Give students, researchers, and patrons a greater understanding and appreciation for the strong heritage of America’s important cultures and contributors.
The NEA reaffirms that students who participate in ethnic studies are more academically engaged, develop a stronger sense of self-efficacy and personal empowerment, perform better academically, and graduate at higher rates.
Created with research and instruction in mind, five new Topic Centers supporting multicultural and ethnic studies have just been added to American History, bringing the total number of Topic Centers in the award-winning history database to 46. According to Owen Lancer, American History‘s Senior Editor, these important new content areas elucidate the struggles and triumphs of people whose voices often have been omitted from traditional texts.
The five new Topic Centers, along with the Latino-American History Topic Center, can now be found under “Multicultural America” in the right sidebar of the home page.
Here are the five new multicultural Topic Centers users will find in American History:
African-American History
Explore the significant contributions African Americans have made and the daunting challenges they have faced. American history has many stories of the achievements of African-American men and women, though their efforts often went unacknowledged.
Arab-American History
Many Americans mistakenly believe all Arabs share the same culture, language, and religion and have only recently begun immigrating to the United States. The first wave of Arabs arrived here more than a century ago, and Arab Americans have assimilated into mainstream American life from a diverse community of immigrants and the descendants of immigrants.
Asian-American History
Although severely regulated in the 19th century, the emigration of Asian peoples to America has proven to be culturally and socially significant. The diversity of Asian immigrants—a group that includes Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipinos, and others—has prevented any single, unified Asian identity from dominating the Asian-American community.
Jewish-American History
Judaism is considered by many to be both an ethnicity and a religion. This dual relationship has made Jews in America distinct from other minority groups. From the colonial period to the early 21st century, waves of immigrant Jews have influenced the practice and overall identity of the American Jewish community based on the places from which they came.
Native American History
European explorers reached North America more than 400 years ago, and since that time Native Americans have had to struggle to survive. Yet, despite injustices both past and present, the Native American community has persevered over the centuries.
For even more content on African-American and Native American history, be sure to check out Infobase’s African-American History and American Indian History databases!
What Are Topic Centers?
American History’s editorially curated Topic Centers allow users to locate and explore relevant, authoritative content quickly and efficiently. The focused modules feature specially selected, historically accurate content covering:
- Different eras
- Themes
- Milestone events of American history
Find articles, primary sources, slideshows, timelines, maps, videos, and more—providing valuable study guides and starting points for research.
Click on the links below for more information about American History:
See also:
- For a look at the kind of content you’ll find in American History, check out this article: Women’s History Month Spotlight: Winning the Vote: 1900–1920
- Exciting Updates to American History!
- Supporting Diversity with Infobase: Resources to Inform on Issues of Race, Gender, and Culture: Webinar
- Unpacking Diversity Resources: An Interview about Diversity Audits and Best Practices
- Integrating Racial Literacy in Your Library Program: Resources for Consideration
