The U.S. has never been a racially, culturally or ethnically homogeneous society, nor is it particularly unusual in this regard. Why, then, is diversity typically invoked as if it were novel or unprecedented? Why is pluralism presumed to be an exceptionally American ideal, as if no other society, past or present, has sought to build order upon difference? Why are contemporary debates over multiculturalism so often disconnected from the existence and reproduction of patterns of social inequality? This course seeks to provide some of the historical context and intellectual depth too often lacking in these debates. Rather than presuming a simple, singular "multiculturalism" one may be either "for" or "against," we'll examine a variety of 20th-century theoretical formulations of pluralism emerging in and across U.S. domains, and consider how present-day multiculturalisms bear the legacies of both imperialist and anti-imperialist aspirations. Readings may be drawn from liberal social science, Marxist internationalism, Third World radicalism, women of color feminism, and recent cultural studies. This EDI course follows a "Critical Theorization" focus, aiming to provide resources to students with experience or interest in practical engagement with questions of diversity, both on and beyond the campus.