Emilio Zamora

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.
            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:
Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).
Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.
Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).
Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:
Mid-term examination (25%),
Final examination (25%),
Research paper (30%),
Two chapter reports (10%)
Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:
Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).
Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.
Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).
Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:
Mid-term examination (25%),
Final examination (25%),
Research paper (30%),
Two chapter reports (10%)
Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.
            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.
Texts:
Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.
Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).
Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Grading:
Research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

The seminar will address the method and theory of oral history, and provide students an opportunity to read and discuss important written materials, conduct oral history interviews, analyze their interviewing experiences and findings, and prepare an oral history paper.  Selected readings will provide a basis for understanding the method of oral history, evaluating oral narratives, and preparing oral history projects.  Three sets of relationships that shape oral narratives will frame the general discussion in the class: relationships between words, ideas and accounts embedded in the narratives; relationships between the interviewers and the informants; and relationships between the informants’ recollections and their assessments of past and contemporary situations.

The course will involve extensive reading, research project planning and the implementation of an oral history.The readings are meant to provide the students the necessary methodological and conceptual grounding for planning and implementing the research project.  At least five meetings will be devoted to the readings of the texts, with at least two students leading the discussion for each book.  Everyone will be expected to prepare a report on selected essays from each of the books, and participate in the discussion.  Subsequent class meetings will be devoted to planning the research project and reporting on the progress and the results of the research papers.

            Course materials, including a copy of my resume, the syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Requirements:

Five Book Reports (3-5 pages each) and corresponding oral reports that address important themes in the readings (such as memory, shared authorship, the interview, and ethical issues in interviewing): The reports will represent 50 points in a 100-point scale.   Submission deadlines, noted below, allow for the students to benefit from class discussions on the readings.  Two student volunteers will lead each week’s discussions of the readings.  Each report should focus on at least three chapters or essays in each book that have relevance to the student’s research goals.  Students should use the readings in their preparation of their research plans and papers.  The readings, in other words, offer the necessary bibliographic information for the preparation of the research plan and a bibliography for the paper.

A 5-10 page research plan and corresponding oral report: The plan should contain a purpose statement that notes a central research problem and corresponding research questions, issues and hypothesis, a statement on how oral history will help reach research goals and expand knowledge, a review of the pertinent literature, biographies of persons to be interviewed, interviewing protocols, and a statement of expected findings and their significance.  The plan will guide the research activities and undergo changes as the project progresses.  The deadline for a draft of the plan is March 22 and the deadline for the final draft is May 3.  The plan will be worth 10 points.

A 12-15-page oral history paper (based on at least two, 2-hour semi-structured interviews, as well as preliminary interviews or conversations with the informants) that addresses the interviewing process and findings: Students should engage the assigned readings as models for their papers.  The paper will be worth 40 points.

Readings and course schedule will be available during our first class meeting.

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Texts:

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Grading:

Research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).

FLAGS:   CD

Description:

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

FLAGS:   CD

Description:

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Texts:

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Grading:

Research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:

Mid-term examination (20%),

Final examination (20%),

Research paper (30%),

Four chapter reports (20%)

Film report (10%).

This seminar will introduce students to the historical experience of Mexican-origin persons in Texas, with reading and research assignments involving basic texts, as well as archival materials at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, and the EBSCO-Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection (Digitized Series 1 and 2) at the University of Texas at Austin.  Our major concern will be to explain how, under what circumstances, and with what consequences Mexican-origin persons and communities from Texas were incorporated into the socio-economy of the United States.  The first half of the course will be dedicated to readings and class discussions that will allow the students to explore important themes, including immigration, diplomatic and ethnic relations, organized labor, and equal rights movements.  The approach to the readings will be comparative, trans-regional, and transnational, that is, the course will focus on Mexicans in Texas but will cast a wide net to include the larger Latino community and African Americans, as well as trans-border relations between Mexican and Indigenous communities.

The second half of the course will learn about the rich archival materials on Mexican American history and the analytical frameworks and research methodologies that the authors of our texts have used in selecting and interpreting the records.  This will involve visits to the archives, presentations by the University of Texas library staff on the archival materials, the selection of at least five records utilized by one of authors, and the preparation of a paper that provides a history of the books and a critical evaluation of the use of archival records by the authors.  The students will be closely supervised in the examination of the records and the preparation of an oral presentation and a research paper.

Required Readings:

Ignacio M. Garcia, United We Win: The Rise and Fall of La Raza Unida Party. Tucson: University of Arizona Mexican American Studies Research Center, 1989.

David Montejano. Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, 1836-1986. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1987.

Guadalupe San Miguel, Jr., "Let All of Them Take Heed": Mexican Americans and the Campaign for Educational Equality in Texas. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1987.

Assignments and Requirements

Students will be required to attend class regularly and participate in class discussions.

