FLAGS:   Wr  |  CD  |  II

Bilingualism is a complex phenomenon that refers to the capacity to speak and communicate indistinctly in two or more different languages. Then, it is not a semantic feature of the natural language; it is a pragmatic characteristic of its use. Since language is a property of groups of speakers, bilingualism is a skill showed and belonging to certain individuals. Because of the nature of our contemporary society, this phenomenon is a lived reality for a number of individuals in several communities inside and outside the US. This is to say, the fact that several communities in the Américas conserve a native language besides the official one extends between the members of these communities the knowledge and use of different ways to communicate.

The main purpose of this course is to analyze the linguistic, cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of this complex phenomenon. To do so, the course supposes that the main characteristics of the (different variables of the different) languages are independent of the origin of these communities. The course will primarily focus on the relationship that is established between English (as the vernacular language) and the second co-existent language, especially the binomial with Spanish (approximately 70% of course material) and other common US bilingual language experiences as well. The idea is to analyze the bilingual speaker in context within the community to which she belongs, especially relating to Mexican American and US-Latino communities.

TEXT:

Multiple Voices. An Introduction to Bilingualism, by Carol Myers-Scotton (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006). Additional texts will be available on the Blackboard.

GRADING:

25% Final Paper

25% Two Short Essays (12.5% each)

10% Peer-Review Sessions

10% Oral Presentation

30% Attendance and Participation

(5% additional extra-credit short essay)

Course Descriptoin Description:

The experiences of Mexican American women or Chicanas in the United States vary according to generation, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, education, gender, sexuality, labor, and political engagement.  This course seeks to illuminate some of the lived experience of Chicanas from a historical and contemporary perspective. Through our readings and discussions, we examine the development of Chicana feminist theory and practice, especially as seen in artistic and literary responses. Such an understanding will include an introduction to key figures in the Chicana feminism movement, as well as feminist and post-colonial thought. We will formulate ideas, views, and responses to these perspectivesthrough an examination of works by Chicana writers and artists.  Finally, we will examine Chicana feminism as an active, dynamic practice in which we engage in daily through our study and in our own lived experiences.

 Course Objectives:

• Identify and define key concepts, theories, and figures of Chicana feminist thought.
• Identify and analyze the diverse experiences of Chicanas living in the US both in a historical and contemporary perspective
• Analyze texts by Chicana writers and artists using Chicana feminism as a theoretical approach.
• Use critical thinking and writing skills to develop original arguments about course materials.
• Apply Chicana feminist thought to our own experiences, using what we have learned to think more critically about the issues of race, class, and gender in the United States.

 Course Flags:

This course carries the Cultural Diversity flag.  The Cultural Diversity requirement increases your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. Courses carrying this flag ask you to explore the beliefs, practices, and histories of at least one cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization. Many of these courses also encourage you to reflect on your own cultural experiences.

 Texts: Gloria Anzaldúa Borderlands/La Frontera;

Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street

“Woman Hollering Creek” and other Stories;

Reyna Grande, The Distance Between Usand Dancing with Butterflies. 

All books are available at the UT Co-op and any articles will be posted on Canvas.

Description:  Gloria Anzaldúa famously called the border between México and the United States a “1,950 mile-long open wound,” “una herida abierta,” where “a third country—a border culture” has arisen on either side of the Rio Grande/Río Bravo and beyond.  In this course, we will traverse the borders of language(s), geography, history, and identity negotiated by Mexican-American artists from Texas in a variety of literary genres, visual art, and film.  Our methods will be intersectional—attending to class, gender, sexuality, religion, etc., in addition to race—as we explore these (re)definitions of what it means to be, in Cherríe Moraga’s words, American “con acento.”

The primary aim of this course is to help students develop and improve the critical reading, writing, and thinking skills needed for success in upper-division courses in English and other disciplines.  They will also gain practice in using the Oxford English Dictionary and other online research tools and print resources that support studies in the humanities.  Students will learn basic information literacy skills and models for approaching literature with various historical, generic, and cultural contexts in mind.

This course contains a writing flag.  The writing assignments in this course are arranged procedurally with a focus on invention, development through instructor and peer feedback, and revision; they will comprise a major part of the final grade.

