How did so many Punjabi immigrants come to find themselves behind the wheels of so many New York City taxi cabs, and what do their stories have to teach us about how immigrants must navigate life in a new society? Diditi Mitra analyzes how race and class influence settlement patterns in the United States, based on her extensive interviews with 59 Punjabi taxi drivers, organizers of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, laywers who represent drivers in taxi courts, owners of taxi fleets, and an official of the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission. What emerges is an unprecedented exploration into how society shapes the 'choices' made by immigrants as they adapt to America.

Sponsored by the American Academy of Political and Social Science William Julius Wilson is a leader in the study of the urban underclass. His controversial thesis states that the fragmentation of the black community along class lines has resulted in a group of blacks who have left the inner city for middle-class suburban life, leaving behind the ghetto underclass of very disadvantaged poor. This thesis has had an enormous impact on the study of urban life, race, and society. Originally published as a special issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, The Ghetto Underclass addresses questions from theoretical, empirical, and policy perspectives. Wilson and other leading social scientists cover demographic and industrial transitions, family patterns, sexual behavior, immigration, and homelessness of the urban underclass. Wilson′s introduction updates recent work on this topic since publication of the Annals issue. The Ghetto Underclass should be read by all students and professionals of urban studies, ethnic studies, sociology, policy studies, political science, social work, social welfare, and education.

"After 9/11, Bangladeshi-Americans felt pressured to see their identities in binary Muslim vs. American terms. They refused to accept this identity not only because it does not fit, but also because it curtails their ability to engage society in multiple terms and to exercise their rights as citizens. Bangladeshis' experiences were colored by gender, generation, and social class. While the first-generation Bangladeshis maintain strong connections with Bangladesh and prefer to be identified as Bangladeshi-Americas, the second-generation identifies as "desi"--a generic South Asian identity, which helps them reconcile their parents' expectations and the demands of their lives in the United States. Bangladeshi diasporic media are not maintain connections with their old home, but also are an integral part of their lives in the diaspora." -- Provided by publisher