A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (Revised and Updated)

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Roland Takaki Rebecca Stefoff

A Different Mirror for Young People

Name: A Different Mirror for Young People
Price: 55.45 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781644215968

A History of Multicultural America (Revised and Updated)

Roland Takaki, Rebecca Stefoff, A. Naomi Paik

$61.95 $55.45

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Triangle Square
02 July 2026

History & the past: general interest (Children's&YA)

In Ronald Takaki's multicultural masterwork, the story of America includes the Native, African, Irish, Jewish, Asian, and Latino people - and many more - who made America their home, and who often fought for rights now enjoyed by all. A Different Mirror for Young People is widely hailed as the most important resource to 'teach (Americans) to value the nation's inescapable diversity' (New York Times Book Review) and has been adopted into middle and high school curricula internationally. With a new chapter and revisions throughout, University of Illinois professor A. Naomi Paik brings this 'brilliant revisionist history' (Publishers Weekly) into the 21st century. The new material examines growing inequality in the U.S., the intensifying War on Terror that further targets and marginalizes immigrants, and, in the uplifting spirit of the original book, the emergence of social movements including land and water protections and migrant justice movements. Drawing on Takaki's vast array of primary sources, and staying true to his own words whenever possible, A Different Mirror for Young People brings ethnic history alive through the words of people, including teenagers, who recorded their experiences in letters, diaries, and poems. Like Howard Zinn's A People's History, another title in the For Young People series, Takaki's A Different Mirror offers a rich and rewarding 'people's view' perspective on the American story.

By: Roland Takaki
Revised by: A. Naomi Paik
Adapted by: Rebecca Stefoff
Imprint: Triangle Square
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781644215968
ISBN 10: 1644215969
Pages: 512
Publication Date: 02 July 2026
Recommended Age: From 14 to 18 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

RONALD TAKAKI (1939-2009) is recognized as one of the foremost historians of American ethnic and race studies. Born in Hawai’i to a Japanese father and a Japanese American mother, he taught UCLA’s first Black History course before joining UC Berkeley’s Department of Ethnic Studies in 1972. Takaki was a vocal proponent of multicultural education, regularly appearing on programs such as NBC’s Today and PBS’s Newshour. He is the author of many acclaimed books, including the award-winning Strangers from a Distant Shore: A History of Asian Americans and A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. REBECCA STEFOFF is the author of more than 100 nonfiction books for children and young adults, and she has adapted several best-selling history books for younger readers, including Howard Zinn's A Young People's History of the United States published by Seven Stories Press. A. NAOMI PAIK is an associate professor of Criminology, Law, & Justice and Global Asian Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her book Rightlessness: Testimony and Redress in U.S. Prison Camps since World War II won the AAAS Best Book in History and was a runner-up for the John Hope Franklin prize for best book in American Studies.

Reviews for A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (Revised and Updated)

“[A Different Mirror is] a splendid achievement, a bold and refreshing new approach to our national history. The research is meticulous, the writing powerful and eloquent, with what can only be called an epic sweep across time and cultures.” —Howard Zinn “This 375-page book would be an excellent way to include multi-ethnic materials in the classroom as a way to ensure that your students see their unique identities reflected in their coursework.” —Skipping Stones “A Different Mirror advances a truly humane sense of American possibility.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ""The 'mirror' that Ronald Takaki holds up to the United States reflects a multicultural history of oppression and exploitation, but also struggle, solidarity, and community. In the most profound sense, this is a people's history of our country. Takaki shows what has torn us apart, yet what knits us together. This young people's version of A Different Mirror will introduce a new generation to Takaki's pathbreaking scholarship."" —Bill Bigelow, curriculum editor, Rethinking Schools, and co-director, Zinn Education Project