The Liberty of Strangers

Presents a different interpretation of American nationalism and the future prospects for diverse democracies. Tracing how Americans have confronted and clung to group identities, this book aims to debunk one of the guiding assumptions of American nationhood - that group distinction would dissolve over time, creating a 'postethnic' nation.

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Spanning the entire twentieth century and encompassing immigration policies, the nationalistic fallout from both world wars, the civil rights movement, and nation-building efforts in the postcolonial era, The Liberty of Strangers advances a major new interpretation of American nationalism and the future prospects for diverse democracies. Tracing how Americans have confronted and relinquished, but mostly clung to group identities over the past century, Desmond King here debunks one of the guiding assumptions of American nationhood, namely that group distinction and identification would gradually dissolve over time, creating a "postethnic" nation. The divisions in American society have consistently proven themselves too strong to dissolve and, for better or for worse, the often-disparaged politics of multiculturalism are here to stay, with profound implications for America's democracy.