During the first half of the course, the students will be expected to keep up with the reading assignments from our texts (approximately four chapters from each text) and prepare a three-page report on each of the texts.  Each report will be worth 15 points, for a maximum of 45 points in the course.

During the last half of the course, the students will be introduced to archival collections with relevance to the history of Mexicans in Texas.  The students will be expected to visit and become familiarize with a particular archival collection and prepare a 15-minute oral presentation on the history, general contents, and strengths/limitations of the collection.  This assignment will be worth 20 points.

The student will also be responsible for preparing a 20-page research paper based on an examination of least five archival records that address a specific theme, event, or historical figure and their interpretative use by one of the authors of our texts.  The paper will have a maximum value of 35 points.

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Texts:

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

 Grading:

Research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.

Texts:

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999). Angela Valenzuela, “The Drought of Understanding and the Hummingbird Spirit,” Unpublished essay in my possession.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Emilio Zamora, “Guide for Writing Family History Research Paper.

Grading:

Mid-term examination (25%),

Final examination (25%),

Research paper (30%),

Two chapter reports (10%)

Film report (10%).

The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Texts:

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

Grading:

Research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).

The lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848.  The primary intent of the course is to describe and explain time and place specific variations in the socio-cultural incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  Within this experience of incorporation, I will emphasize the following: Texas, inequality, trans-border experiences, migrations, social struggles, identity, and the process of historical production.  Also, I will treat Mexican American history within the context of U.S., Latino, and Mexico history and, whenever possible, relate it to African American history. 

Course Description:

The seminar will address the method and theory of oral history, and provide students an opportunity to read and discuss important written materials, conduct oral history interviews, analyze their interviewing experiences and findings, and prepare an oral history paper.  Selected readings will provide a basis for understanding the method of oral history, evaluating oral narratives, and preparing oral history projects.  Three sets of relationships that shape oral narratives will frame the general discussion in the class: relationships between words, ideas and accounts embedded in the narratives; relationships between the interviewers and the informants; and relationships between the informants’ recollections and their assessments of past and contemporary situations.

The course will involve extensive reading, research project planning and the implementation of an oral history.The readings are meant to provide the students the necessary methodological and conceptual grounding for planning and implementing the research project.  At least five meetings will be devoted to the readings of the texts, with at least two students leading the discussion for each book.  Everyone will be expected to prepare a report on selected essays from each of the books, and participate in the discussion.  Subsequent class meetings will be devoted to planning the research project and reporting on the progress and the results of the research papers.

            Course materials, including a copy of my resume, the syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Requirements:

Five Book Reports (3-5 pages each) and corresponding oral reports that address important themes in the readings (such as memory, shared authorship, the interview, and ethical issues in interviewing): The reports will represent 50 points in a 100-point scale.   Submission deadlines, noted below, allow for the students to benefit from class discussions on the readings.  Two student volunteers will lead each week’s discussions of the readings.  Each report should focus on at least three chapters or essays in each book that have relevance to the student’s research goals.  Students should use the readings in their preparation of their research plans and papers.  The readings, in other words, offer the necessary bibliographic information for the preparation of the research plan and a bibliography for the paper.

A 5-10 page research plan and corresponding oral report: The plan should contain a purpose statement that notes a central research problem and corresponding research questions, issues and hypothesis, a statement on how oral history will help reach research goals and expand knowledge, a review of the pertinent literature, biographies of persons to be interviewed, interviewing protocols, and a statement of expected findings and their significance.  The plan will guide the research activities and undergo changes as the project progresses.  The deadline for a draft of the plan is March 22 and the deadline for the final draft is May 3.  The plan will be worth 10 points.

A 12-15-page oral history paper (based on at least two, 2-hour semi-structured interviews, as well as preliminary interviews or conversations with the informants) that addresses the interviewing process and findings: Students should engage the assigned readings as models for their papers.  The paper will be worth 40 points.

Readings and course schedule will be available during our first class meeting.

This lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848.  The primary intent of the course is to describe and explain time and place specific variations in the socio-cultural incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  Within this experience of incorporation, I will emphasize the following: Texas, inequality, trans-border experiences, migrations, social struggles, identity, and the process of historical production.  Also, I will treat Mexican American history within the context of U.S., Latino, and Mexico history and, whenever possible, relate it to African American history. 

Grading

Mid-term examination (20%), a final examination (20%), a research report (20%), five chapter reports (25%), and three film reports (15%).

Texts

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).

Hector Tobar, Translation Nation (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).

This reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history, southern history, and Mexico-U.S. relations.  The primary purpose of the course is to understand the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its “modern” position.  The course will offer a general survey of Texas history and focus on the home front of the Second World War and the desegregation of Mansfield High School in the 1950.   This will allow me to underscore an underlying argument in the course—Texas history traverses regional and national borders.  My references to world events, national politics, the South, and Mexico will serve the same purpose.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text and the Campbell essays provide a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora and Ladino texts provided closer examinations of four central themes—the Second World War, hemispheric relations, labor, and politics at mid-century.

Grading

Two examinations (40%), 5 chapter reports (30%), 2 film reports (20%), and a report based on two related topics appearing in the Texas Handbook Online (10%)

Readings

Randolph B. Campbell, Ed., Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star State (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.  An electronic copy of Campbell’s book—with Chapter 16—is available at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).  A copy of the book will be available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Robyn Duff Ladino, Desegregating Texas Schools; Eisenhower, Shivers, and the Crisis at Mansfield High (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996).  An electronic copy of this book is also available at our undergraduate library.

Course Description

            The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Course Requirements

Your course grade will be based on a research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).  Your final grade will be computed cumulatively.  I will discuss the requirements more fully in class.

Chapter Reports.  You will be expected to submit brief reports on 6 of the 9 assigned chapters.  The reports should include two-sentence responses for each of the following questions: What is the issue or point that the author is explaining or arguing?  How does he go about doing this?  How effective is his explanation or argument? Each report will be worth 5 points and will be due on the meeting after the chapter is assigned.  

Film Reports.  Prepare a two-page report on each of the four assigned films.  You can earn as many as 10 points for each of them.  The reports should address the following: the overall purpose of the film, the supportive arguments and techniques that the film maker uses, and the relevance of the film to the course content.  The film reports will be due on the class meeting after the showing of each of the films.  

Research Paper.  You will be expected to write a 10-page history of your family based on at least two interviews and two overarching themes (for example, immigration, work experiences, identity, gender roles) spanning three generations or more.  You will be required to write your paper in three parts.  The first installment will be a 2-3 planning document in which you report on the purpose of your paper, the interviews that you will conduct, and the themes that you will address.  The planning document is worth 5 points.   The second installment,  will be a draft of the introduction and a preliminary narrative of your paper’s themes.  This part will be worth 15 points.  The final installment—worth 15 points—will incorporate the first two parts into a final draft of the paper that will include a conclusion and a family tree.  

Attendance.  More than three unexcused absences will result in a five-point deduction on the final grade, and one more point deduction for every class missed after the three unexcused absences.  Also, you are expected to be on time for class and to remain in the classroom for the duration of the class.  Teaching assistants will be checking attendance and I will reward students who attend regularly (with an allowance of two unexcused absence) with one or two points if this can help you reach a higher letter grade for the course.

Readings

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.  Chapters 15 and 16 can be found in the electronic copy of the book, available at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Films

Border Bandits

The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter

When I Rise

Hill Country

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. Also, I incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico. 

Textbooks

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the PCL.

Hector Tobar, Translation Nation (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005). A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the PCL.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the PCL.

Films

“A Medal for Benny,” 1945.  Paramount Pictures.

“Taking Back the Schools,” Part 3 of Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, 1996.           

Course Requirements

Your course grade will be based on eight chapter reports (40%), three film reports (30%), and a family history paper (30%).  I will provide added guidance on the preparation of the reports in class.  We will post your scores as promptly as possible.  Make sure to stay on schedule since make-up or extra credit work will not be accepted. 

Course Description

            The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Course Requirements

Your course grade will be based on a research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).  Your final grade will be computed cumulatively.  I will discuss the requirements more fully in class.

Chapter Reports.  You will be expected to submit brief reports on 6 of the 9 assigned chapters.  The reports should include two-sentence responses for each of the following questions: What is the issue or point that the author is explaining or arguing?  How does he go about doing this?  How effective is his explanation or argument? Each report will be worth 5 points and will be due on the meeting after the chapter is assigned.  

Film Reports.  Prepare a two-page report on each of the four assigned films.  You can earn as many as 10 points for each of them.  The reports should address the following: the overall purpose of the film, the supportive arguments and techniques that the film maker uses, and the relevance of the film to the course content.  The film reports will be due on the class meeting after the showing of each of the films.  

Research Paper.  You will be expected to write a 10-page history of your family based on at least two interviews and two overarching themes (for example, immigration, work experiences, identity, gender roles) spanning three generations or more.  You will be required to write your paper in three parts.  The first installment will be a 2-3 planning document in which you report on the purpose of your paper, the interviews that you will conduct, and the themes that you will address.  The planning document is worth 5 points.   The second installment,  will be a draft of the introduction and a preliminary narrative of your paper’s themes.  This part will be worth 15 points.  The final installment—worth 15 points—will incorporate the first two parts into a final draft of the paper that will include a conclusion and a family tree.  

Attendance.  More than three unexcused absences will result in a five-point deduction on the final grade, and one more point deduction for every class missed after the three unexcused absences.  Also, you are expected to be on time for class and to remain in the classroom for the duration of the class.  Teaching assistants will be checking attendance and I will reward students who attend regularly (with an allowance of two unexcused absence) with one or two points if this can help you reach a higher letter grade for the course.

