Multicultural Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Identity

In the past 30 years, the United States has undergone an unprecedented and accelerated growth in the diversity of its population. These changes affect all elements of our society, underscoring the need for an informed and knowledgeable public that can understand, respect, and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds. Multicultural Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Identity discusses the relationship between race, ethnicity, sense of self and the development of individual and group identity. It further explores the question of who we are and who we are becoming from the perspective of our multicultural, multilingual, and globally interconnected world. This book offers readers the opportunity to examine the importance of ecological and environmental factors in defining how we experience our lives and the world around us.

The authors introduce and review numerous frameworks and models for understanding racial and ethnic identity development. Each chapter reviews the social, economic, and political processes related to building and preserving racial and ethnic identities and perceptions of self. Multicultural Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Identity is a great resource for all social workers.

Elizabeth Pathy Salett, MSW, was the founder and former president of the National MultiCultural Institute, whose mission was to create a society that is strengthened and empowered by its diversity. In 2013, she was named a pioneer by NASW. She is president of the OLP Foundation that focuses on diversity, education, human trafficking and modern-day slavery. She is a graduate of Wellesley College; she earned an MA from Columbia University, Teachers College, and an MSW from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work.

Diane R. Koslow, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Rockville, Maryland. She was director of training for the National MultiCultural Institute, where she contributed to publications, presentations, marketing, and proposal development. Dr. Koslow is listed in Who's Who Among Human Service Professionals, and Who's Who in the East.