Bridges of reform : interracial civil rights activism in twentieth-century Los Angeles / Shana Bernstein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bernstein, Shana.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civil rights movements--California--Los Angeles--History--20th century.

Civil rights movements.

Community life--California--Los Angeles--History--20th century.

Community life.

Cultural pluralism.

History.

Los Angeles (Calif.)--Race relations--History--20th century.

Los Angeles (Calif.).

Cultural pluralism--California--Los Angeles--History--20th century.

Los Angeles (Calif.)--Social conditions--20th century.

California--Los Angeles.

Physical Description:

xi, 339 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2011.

Summary:

In her first book, Shana Bernstein reinterprets U.S. civil rights activism by looking at its roots in the interracial efforts of Mexican, African, Jewish, and Japanese Americans in mid-century Los Angeles. Expanding the frame of historical analysis beyond black/white and North/South, Bernstein reveals that meaningful domestic activism for racial equality persisted from the 1930s through the 1950s. She stresses how this coalition-building was facilitated by the cold war climate, as activists sought protection and legitimacy in this conservative era. Emphasizing the significant connections between ethno-racial communities and between the United States and world opinion. Bridges of Reform demonstrates the long-term role western cities like Los Angeles played in shaping American race relations. Book jacket.

Contents:

Los Angeles, the early days

Shadows of war, forces for change

The war comes home

Cold warriors of a different stripe

The community service organization and interracial civil rights activism in the Cold War era

Los Angeles to the nation.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780195331660

0195331664

9780195331677

0195331672

OCLC:

498418040