Readings

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star Stateby Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.  Chapters 15 and 16 can be found in the electronic copy of the book, available at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Films

Border Bandits

The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter

When I Rise

Hill Country

HIS 350L

The course will introduce students to the theory and practice of oral history and oral narratives.  The course will also provide students an opportunity to organize an oral history project, conduct oral history interviews, transcribe portions of the interviews and analyze their interviewing experiences and findings.  Students will expound on the readings and local (Austin) field experiences on the basis of discussions, oral reports and written assignments throughout the semester.

Texts

Frisch, Michael. A Shared Authority: Essays on the Craft and Meaning of Oral and Public History. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990.

Perks, Robert and Alistair Thomson. The Oral History Reader. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Thompson, Paul. The Voice of the Past: Oral History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. Silencing the Past; Power and the Production of History. Boston: Beacon Press, 1995.

This course contains a Writing flag.

Grading

Dr. Zamora will offer short lectures.  The course grade will be based on class discussion (15%), three reading  (chapters/articles) reports (15%), an oral history project planning report (15%), an interviewing report (15%), a draft of a portion of the oral history paper (15%), a final 15-page oral history paper (25%).

HISTORY OF MEXICAN AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES
314K (39035), Also MAS 316 (35725)
Fall 2010

Instructor: Emilio Zamora
Garrison 2.104B, 475-8706 (office), 739-0168 (cell)
E.zamora@mail.utexas.edu
Office Hours: Wed: 11-12, Thurs: 12:30-1 and by appointment

Course Description

The reading and lecture course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place-specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican population as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my major objectives is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation—steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.  We will survey the history with lectures and readings from our two texts, as well as with films.  I will assign writing exercises, require attendance, and encourage discussion.

Course materials, including a copy of my resume, the syllabus, and lecture (daily) notes will be posted e on Blackboard, UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have questions about Blackboard.

Course Requirements

            Your course grade will be based on eight chapter reports (40%), three film reports (30%), and a family history paper (30%).  I will provide added guidance on the preparation of the reports in class.  We will post your scores as promptly as possible.  Make sure to stay on schedule since make-up or extra credit work will not be accepted. 

Chapter Reports.  I have assigned 10 ten chapters from three books listed below.  You can earn as many as 5 points for each of the reports on 8 of these assigned chapters.  The reports should provide two-sentence responses to the following questions: What is the issue or point that the author is explaining or arguing?  How does the author do this?  How effective is the author’s explanation or argument?  Each report will be due at the end of the class meeting after the chapter has been assigned (If you select Chapter 5 from Gonzalez, for instance, you should submit your report on September 8).

 Film Reports.  Students can earn a maximum of 10 points for each of the 1-2 page reports on three films that we will view in class.  The reports should address the overall purpose of the film, the supportive arguments and techniques that the film maker uses, and the relevance of the film to the course content.  Each report will be due on the class meeting after the complete screening of the film.  For instance, Border Bandits will be viewed on September 17 and 20 and the report will be submitted on September 22.

Family History Paper.  You will be expected to write a 10-page history of your family based on at least two interviews and two overarching themes (for example, immigration, work experiences, identity) spanning three generations or more.  You will be required to write your paper in three parts.  The first one will be a 2-3 planning document in which you report on the purpose of your paper, the interviews that you will conduct, and the themes that you will address.  The planning document is worth 5 points; it is due on September 24.   The second part, due on October 15, will be a draft of the introduction and a preliminary narrative of your paper’s themes.  This part will be worth 10 points.  The last part—worth 15 points—will incorporate the first two parts and expand the narrative into a final draft of the paper.  The final paper is due on December 1.

I will provide instructions on interviewing and the writing of the three installments.  I can provide an optional research assignment if students are unable to prepare a family history paper.

Attendance.  Three unexcused absences will result in a five-point deduction on the final grade, and one added point deduction for each absence after the three unexcused absences.  Also, you are expected to be on time for class and to remain in the classroom for the duration of the class.  Teaching assistants will be checking attendance and I will reward students who attend regularly (with an allowance of two unexcused absence) with one or two points if this can help them reach the next higher letter grade for the course.

Grading

I will use the following grading scale:

            A            93-100
            A-            90-92
            B+            87-8
            B            83-86
            B-            80-82
            C+            77-79
            C            73-76
            C-            70-72
            D+            67-69
            D            63-66
            D-            60-62
            F            59 and Below

Readings

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  Two copies of the book are available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library (Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6).

Emilio Zamora, “Voluntary Organizations and the Ethic of Mutuality,” pp. 86-109, In The World of the Mexican Worker in Texas (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1993).  An electronic copy of the book is available at the Perry-Castañeda Library (Chapter 4).

