I tend to be skeptical of books covering broad stretches of history, and this was then compounded by the number of groups Takaki sought to represent (e.g., Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, Jewish Americans, Irish Americans, etc.). That said, this collection was well executed and is definitely worth a read.

Due to Takaki's objective of re-examining deep American history through the lens of disenfranchised groups, everyone and their mother will probably draw comparisons to Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." While that is valid, Takaki's approach is very much rooted in how ethnic minority groups both shaped and were impacted by prominent events such as the colonial period, the Civil War, World War II, and the 9/11 attacks. Here Takaki examines meanings of the social constructs that create the very concept of 'race,' as well as what it ultimately means to be 'American.' Identity is very much the name of the game.

Furthermore, by shinning a light each chapter on a specific ethnic group, he is able to address the stereotypes associated with them in set time periods. Every group mentioned overcame some manner of adversity, and were dehumanized or otherized in specific ways. Takaki lays out the context for each situation, subverts the narrative of passive victimhood, and zeroes in on the perseverance and agency of each group.

My only criticism would be that there were points of history that should have been mentioned or elaborated on. Specifically, cities are the major focal point post-Civil War, and I would have liked to have read more about rural history in the Jim Crow era. Also, while major discriminatory legislation is highlighted (e.g. 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, Plessy v Ferguson, Immigration Act of 1924, etc.), I would have also been interested in reading more on the civil rights efforts prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, as well as their direct aftereffects.

Still, what is presented is ambitious in scope, and its largest strength is the due to the emotional earnestness of the delivery. The accounts of ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are not b-side stories, but American history itself. Ronald Takaki has a personal stake in making this point clear, being the member of a multi-ethnic family himself. This emotional core at the center of a well-researched body of work is what makes "A Different Mirror" worth reading.