Another Look at "Whiteness": The Persistence of Ethnicity in American Life.

An essay is presented discussing the history of ethnicity in U.S. and how a sense of "whiteness" among immigrant groups has played an important role in the process of assimilation into American society. It is argued that being considered white was beneficial to immigrant integration over time, but that ethnicity persisted in subconscious or conscious cultural patterns that had an impact on future generations. Several studies investigating the enduring influence of ethnicity are discussed.