Emilio Zamora, “Texas Occupational Distribution and Relative Concentration of Mexicans, 1930-1970.” I will post the table will be posted on Blackboard.

Films
Border Bandits, 2009
A Class Apart, 2009
Taking Back the Schools, 1996

Schedule

I will initiate the classes with lectures or general remarks.  The lectures will follow outlined notes that I will post on Blackboard.  My remarks will serve as points of departure in our class discussions.  The reading assignments require that you come to the following class meeting prepared to discuss them.  The assignment that I note for September 3 (Chapter 5 from Gonzales’ book), for instance, means that you should have done the reading by the subsequent class meeting, on September 8.

Part I. Introduction

8-25            Course Description, Requirements, and Objectives

Assignment: Gonzalez, Introduction/Zamora, Forward and Introduction (Report is not required on these reading assignments)

I will discuss the texts, course schedule, requirements, expectations, terms, and concepts.  I will also address the primary purpose of the course, that is, to examine the way Mexicans have been incorporated into American society and the consequences of this social incorporation.  My primary concern will be to explain how Mexicans have undergone upward occupational and social mobility at the same time that they have remained marginalized since the middle 1800s.

8-27            Explanations of Assignments and Requirements

Discussion of reading assignments and chapter summaries, film reports, and family history papers

Part II. The Conquest Generation, 1848-1900

8-30            Pre-20^th Century Review: Independent Mexico, U.S. Expansionism, and Wars

An expansionist United States reached the current Southwest as Spanish colonial rule was coming to an end between 1810 and 1821.  Mexico’s independence movement left it vulnerable to U.S. expansionism, characterized by the Texas insurrection (1835-36) and the Mexico-U.S. war (1846-48).  The result included Mexico’s loss of more than one-half of its territory, the absorption of the “Mexican cession” into a politically charged environment in the United States, and the incorporation of Mexicans as a territorial minority.  I will share selected interpretations of these events with reference to works by Carey McWilliams (North From Mexico), Juan Gómez-Quiñones (Roots of Chicano Politics), and Mario García (Mexican Americans).

9-1            Class discussion

            This will be the first of several times that I will set aside for the class to discuss the readings and my observations.  I will do this by creating small discussion groups and giving you around ten minutes to discuss specific topics.  Each group will select an individual to report on their deliberations.

9-3            The Territorial, Political, and Economic Incorporation of the Annexed Territories

            Assignment: Gonzales, Chapter 5

            We will continue the discussion initiated during the previous class meetings, paying closer attention to the consequences of the wars and military pacification to selected regions and communities.  I will use Albert Camarillo’s study of Santa Barbara (Chicanos in a Changing Society) to illustrate how military occupation, racial conflict, and the arrival of Anglos introduced important social and political changes.  I will use his concepts of proletarianization and barrioization to explain social marginalization and community building.

9-8            Class discussion

Part III. The Mexicanist Generation, 1900-1930s

9-10            Introduction, 1900-1930

Unequal and racialized social relations emerged with the economic incorporation of the Southwest.  Industrialization included the development of railroads, mining, agriculture (ranching and farming), urban based industries like construction, and a demand for low-wage Mexican labor.  The racial ideas that emerged “naturally” joined with imported antipathies directed against the “other” as well as negative ideas associated with the wars (1835-36, 1846-48) and the undeclared “low intensity” fighting of the late nineteenth century.  Studies by Montejano (Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas) and Anoldo De León (They Called Them Greasers) will help us understand the role that racial ideas played in justifying and reinforcing inequality.

9-13            Class discussion

9-15            Work, Migration, and Community Building

Immigration is a central theme during the early 1900s; it includes experiences like the reserve army of Mexican labor, labor controls, and workers’ struggles as transnational social movements.  The subject of immigration also allows us to understand the unequal relations between Mexico and the United States and the emerging differences and divisions in the Mexican community.  I will use works by Carey McWilliams (North From Mexico) and Emilio Zamora (The World of the Mexican Worker in Texas).

9-17            Film: Border Bandits

9-20            Continuation of film

9-22            Film discussion

9-24            Research Plan and Family History Paper Discussion

            Submit planning document

            Assignment: Chapter 4, “Voluntary Organizations and the Ethic of Mutuality.”

9-27            Mexico, Self-organizing, and a Moralist Mexican Political Culture, I

            Organizations, especially mutual aid societies, reflected and reinforced the popular collectivist value of mutualism.  Sara Estela Ramirez, a teacher, poet, and early supporter of an anarchist-syndicalist exiled group, was a major exponent of the cultural value and her writings explain how intellectuals like her promoted mutualism, reciprocity, and even altruism to sustain different social causes.  Works by Gómez-Quiñones (Sembradores) and Zamora (The World of the Mexican Worker in Texas) will serve as points of reference.

