ethnic Americans to rise above challenges. I just felt ashamed and defeated reading some of these stories.
Sadly, collections such as this one, do no celebrate diversity, but perpetuate tragic stereotypes while tossing characters into victim and martyr roles. This is an older title published several years ago so I cross my fingers that more uplifting ethnic fiction anthologies hit the shelves in the future. I still enjoyed the writing, plot twists, in some cases, and the diverse voices in the collection.
Sadly, collections such as this one, do no celebrate diversity, but perpetuate tragic stereotypes while tossing characters into victim and martyr roles. This is an older title published several years ago so I cross my fingers that more uplifting ethnic fiction anthologies hit the shelves in the future. I still enjoyed the writing, plot twists, in some cases, and the diverse voices in the collection.
March 5, 2009
An uneven collection, but mostly impressive. Some of the stories were fantastic and introduced me to new writers, like E.L. Doctorow, whom I'd heard of but never read. His story, "The Writer in the Family" opens the book, and I thought it was excellent. Lynn Sharon Schwartz's "Killing the Bees" was another favorite of the collection, and I plan to look into her other books. A few of the stories were story-like excerpts from novels I'd already read (like those by Gish Jen and Amy Tan), but they were nice to revisit. Others I just couldn't get in to, because I didn't like the style of writing. Overall, it's a worthwhile read, especially for someone like me who loves immigrant fiction.
April 1, 2015
I really wanted to like this and at first, the stories were touching and I enjoyed it. Then they started to get less interesting, sad, and a lot of stories felt like they were unfinished and just stuck in a book because it related somewhat. I couldn't finish it and if I return, I'll look up what stories I haven't read yet and are good, and read them only bc it was torture.
April 28, 2009
I only read some of the short stories. Parts of them are involving with the different culture. Pretty interesting. That i also learned more about how the ancient culture went. And how was the culture affecting the people.
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August 28, 2009Short stories by writers like Sherman Alexie and Sandra Cisneros.
December 10, 2016
Short stories.
July 23, 2013
SiX WORD REVIEW: Mostly memoir, but misnomer is excused.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews