How Ethnically Marginalized Americans Cope with Catastrophic Disasters: Studies in Suffering and Resiliency - Tapa dura

"... illuminates the unique and common problems that beset minority groups in the aftermath of natural and technological disasters. High-risk situations are not simply defined by 'time and space,' but rather involve many socially generated inequalities that reveal power relations deeply rooted in the historical context of the minority experience." - J. Steven Picou University of South Alabama "The authors provide a strong foundation encompassing both historical analysis and cultural depictions, which facilitates the understanding of government and individual responses to disasters." - Prof. Anita Bledsoe Gardner Johnson C. Smith University"

This edited volume explores the experiences of minority groups within American society in the aftermath of disaster. Focusing on four minority groups, Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans and Latinos, contributing authors discuss the various strategies used by these groups to recover from natural and technological disasters. During the aftermath of natural and technological disasters, often times spiralling human toll, financial costs, loss of livelihoods, and communities left in disarray can often be traced to policies unsuited to the emerging scale of problems. This volume illustrates the need for policy-makers and emergency planners to develop more culturally competent approaches to implementing planning and prevention strategies within culturally responsive frameworks that ultimately maximize a group's ability to be resilient in the aftermath of disasters. The editors of this volume believe that his research contributes to the discipline of disaster studies by highlighting social groups within American society and provides insight into how a democratic society can reshape its approach to disaster mitigation in a more socially just manner.