They and We, 6th edition, offers a jargon-free introduction to the critical study of America's people, their origins, and encounters. In addition to a four-chapter section devoted to the social history of our diverse populations, the author examines the roots of prejudice, patterns of discrimination, the meaning of "minority status" and the issues of power, politics, and pluralism. This fully updated edition assesses recent political crises such as occurred in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the war and occupation in Iraq, and continuing debates over multiculturalism. Particular attention is paid to continuing struggles for group rights among those most beleaguered, reactions to the dramatic increases in immigration from Asia and Latin America, and the resurgence of nativism among those who once again feel threatened by "alien" forces.