Book Review of American ApartheidDuring the 20th century, a word disappeared from the American vocabulary, a word that had a profound impact on American society, a word specifically addressed to some group of people. Few appreciate the depth of that word in history. That word is segregation. American Apartheid successfully illustrates the controversial issue of racial segregation by examining the high level of poverty among black citizens and comparing it to the intentional isolation they experience within American cities. Before the reader can identify the issue and form an opinion, he or she must understand the credibility of the authors. The first author of the book is Douglas S. Massey. He is currently a professor of sociology at Princeton University and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an expert on immigration, particularly the residential segregation of black citizens within local communities. The second author of the book is Nancy A. Denton. He currently serves as director of urban and regional research and associate director of social and demographic analysis at the Lewis Mumford Center in Albany, New York. She specializes in immigration, particularly immigrant families and their impact on residential areas. The book begins by tracing the construction of the black ghetto in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This shows that segregation was not always common in American cities, but rather emerged at a certain time. These communities formed in opposition to the desires of blacks, through the beliefs, opinions and practices of whites. Their initial goal was to contain, if they wanted to, the e......middle of paper......ty that has plagued America for generations. In conclusion, racial segregation provides a gateway to countless other forms of injustice. Black people are forced to live in a world where poverty is an epidemic, infrastructure is inadequate, education is non-existent, families are torn apart, and crime and violence are everywhere. Segregation uses all of these factors within a given area to isolate one group of people from another. This apartheid system refuses to recognize the rights of black people as legitimate citizens and forces them to bear the consequences of economic, political and social oppression. This is unfair and unjust. It is ironic how Americans are the first to criticize foreign countries, yet remain blind to their own shortcomings. Until they can identify the problem, the United States of America will continue to struggle as a country.