9-29            Americanization, Political Divisions and a New Ethnic Ethos, Part I

            I will refer to three important political leaders—Emilio Flores, Clemente Idar, and José de la Luz Saenz—to demonstrate how an ethnic or Mexican American political identity emerged among Mexicans in places like Texas.  The armed revolt of 1915 in South Texas and the emergence of the moderate League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1929 reflect the political distance between Mexican activists.  I will use Zamora’s The World of the Mexican Workers in Texas to address the subject of political divisions.

10-1            Americanization, Political Divisions and a New Ethnic Ethos, Part II

10-4            Class discussion

            Assignment: Gonzales, Chapter 6

10-6            The Depression Years: Hard Times, Survival, and Activism, Part I

            Mexicans were especially hard hit during the Depression.  Hard times, however, also reinforced mutualism and unity, and energized the Mexican social movement, especially the cause for workers’ rights.  A recent study by Zaragosa Vargas (Labor Rights and Civil Rights) will help us address the hard times of the Depression.

10-8            The Depression Years: Hard Times, Survival, and Activism, Part II

Part IV. The Mexican Americanist Generation, 1940s-1960s

10-11            Introduction, 1940s-1960s

            Assignments: Gonzales, Chapter 7; “Texas Occupational Distribution and Relative Concentration of Mexicans, 1930-1970.”

Mexicans, like the rest of the nation, recovered from the hard times of the Depression when the wartime demand on the economy provided them more better-paying jobs, especially in urban areas.  Mexicans, however, they did not benefit from wartime opportunities to the same extent as Anglos and Blacks.  I will refer to works by Walter Fogel (Mexican Americans in Southwest Labor Markets) and Mario Barrera (Race and Class in the Southwest), Alonso Perales (Are We Good Neighbors?) and Pauline Kibbe (Latin Americans in Texas).

10-13            Open

            “Open” means that I have not planned class activities for this date.  I am doing this to allow for instances when I may have to adjust the schedule during the semester.

10-15            Class discussion

            Submit the first draft of your paper

Assignment: Chapter 7 (the 1940s, pp. 161-75)

10-18            The preparation of Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas

I will address the three major parts of the book, the wartime labor market, the cause for equal rights, and statist politics

            Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 3

10-20            Elevating the Mexican Cause to a Hemispheric Level

Drawing primarily from the Chapter 3 assignment, I will discuss Mexico’s decision to intervene on behalf of Mexican rights in the United States and the State Department’s resolve “to bring the Good Neighbor Policy home” and elevate racial discrimination to a point of major importance in relations between Mexico and the United States.

10-22            Class discussion

            Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 4

10-25            Energizing the Cause for Equal Rights

Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 5

Texas became a key site in testing the Good Neighbor Policy in the United States and in explaining the emergence of LULAC as the major Mexican civil rights organization in the country.

10-27            Statist Politics, the case of the USES and the FEPC

            Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 6

The case of the FEPC and the United States Employment Service demonstrates that the activist state of the 1940s promoted upward mobility and reinforced inequality.  This observation becomes more important during the post-war period as Mexican American civil rights leaders increasingly turned to government as the final arbiter in promoting equal rights.

10-29            Class discussion

            Assignment: Gonzales, Chapter 7 (the 1950s and 1960s, pp. 175-90)

11-1            The 1950s, New Strategies during the Post-War Period

Demographic changes, urbanization, and an optimism that drew inspiration from the nation’s foundational documents encouraged unionization, electoral politics, and legal challenges against discrimination and segregation.  Today, I will discuss the continuing labor cause and the emerging electoral movement for equal representation.

11-3            Film: A Class Apart

11-5            Continuation of film

11-8            Class discussion

Part V. The Recent Generation, 1960s-Present

11-10            Introduction

            Assignment: Gonzales, Chapter 8

            The Mexican community underwent significant social differentiation and pursued multiple acculturation paths.  LULAC and the American G.I. Forum practiced a form of liberal pluralism while disillusionment with persistent discrimination and inequality forecast political divisions and a bolder form of politics associated with the “Chicano Generation.

11-12            The Chicano Movement, Part I

            An examination of the major leaders—César Chavez, Reies Lopez Tijerina, Rodolfo Gonzalez, and José Angel Gutierrez—allows us to examine the major trends in the Mexican social movement.

11-15            The Chicano Movement, Part II

            I will continue the previous discussion, but will focus on the growth of the “middle class,” demographic factors, the youth, and women to explain the seeming upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.

11-17            Film: Taking Back the Schools

11-19            Continuation of film

11-22            Film discussion

            Assignment: Gonzales, Chapter 9

11-24            Latinos and Immigration

            I will be using a recent book by Hector Tobar entitled Translation Nation to discuss the Latino community, especially its experience with immigration to the United States.

