Immigration Studies
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The study of immigration and immigration policy seem more critical now than ever. Public debates about immigration and disagreements about how immigration should be regulated, what political rights immigrants should have once they cross the border, and how immigrants should participate in the economy have strained political and social alliances and upended norms of political conversation. These debates have engaged head-on with issues of economic equity and distribution of wealth, national identity, and the allocation of power in society. The course draws on multiple media: books, academic articles, current events press stories and video clips, and documentary film.
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Big Ideas:
Students will be able to:
Students will Know:
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Essential Questions:
Essential Understandings:
Vocabulary
deportation, detention center, undocumented, refugee, asylee, immigrant, policy, law, regulation, ideology, warrant, naturalization, xenophobia, assimilation Performance Tasks
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Unit Topics
1. Introduction to Immigration?
The United States is a nation of immigrants from a variety of different backgrounds. These immigrants come from nations across the world, have differing reasons for living in the United States, and have unique stories about their journey.
Essential Questions: What does the study of immigration reveal about U.S. history and which stories we tell about ourselves as a people? Who gets to decide who counts in "We the People?"
You can download the class presentation slides for this lesson by clicking on the link below. You will need Microsoft Powerpoint or software that supports this format. To play the embedded videos you must start the slideshow from the beginning. Videos will not play if you open the file in Google Docs.
1. Introduction to Immigration?
The United States is a nation of immigrants from a variety of different backgrounds. These immigrants come from nations across the world, have differing reasons for living in the United States, and have unique stories about their journey.
Essential Questions: What does the study of immigration reveal about U.S. history and which stories we tell about ourselves as a people? Who gets to decide who counts in "We the People?"
You can download the class presentation slides for this lesson by clicking on the link below. You will need Microsoft Powerpoint or software that supports this format. To play the embedded videos you must start the slideshow from the beginning. Videos will not play if you open the file in Google Docs.
| Immigration Introduction |
2. The Constitution and Immigration Law
The immigration debate is based on multiple perspectives and understandings of the same issues. The nation creates laws and policies that include or exclude different immigrant groups by granting or denying civil rights to fully participate in society.
Essential Questions: What does the Constitution say about citizenship and citizens'/people's rights? What does the Constitution say about immigration legislation that clarifies/ specifies/ fills in what the Constitution says and doesn't say? How did policy makers increasingly use race, class, political ideology, health and ability, gender, and sexuality to favor the entry of particular groups and restrict others?
You can download the class presentation slides for this lesson by clicking on the link below. You will need Microsoft PowerPoint or software that supports this format. To play the embedded videos you must start the slideshow from the beginning. Videos will not play if you open the file in Google Docs.
The immigration debate is based on multiple perspectives and understandings of the same issues. The nation creates laws and policies that include or exclude different immigrant groups by granting or denying civil rights to fully participate in society.
Essential Questions: What does the Constitution say about citizenship and citizens'/people's rights? What does the Constitution say about immigration legislation that clarifies/ specifies/ fills in what the Constitution says and doesn't say? How did policy makers increasingly use race, class, political ideology, health and ability, gender, and sexuality to favor the entry of particular groups and restrict others?
You can download the class presentation slides for this lesson by clicking on the link below. You will need Microsoft PowerPoint or software that supports this format. To play the embedded videos you must start the slideshow from the beginning. Videos will not play if you open the file in Google Docs.
| Immigration Part Two |
3. Refugees, Asylum, Undocumented Immigrants
People come to the United States for many reasons and from nations across the world. They have differing reasons for living in the United States and all have unique stories about their journey.
Essential Questions: How did immigrants become “illegal?” What does it feel like to live in the shadows? How have immigrants and their allies fought for rights, protection, and belonging? How are refugees and asylees different from immigrants? Once here, what do different immigrant groups experience in terms of opportunities to integrate politically, economically, and culturally? Who gets opportunities for work, and what work?...who has political voice and how?
People come to the United States for many reasons and from nations across the world. They have differing reasons for living in the United States and all have unique stories about their journey.
Essential Questions: How did immigrants become “illegal?” What does it feel like to live in the shadows? How have immigrants and their allies fought for rights, protection, and belonging? How are refugees and asylees different from immigrants? Once here, what do different immigrant groups experience in terms of opportunities to integrate politically, economically, and culturally? Who gets opportunities for work, and what work?...who has political voice and how?
| Immigration Part Three |
4. Media Literacy
Framing and agenda-setting within the media produces perspectives about immigration and influences the opinions of the public and policymakers.
Essential Questions: What role does the Media play in shaping the public’s opinion on immigration?
Framing and agenda-setting within the media produces perspectives about immigration and influences the opinions of the public and policymakers.
Essential Questions: What role does the Media play in shaping the public’s opinion on immigration?
| Immigration Part Four |
5. Deportation
Essential Questions: Who has been targeted for deportation throughout United States history, and why? How has expulsion shaped who is considered to be an insider and outsider, and who is considered to be deserving and undeserving? How does the history of deportation challenge the United States' reputation as "a nation of immigrants?" During what periods have immigrants been "welcomed" in in large numbers? During what periods has deportation skyrocketed? How do these trends connect to domestic political and economic climates?
Essential Questions: Who has been targeted for deportation throughout United States history, and why? How has expulsion shaped who is considered to be an insider and outsider, and who is considered to be deserving and undeserving? How does the history of deportation challenge the United States' reputation as "a nation of immigrants?" During what periods have immigrants been "welcomed" in in large numbers? During what periods has deportation skyrocketed? How do these trends connect to domestic political and economic climates?
Possible Social Action Projects
- Immigration - Stories from Yesterday and Today
- Know Your Rights Training run by students to inform members of the community what their rights are should ICE knock on the door.
- Build Alliances - Find other groups involved in immigration issues, learn what they do and figure out ways to work with them
- Create an Immigration Information site in Spanish/English
- Get to Know Us Photo-Exposition - create a photo exposition of immigrants (students and adults) with text that talks about their contributions to the community, their values, their dreams.
- Scrawl on the Wall: use overhead projectors to project towering images, text, and spontaneously written “graffiti” on the walls of the hallway. Group members and maybe passersby draw and write on transparencies for the purpose of deconstructing, defacing, and transforming racist discourses and giving voice to perspectives and demands of students of color and white students against racism.