In our growing desire to implement multicultural studies, much is made of the differences in ethnic groups and not enough about their similarities. Although the cultural details change—the food, the old heroes and legends, the religious observances and special holidays—each story tells of balancing two cultures in the process of becoming American.

Descriptive citations cover forty-one immigrant groups (from Armenian to Vietnamese), six combined groups (Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, Scandinavian, Slavic, and West Indian), and a category called "The General Experience." There is comprehensive coverage from the late nineteenth century through the first half of 1994 of adult and young adult novels, collections of stories, anthologies, and secondary sources. In addition to author and title indexes, the book has two special indexes—"Theme and Genre" and "Publication Dates"—to assist the reader in making transcultural connections.