Reseña de Choise

Americans often point to the diversity of their country's population, being at once complacent about that diversity and fearful of the presence of foreigners. Australia, nearly a quarter of whose population was born overseas, stands comparison easily. Jupp (Australian National Univ.), a specialist on immigration and ethnic studies in Australia, has assembled 250 contributors to write about some 115 immigrant groups. The encyclopedia has four parts: "The Peopling of Australia" (where they came from, how they got there, and a history of immigration patterns and policies); "Indigenous Australians"; "The Settlers" (the largest section with entries for each group); and "Building a Nation" (thematic entries on issues relating to multiculturalism and public policy). Entries in part 3 typically cover the history of immigration, including its motivation, settlement patterns, and organizational supports. All the research is substantiated by census data and field experience. The entries are more intriguing than most essays on ethnic groups because they do not regard such groups as monoliths but recognize their diversity of interests, locations, and characteristics. Issues raised in part 4 will interest Americans, since both countries face similar circumstances. At the end is a massive bibliography. American reference librarians might class this book with The Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups, ed. by Stephan Thernstrom (CH, Jan'81), or Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, ed. by Judy Galens et al. (CH, Apr'96). It is substantial in both the physical--big and heavy--and scholarly senses. Rarely does a reference work on such an important topic so thoroughly and expertly cover its terrain. Highly recommended for all academic libraries. D. S. Azzolina University of Pennsylvania