This is a wide-ranging inquiry into the forces that define the nations of North America and that are bringing North America's peoples and institutions closer together. A collaborative effort on the part of thirteen scholars from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the volume assesses the dynamics of identity and seeks out ways in which the three nations of North America can become more comfortable with their collective future on the continent - where community is not inevitable, but increasingly possible. The contributors probe the core values of the three countries, study group interactions and trans-border regionalism, and assess, in conclusion, the search for community and the possibility of thinking of North America as a whole. The book thus attacks directly the problems of asymmetry that have in the past arisen when Mexico is added to the familiar pairing of Canada and the United States.

This volume contains a penetrating set of reflections on the prospects for greater North American integration. It assesses the dynamics of identity and seeks out ways in which the three nations of North America can become more comfortable with their collective future on the continent - where community is not inevitable, but increasingly possible.

A penetrating set of reflections on the prospects for greater North American integration.

“This rich and accessible book argues that ongoing changes within North America will stimulate an examination of each nation’s sense of identity and provide fresh opportunities. . . . This fascinating book shows the outlines of those forces that are inexorably making the 21st century.”—Foreign Affairs

Introduction Robert L. Earle and John D. Wirth; Part I. Core Values: 1. Canada: values in search of a vision Keith Spicer; 2. American identity: a political compact Marc Pachter; 3. Approaches to the problem of Mexican identity Alberto Ruy-Sánchez; Part II. Group Identities and Interactions: 4. Pluralism and ecology in Canadian cities David Crombie; 5. The dynamics of assimilation in the United States Richard Estrada; 6. Mexico: culture and identity in the information age Alejandra Lajous Vargas; Part III. Regional Perspectives: 7. Quebec in the emerging North American configuration Daniel Latouche; 8. Cascadia: the new binationalism of western Canada and the US Pacific Northwest Paul Schell and John Hammer; 9. The Mexico-U.S. border: a line of paradox Jorge Bustamente; 10. Conclusion: the search for community Robert L. Earle and John D. Wirth.