Ethnicity and the American cemetery

the long version

Far more than merely elements of space sectioned off and set aside for the burial of the dead, cemeteries are, in effect, open cultural texts, there to be read and appreciated by anyone who takes the time to learn a bit of their special language. In the United States, nowhere is this more true than in the case of cemeteries established by members of the diverse ethnic groups which have exerted a subtle but powerful influence upon the development of American culture. Ethnicity and the American Cemetery, a volume comprised of eight original, individually commissioned essays, explores in detail the manner in which representative ethnic groups in America have made their cemeteries - the sites themselves, the material objects found within them, and the customary practices bound to both, a most powerful and eloquent voice for the expression of values and worldview inherent in their self-conscious awareness of their own special identity. Contributing authors illustrate the book's interdisciplinary focus, with representation from, among others, the fields of folklore, cultural history, historical archeology landscape architecture, and philosophy, heavily illustrated, the volume also features an introductory essay by editor Richard E. Meyer and an extensive annotated bibliography.