11-25, 26     Thanksgiving holiday

11-29            Future Trends

            I will be using a publication by David Hays-Bautista’s The Burden of Support: Young Latinos in an Aging Society and Steve Murdock’s “Population Change in the United States: Historical Patterns and Future Trends Affecting Education, The Labor Force and Economic Development.”  The latter will be posted for your future reference.

12-1            Submit final draft of family history paper.

12-3            Open

This course contains a Cultural Diversity flag.

Texas History, 1914 to the Present
HIS320R / 39145
Fall 2010

Instructor: Emilio Zamora
Garrison 2.104B, 475-8706 (office), 739-0168 (cell)
E.zamora@mail.utexas.edu
Office Hours: Wed: 10-11, Thurs: 12:30-1 and by appointment

Course Description

            The reading and lecture course surveys change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history and Mexico-U.S. relations.  Special attention is given to Mexico-U.S. relations, politics and social relations between 1900 and 1970, as well as the home front experience of Texans during the Second World War.  The overriding theme is the incorporation of Texas into the national socio-economy from the state’s early “colonized” status to its modern position as a fully integrated part of the nation.  The course is organized around our readings.  The De la Teja/Marks/Tyler text provides a synthesis of Texas history while the Zamora text provides a closer examination of home front experiences.  The two chapters from the Campbell book will serve as a basis for an examination of the post-war period extending into 2001.

            Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the American history requirement.  Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, bibliographies, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu), UT’s course management site.  Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have problems accessing the site.

Course Requirements

Your course grade will be based on a research paper (35%), 5 chapter reports (25%), and 4 film reports (40%).  Your final grade will be computed cumulatively.  I will discuss the requirements more fully in class.

Chapter Reports.  You will be expected to submit brief reports on 6 of the 9 assigned chapters.  The reports should include two-sentence responses for each of the following questions: What is the issue or point that the author is explaining or arguing?  How does he go about doing this?  How effective is his explanation or argument? Each report will be worth 5 points and will be due on the meeting after the chapter is assigned.  The report for De la Teja’s Chapter 11 (assigned on September 9), for instance, should be submitted on September 14, at the end of the class period.  The assigned chapters include: De la Teja—Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, Zamora—Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, Campbell—Chapters 16.  Please note that De la Teja, Chapter 12 is assigned in two parts (pp. 358-80 and 380-90) and that you can report on each separately.

Film Reports.  Prepare a two-page report on each of the four assigned films.  You can earn as many as 10 points for each of them.  The reports should address the following: the overall purpose of the film, the supportive arguments and techniques that the film maker uses, and the relevance of the film to the course content.  The film reports will be due on the class meeting after the showing of each of the films.  The report for Border Bandits, for instance, is due on September 16.

Research Paper.  You will be expected to write a 10-page history of your family based on at least two interviews and two overarching themes (for example, immigration, work experiences, identity, gender roles) spanning three generations or more.  You will be required to write your paper in three parts.  The first installment—due on September 28—will be a 2-3 planning document in which you report on the purpose of your paper, the interviews that you will conduct, and the themes that you will address.  The planning document is worth 5 points.   The second installment, due on November 2, will be a draft of the introduction and a preliminary narrative of your paper’s themes.  This part will be worth 15 points.  The final installment—worth 15 points—will incorporate the first two parts into a final draft of the paper that will include a conclusion and a family tree.  The final paper is due on December 6.

Attendance.  More than three unexcused absences will result in a five-point deduction on the final grade, and one more point deduction for every class missed after the three unexcused absences.  Also, you are expected to be on time for class and to remain in the classroom for the duration of the class.  Teaching assistants will be checking attendance and I will reward students who attend regularly (with an allowance of two unexcused absence) with one or two points if this can help you reach a higher letter grade for the course.

Grading

I will use the following grading scale:

            A            93-100
            A-            90-92
            B+            87-89
            B            83-86
            B-            80-82
            C+            77-79
            C            73-76
            C-            70-72
            D+            67-69
            D            63-66
            D-            60-62
            F            59 and Below

Readings

Randolph B. Campbell, Chapter 16, “Modern Texas, 1971-2001,” In Gone To Texas, A History of the Lone Star State by Randolph B. Campbell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003): 438-67.  Chapters 15 and 16 can be found in the electronic copy of the book, available at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Jesús de la Teja, Paula Marks, and Ron Tyler, Texas, Crossroads of North America (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Emilio Zamora, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas, Mexican Workers and Job Politics during WWII (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Films

Border Bandits

The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter

When I Rise

Hill Country

Schedule

I will initiate the classes with general remarks or lectures based on outlined notes that I will post on Blackboard prior to each class meeting.  These remarks or lectures are noted as topics in the schedule.  The reading assignments correspond to the remarks or lectures scheduled for the next class meeting.  The topic “Summary Discussion” and the “Review for Examination” will allow us to take stock of the material that we will have read and discussed.

