Ethnic Studies at the Crossroads

One of the field's most respected veterans reckons with the state of ethnic studies, from its conflicted past to its transformative future. Ethnic studies is more visible than ever. A project that once struggled at the margins of academic and public life has now achieved significant levels of prominence and impact, not without threat from well-funded political and legal campaigns against critical affirmative action, critical race theory, and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. In this "moment of danger," George Lipsitz looks at the current state of the field. Outlining the painful contradictions faced within, Lipsitz delineates the ways in which ethnic studies produces opposition, experiences incorporation, and equips people to challenge, survive, and overcome oppression. He also looks at its potential in connecting those across the academy with broader community circles and discovering unexpected alliances and affinities. Critical yet optimistic, this book upholds the promising wider role of ethnic studies in social transformation.