Children's literature provides elementary teachers and students the opportunity to critically engage in the world around them. However, too often teachers choose not to engage students in discussions of complex social issues out of a sense of fear or discomfort. In this paper, we explore the reflections of 11 teachers who chose to engage their…

This handbook provides information for the prospective sponsors of Indochinese refugees. The refugees' general background, experiences, and reasons for coming to the United States are discussed. The sponsor's importance and role in the resettlement program are examined. The handbook also outlines problems of adjustment to life in America and what…

The article explores the ways "uneven geographical development" conditions and is conditioned by local placemaking practices. Guided by David Harvey's work along with Henri Lefebvre's three dimensions of spatial production--spatial practices, representations of space, and spaces of representation or the "spatial imaginary"--I…

The book, "History of the Okinawans in North America," is reviewed by its translator, who also summarizes the history and culture of the Okinawan community in California. Okinawans long considered themselves an oppressed minority among Japanese and desire a separate history in order to preserve the community and its cultural heritage.…

The Kurds are a distinct group of people who have inhabited the Middle East for as long as there have been written records. The Kurds are the second largest ethnic group in Iraq and Turkey and the third largest group in Iran. In 1975 and 1976, Kurdish refugees from Iraq were admitted to the United States after the failure of their attempt to…

The largest Asian American ethnic group in the United States, as well as the group with the longest immigration history, is the Chinese. The presence of Chinese immigrants is felt strongly in California, the state where nearly 40 percent of the nation's Chinese have chosen to live. The history of Chinese immigration is traced to help understand…

California has one of the most diverse societies on earth. Ethnic minorities comprise at least one-third of the state's people, and the society is becoming ever more diverse. It is estimated that by about the year 2010, California will have no majority ethnic group. The historical development of this diversity is traced from the arrival of…