Prizewinner in the twenty-fifth annual AMERICAN BOOK AWARDS for 2004, presented by the Before Columbus Foundation. A full, detailed and carefully comparative analysis of recent American 'ethnic' writing from an author with an unparalleled knowledge of his subject. Timely, wide-ranging and informative, this book covers the writing - in both fiction and autobiography - of Black, Native, Latino/a and Asian American authors including Ishmael Reed, Toni Morrison, Gerald Vizenor, Lesley Marmon Silko, Rudolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros, Maxine Hong Kingston and Jessica Hagedorn. Taking a cultural studies perspective, A. Robert Lee recognises the context of politics and popular culture and draws on the visual as well as the literary spectrum.This is the first book of its kind - while there are books available which introduce one or other of the ethnic traditions, no one has yet considered them in comparative terms in a single volume. As such it will be an invaluable resource for all those with an interest in multicultural American literature.Selling Points* First single volume comparative analysis of recent American 'ethnic' writing* Timely, wide-ranging and informative* Covers both fiction and autobiography