The Center for the Study of American Pluralism at the National Opinion Research Center has devoted two years mostly to secondary analysis of existing data to clarify what seemed to be the important ethnic issues in American society and to create a more solid ground for further primary research. This book is a record of those two years. The first chapter is a statement of the preliminary organizing impressions with which the author and his colleagues began. In Chapter II, both their data and their thinking are gathered together in what might be considered the beginning of a theoretical perspective. The intervening chapters recount the journey from the impressions of Chapter I to the perspective of Chapter II. Finally, attention is focused on the social policy implications of the"new" ethnic consciousness in the U. S. The questions asked about ethnic diversity are: (1) Who and Where are the ethnics, and how many of them are there? (Chapter 2); (2) Are American ethnic groups really the bearers of culture? Do they keep alive cultural traditions of the Old World? (Chapter 3); (3) Is the "ethnic factor" simply another version of the "religious factor"? (Chapter 5); (4) Does ethnicity make any difference in human behavior? (Chapters 4, 6, and 8); (5) How are ethnic differences transmitted from generation to generation? (Chapter 7); and, (6) Are the white ethnics racists, bigots, hawks, and hard hats (Chapters 9 and 10). (Author/JM)