Tentative Texts:  Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (nonfiction, memoir, theory); Alonzo, Jotos del Barrio (play); Silva, Flesh to Bone (short stories).

Requirements & Grading:  There will be a series of 3 formal writing assignments, the first of which must be revised and resubmitted (70% of the final grade in total).  Excluding the final project (critical or creative), the second assignment may also be revised and resubmitted by arrangement with the Instructor.  Students will also have the opportunity to practice writing in a variety of other genres, including reading journals (or the occasional quiz), creative writing exercises, and in-class presentations (30% of the final grade).

Description:  Gloria Anzaldúa famously called the border between México and the United States a “1,950 mile-long open wound,” “una herida abierta,” where “a third country—a border culture” has arisen on either side of the Rio Grande/Río Bravo and beyond.  In this course, we will traverse the borders of language(s), geography, history, and identity negotiated by Mexican-American artists from Texas in a variety of literary genres, visual art, and film.  Our methods will be intersectional—attending to class, gender, sexuality, religion, etc., in addition to race—as we explore these (re)definitions of what it means to be, in Cherríe Moraga’s words, American “con acento.”

The primary aim of this course is to help students develop and improve the critical reading, writing, and thinking skills needed for success in upper-division courses in English and other disciplines.  They will also gain practice in using the Oxford English Dictionary and other online research tools and print resources that support studies in the humanities.  Students will learn basic information literacy skills and models for approaching literature with various historical, generic, and cultural contexts in mind.

This course contains a writing flag.  The writing assignments in this course are arranged procedurally with a focus on invention, development through instructor and peer feedback, and revision; they will comprise a major part of the final grade.

Tentative Texts:  Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (nonfiction, memoir, theory); Alonzo, Jotos del Barrio (play); Silva, Flesh to Bone (short stories).

Requirements & Grading:  There will be a series of 3 formal writing assignments, the first of which must be revised and resubmitted (70% of the final grade in total).  Excluding the final project (critical or creative), the second assignment may also be revised and resubmitted by arrangement with the Instructor.  Students will also have the opportunity to practice writing in a variety of other genres, including reading journals (or the occasional quiz), creative writing exercises, and in-class presentations (30% of the final grade).

This course carefully examines the history of ethnic Mexicans from the Mesoamerican period to the twentiethfirst century. By beginning with 1491, we consider the origins of indigeneity and how it continues to be pivotal to the Mexican American experience today. We also rethink how contact, conquest, and colonization drastically changed the social worlds of Native Mexicans and its present-day implications for Mexican Americans. We further will study the lives of (me)Xican@/xs, Chican@/xs, xicanindi@/xs, mestiz@/xs, indigenous peoples, and brown individuals through their roles, participation, occupations, and images within the U.S., and along the U.S.-Mexican borderlands. Last, we will explore how race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, language, migration, labor, and citizenship defined their diverse experiences, and how the (re)writing of this history is crucial to understanding Mexican American survival, resistance, and rebellion within Greater Mexico and the United States overall.


Readings (Selections):
Acuña, Rodolfo. Occupied America: A History of Chicanos. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2015.
García, Alma M. Chicana Feminist Thought: The Basic Historical Writings. New York: Routledge, 1997.
Ruiz, Vicki. From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1998. Reprint 2008.
Vargas, Zaragosa. Major Problems in Mexican American History: Documents and Essays. Belmont, CA: Cengage
Learning, 2011.

Grading:
• Attendance and Participation 10%
• Weekly Class Comments 15%
• Critical Essay 20%
• Co-curricular Event Reflection 15%
• Class Panel Presentation 20%
• Final Project 20%

Description:  Widely considered a wellspring for U.S. greatness, immigration has also been an abiding site of our deepest conflicts.  The republican foundations of the United States with its promises of democracy and equality for all seem to strain against ever increasing numbers of immigrants from parts of the world barely conceived of by the Founding Fathers, much less as sources of new citizens.  What is the breaking point for the assimilating powers of U.S. democracy and how much does national vitality rely upon continued influxes of a diversity of immigrants with their strenuous ambitions and resourcefulness?  Today we remain embattled by such competing beliefs about how immigration shapes our nation’s well-being and to what ends we should constrain whom we admit and in what numbers. 

