Being American in a Changing World

Ronald Takaki (1939-2009), often cited as the father of multicultural studies, was the grandson of immigrant Japanese plantation workers in Hawaii. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster and his master's degree and Ph.D. in American history from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught at UC-Berkeley for over 30 years, and designed and led its Ethnic Studies Ph.D. program until his retirement. His many books include A Different Mirror, Strangers from a Different Shore, A Larger Memory, Iron Cages: Race and Culture in 19th-Century America, and Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II.