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U.S. Ethnic Studies

Following is a selected list of general resources for starting research in U.S. Ethnic Studies. While many of these resources cover all US ethnic groups, the resources that focus on particular ethnic groups were chosen because of an instructional or research focus on that group at the UO. The UO Libraries' collections contain a wealth of information on all US ethnic groups. For further assistance, contact Ethnic Studies Librarian Barbara Jenkins

Starting Your Research

These sources are useful because they provide synopses of a research field, offer background information on a specific issue, or help you identify a research topic by perusing them.

Encyclopedias

Scholarly encyclopedias contain short, information-packed articles summarizing the history and current academic views on a subject. Articles in encyclopedias are usually written by an expert in the field, and often have citations to help you find further relevant information. There are many encyclopedias with ethnic studies content (ask at the Reference Desk if you don't find what you need); here is a list of some key sources.

GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  • American Immigrant Culture [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.A1 A63448]
  • Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E77.9.A72]
  • The Asian American Encyclopedia [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 A827]
  • Civil Rights in the United States [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.A1 C47]
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.A1 G14]
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E77.G15]
  • Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.E54]
  • Encyclopedia of Japanese American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.J3 E53]
  • Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.A1 E574]
  • Encyclopedia of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.M5 M458]
  • Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 H365]
  • Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E76.3 N36]
  • Racial and Ethnic Relations in America [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E49.R33]
ALMANACS
  • The African-American Almanac [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185 .N385]
  • The Asian American Almanac [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 A824]
  • Almanac of African American heritage [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185 .A448]
  • The Hispanic-American Almanac [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 H557]
  • The Native North American Almanac [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E77 .N37]
ATLASES
  • The African-American Atlas [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.A79]
  • Atlas of African-American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185 .C55]
  • Atlas of Asian-American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 A89]
BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES
  • The Encyclopedia of Native American Biography [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E89.J69]
  • Notable Asian Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 N67]
  • Notable Black American Men [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.86 .N68]
  • Notable Black American Women [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.96.N68]
  • Notable Hispanic American Women [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 N68]
  • Notable Latino Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 M435]
  • Notable Native Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E89.N67]
CHRONOLOGIES
  • Chronology of African-American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.H64]
  • Chronology of Hispanic-American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 C49]
  • Chronology of Native North American History: From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E77.C555]
  • The Timetables of African-American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.H295]
HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES
  • Dictionary of Asian American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 D53]
  • Dictionary of Mexican American History [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.M5 M453]
  • Historical Dictionary of North American Archaeology [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E77.9.H57]
LITERATURE
  • African-American Writers: A Dictionary [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.N5 A3444]
  • Asian American Literature [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.A84 A82]
  • The Asian Pacific American Heritage: A Companion to Literature and Arts [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.A84 A87]
  • Best Literature By and About Blacks [KNIGHT REFERENCE - Z1229.N39 R53]
  • Chicano Literature [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.M4 C46]
  • Contemporary Native American Authors [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.I52 J87]
  • Contemporary Native American Literature: A Selected and Partially Annotated Bibliography [KNIGHT REFERENCE - Z1229.I52 J32]
  • Native American Literatures: An Encyclopedia of Works, Characters, Authors, and Themes [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS153.I52 W47]
  • U.S. Latino Literature [KNIGHT REFERENCE - Z1229.H57 Z55]
  • Voices of Multicultural America [KNIGHT REFERENCE - PS663.M55 V64]
STATISTICS
  • Black Americans: A Statistical Sourcebook [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.B54]
  • Hispanic Americans: A Statistical Sourcebook [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 H5655]
  • Historical Statistics of Black America [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.H543]
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States [KNIGHT REFERENCE - HA 202] An annual publication of major statistical series published by the US government. Look under 'population' in the index to find statistical tables on US ethnic groups. Located on TABLE 5 , near the Reference Desk.
  • Statistical Handbook on Racial Groups in the United States [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.A1 H417]
  • Statistical Record of Asian Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.O6 S73]
  • Statistical Record of Black America [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E185.5.S83]
  • Statistical Record of Hispanic Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E184.S75 S73]
  • Statistical Record of Native North Americans [KNIGHT REFERENCE - E98.P76 S73]
JOURNALS (CURRENT PERIODICALS ROOM, 2nd floor, Knight Library)

Browse through the table of contents of recently published Ethnic Studies journals to identify a contemporary research topic for your research paper. These journals can be found in many different call number (subject area) sections, including:

  • E76-98 Native Americans: History & Culture
    • test
  • E184.M & E184.S Hispanic/Latino/Chicano Americans:History & Culture
  • E184.O Asian Americans: History & Culture
  • E185 African Americans: History & Culture

Finding Articles

To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index. An index will allow you to search by subject (which guarantees that the articles you find will be largely or wholly about your subject), or by keywords (which works like an Internet search; articles will appear if they match the exact words you typed in, with no guarantee that the articles are really relevant.)

Following is a select list of indexes that focus on ethnic studies. Because ethnic studies is interdisciplinary, there are many subject-specific indexes (e.g. history, religion, or literature indexes) that also will be helpful depending on your topic. Please ask at the Reference Desk for assistance for help in finding or using the appropriate index(es).

Finding BOOKS

  • UO Library Catalog
    Identify books by topic, title or author; identify journals and magazines owned by the UO Library. To find journal articles on your topic, use the databases listed in the section above. Once you have a citation, search the UO Library Catalog using the JOURNAL TITLE to see if we own that journal and that particular issue.
  • Summit: The Orbis/Cascade Alliance Catalog
    Orbis is a consortium of libraries in the Northwest, whose joint collections more than double our own. You can borrow books by selecting the Request Item option when looking at the record of the item you want. Summit libraries will lend books, recordings, videos, etc. BUT you cannot request journal articles through Orbis. If you want to request journal articles, you'll need to fill out an Interlibrary Loan form.
  • WorldCat
    The holdings of over 40,000 libraries nationwide and internationally are also available to you through WorldCat. To request Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service to borrow materials from other libraries, click on the ILL button at the top of the record for the item you want. Access books, maps, musical scores, manuscripts, newspapers, government documents, etc. Request Interlibrary Loan materials through Worldcat EARLY - on average they take 7-10 days to arrive!
  • BROWSING the shelves
    Try the following call number areas to get a taste of the UO Libraries' holdings (please ask at the Reference Desk if you cannot find what you want):
    • E76-98 Native Americans: History & Culture
    • E184.M & E184.S Hispanic/Latino/Chicano Americans:History & Culture
    • E184.O Asian Americans: History & Culture
    • E185 African Americans: History & Culture

Web Resources

Because of the broad interdisciplinary nature of ethnic studies, there are few websites that even attempt to cover all possible ethnic and cultural groups. Here are some selected links that give a broad overview of the academic field of ethnic studies, and websites with general background information on particular ethnic groups. For help finding additional websites please ask at the Reference Desk.

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Maintained by Barbara Jenkins, jenkins@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 04/08/2008