8-26            Course Introduction

            Texts, course schedule, requirements, and expectations in the course.           

8-31            The Family History Paper

            The major writing assignment in the course requires special attention.  I will post helpful research and writing suggestions in Blackboard and devote this class period to a discussion of the assignment

9-2            Background to the Twentieth Century, 1836-1900

Assignment: De la Teja, “Preface” and Chapter 11

My purpose today and September 9 is to introduce the twentieth century with a survey of Texas history during the last half of the twentieth century.  I will address the early phase of incorporation with an emphasis on the wars, the cotton culture, industrialization, demography, social relations, and early reform.

9-7            Early Twentieth Century, 1900-1930, I

I will provide a general survey of Texas history during the early 1900s.               Our attention will be on social reform, the advent of farming, and labor organizing as a feature of the emerging urban setting.

9-9            Early Twentieth Century, 1900-1930, II

            I will lecture on mutuality as a cultural value that explains many of the social causes of the early 1900s.

9-14            Film: Border Bandits

9-16            Film Discussion

Assignment: De la Teja, Chapter 12, pp. 358-80

            Submit film report #1

9-21            The Great Depression I

            I will offer general observations on the economic crisis, the federal government’s efforts at relief, recovery and reform, and the political issues that an activist state generated in Texas.

9-23            The Great Depression II

            Part of the class will be devoted to a class discussion

9-28            Submit and discuss planning document for research paper

Assignment: De la Teja, Chapter 12, pp. 380-90

9-30            Wartime Experiences

            I will be primarily concerned with describing in general terms the war and home front experiences in Texas

            Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 2

10-5             Wartime Recovery

I will discuss the expansion of the economy, recovery experiences, and the government’s role in ameliorating and reinforcing social inequalities.

10-7            Film: The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter

10-12            Film Discussion

Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 3

Submit film report #2

10-14            The Good Neighbor Policy, Mexico, and Texas

Drawing on Chapter 3, I will discuss how Mexico elevated race to a level of hemispheric importance and influenced the State Department to promote improved ethnic relations in Texas

10-19            Submit and discuss the first installment of your research paper

Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 4

10-21            Invigorating Social Causes

            Assignment: Zamora, Chapter 5

10-26            The USES and the FEPC

            The depression and the Second World War gave rise to an elaborate governmental apparatus that played a central role in regulating the economy and social relations.  The state, consequently, became a key arbiter as well as a source of conflict in politics.  Today, I wish to underscore that the state is not a monolithic force, but an institution that responds to multiple constituencies with different policy initiatives. 

10-28            Politics in the 1940s, I

            I will discuss conservative rule in Texas with a focus on Governor Coke Stevenson, a state’s rights advocate and proponent of “small government”.

11-2            Submit and discuss second installment of your research paper

11-3            Departmental Screening: When I Rise

            Wednesday, 6-8 pm, Garrison 0.102.  The Department of History is screening this film and I am making use of the opportunity to assign it for viewing outside our classroom

11-4            Discussion of film

            Submit film report #3

Assignment: De la Teja, Chapter 13

11-9            I will address the views of key authors—V. O. Key, Chandler Davidson, and David Montejano to explain the demise of Jim Crowism.

11-11            I’ll be attending a conference today, we won’t hold class

            Assignment: Campbell, Chapter 16

11-16            Economic Growth and Expansion, The Driving Force

            My major point today is that economic growth and expansion and the accompanying increase and concentration of the population in urban centers like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio helps to explain the liberal challenge against “establishment” rule.

11-18            Film: Hill Country

11-23            Discussion of film

            Submit film report #4

11-25            Thanksgiving Holiday

11-30            Discussion of Papers

12-2            Discussion of Papers

12-6            Submit an electronic copy of your completed research paper

This course contains a Cultural Diversity flag.

The reading, lecture, and film course examines the historical development of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present.  The primary purpose of the course is to address time and place specific variations in the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class.  One of my central concerns is to explain two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization.

The course will be divided into two parts.  The first will survey the history with lectures and readings from our two texts.  The second part will focus on the representations of Mexicans through selected films.  In both cases, I will assign writing exercises, require attendance and encourage discussion.

Grading

The course grade will be based on three short examinations (45%), three chapter reports (15%), and four film reports (40%).  Your final grade will be computed cumulatively.

Texts

Manuel G. Gonzales, Mexicanos, A History of Mexicans in the US (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999).  A copy of the book is available on a two-hour reserve basis at the PCL.

Vicki L. Ruiz, From Out of the Shadows; Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).  An electronic copy of the book is available at the library

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

Please check back for updates.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

The course will survey change and continuity in the history of Texas within the context of U.S. history. Special attention will be given to politics and social relationships (class, race and gender relations) between 1900 and 1950. We will also examine themes such as socio-economic change, labor, transborder relations and electoral politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.