ETHS 150B 1D - Rethinking the Border: US Immigratn

Minimum Credit(s) Awarded: 3
Maximum Credit(s) Awarded: 4

Though the traditional US immigrant narrative focuses on those immigrants who came into Ellis Island, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, this course turns its gaze to the long US-Mexican border (understood both as a physical barrier between the two countries, but also a psychological reality) and the crucial role of Mexican immigrants in shaping the US, not only in the traditional ‘borderlands’ of California and the Southwest, but across the country. While we focus on the experiences of Mexican immigrants, we also give attention to the larger historical context of US immigration. Through an exploration of a range of immigrant expressions (songs, narratives, fiction, documentaries, interviews), this course examines the roles and contributions of Mexican and other immigrants in US history. Against the backdrop of an increasingly multicultural United States, we consider the breadth and depth of cultural history and experience that make up the US, even as we examine the ways in which immigrants (both historically and today) come under attack.

Offered Fall

Prerequisite(s): This course is for first semester freshmen.