As we enter the 21st century, the terms ethnicity and race are more often being used interchangeably. However, ethnicity and race have historically meant different things in the United States. What does it mean to refer to racial minorities as ethnic minorities? What are the social dynamics that have led to a broadening of the discourse on diversity and multiculturalism to include more types of culturally-based differences, while the practice of labeling those who are not white as "other" continues apace?

In Critical Ethnicity, leading scholars from several disciplines explore the interactions of ethnicity, race, and education in the United States, which are embedded within discussions of diversity, multiculturalism, and identity politics. Contributors to this volume, including Stanley Aronowitz, Lilia I. Bartolome, Donaldo Macedo, Michelle Fine, Lois Weis, Linda C. Powell, Margaret Andersen, Antonia Darder, and Kofi Lomotey, reveal how terms such as "at risk" and "culture of poverty" hide the insidious racism that underlies much of our social relations. This volume attempts to help educators interpret their locations in society, to expose power relationships, and to understand how all of us-irrespective of color, gender, age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation-are affected by hegemony and oppression.