Equality deferred

Issues of diversity have been and remain a key aspect of contemporary America. James Olson draws on his experience as a distinguished scholar and teacher to develop a portrait that encompasses various ethnic groups in the U.S.-including African American, Native American, Hispanics, and immigrants from a variety of nations. In this brief text, he sketches the ever-changing ethnic portrait of America, incorporating the most relevant scholarship on the civil rights crusade, immigration quotas, various militant movements of the sixties, and the current state of ethnicity in the U.S. This volume is part of the AMERICA SINCE 1945 series—a collection of brief texts that seek to define the ways in which the United States has changed in the last 50 years.

James Olson has been chair of the history department at Sam Houston State University since 1988. Recipient of the university's Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research awards in past years, Dr. Olson last year was named Distinguished Professor, the highest academic rank in the university. He currently teaches courses on the Vietnam War, World War II, and a variety of other topics in twentieth-century American history. Dr. Olson is the author, co-author, or editor of over twenty books, including THE ETHNIC DIMENSION IN U.S. HISTORY; SAVING CAPITALISM: THE RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION AND THE NEW DEAL, 1933-1940; CATHOLIC IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA; WINNING IS THE ONLY THING: SPORTS IN AMERICA SINCE 1945; and WHERE THE DOMINO FELL: AMERICAN AND VIETNAM, 1945 to 1990. His most recent book, JOHN WAYNE: AMERICAN, co-authored with Randy Roberts, has attracted major public as well as scholarly attention and recently won the National Book Award of the Popular Culture Association. He is currently finishing a history of breast cancer.