This seminar emphasizes the following themes:  the changing population of the United States from colonial times; ethnic cultures, communities, and cuisines; ideologies concerning eligibility for citizenship and for restricting immigration; the development of immigration law as an aspect of sovereign authority; the entwining of immigration policy with international relations; and the evolution of institutions for immigration enforcement.  

This course may be used to fulfill three hours of the U.S. history component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, personal responsibility, and social responsibility. 

This course also carries the flag for Cultural Diversity in the United States. Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of American cultural experiences. A substantial portion of your grade stems from assignments concerning the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization. 

Texts/Readings: *main texts are on 2-hour reserve at PCL

*Roger Daniels, Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life (Harper Perennial, 2002 edition)

Supplemental readings are available on Canvas

Grade Distribution: Final grades will be allocated as follows: A 93-100; A- 90-92; B+ 88-89; B 83-87; B- 80-82; C+ 78-79; C 73-77; C- 70-72 and so forth 

            Family Immigration Narrative:  10%; 2-page essay

            Midterm: 20% bluebook exam; short essay IDs

Final: 30% bluebook exam; short essay IDs and long essay

            Attendance and class participation: 15%

            Primary document analysis: 25% research and 4-5 page essay

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

A bilingual is defined as an individual who functions in more than one language on a regular basis. This course will provide an introduction to classic and recent work on bilingualism from psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic perspectives. After reviewing basic concepts and methods in psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics the course will address empirical studies and theoretical frameworks related to such topics as stages of bilingual language acquisition and the role of age of acquisition, how bilinguals perceive and segment speech sounds, how word meanings are accessed and stored, how sentences are understood and planned, how characteristics of written language affect reading, how mixed language utterances are processed, how bilingualism  is perceived  in the United States, the historical contexts of bilingualism, and bilingual education. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the topic we will draw on research from cognitive psychology, (socio)linguistics, computer science, education, and neuroscience. Students will have the opportunity to apply course concepts by making their own bilingualism related internet memes and Spotify playlists. This course will consist of lectures, discussion, as well as in-class discussion of readings led by students.

Readings

Altarriba, J., & Heredia, R. R. (Eds.). (2018). An introduction to bilingualism: Principles and processes. Routledge Additional class readings will be posted on CANVAS unless otherwise noted.

Grading

2 Research Article Critiques (10% each) (20%); Bilingual Internet Meme & Meme World Cup (15%); Bilingual Spotily Playlist (10%), 3 Exams (@10% each) (30%); Final Paper (25%); Total (100%)

A seminar for advanced undergraduates to hone reading and writing skills for graduate study. We will cover a range of materials  focusing on Mexican American and Latinx Cultural Studies Theories with emphasis on the politics of cultural production in the 21st century.  Students will complete independent research projects that include ethnographic field methods, media studies, archival work and more.

This course is oriented around the problem of translation (literary, cultural, political, sociolinguistic) as it relates to the cultural production and/or language use arising in Latina/o communities. Depending upon the expertise of the individual instructor, the course might address translation from different angles: issues of linguistic or cultural relativism, complications of literary translations, the mistranslations that ensue when translating cultural texts from one medium to another (the stage to the screen or the page to the stage, for instance).

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

I. Course Rationale

Since the 1940s, US control of the Southwest border has remained a major challenge in immigration policy. Border control has become one of the most debated topics in the country, including in federal and state legislative bodies. Annually thousands of unauthorized migrants cross the US-Mexico border into the United States to participate in US labor markets and in other social institutions. A consequence of unauthorized immigration and of the implementation of border control measures for deterrence has been the deaths of hundreds of migrants annually. Over the years, the deaths have added up into the thousands. The social effects of border control and the occurrence of migrant deaths have become sociological topics investigated by sociologists and other researchers to increase our knowledge and understanding of international migration and the effects of border policies.

 II.  Course Aims and Objectives

Aims

 This course is designed to provide a sociological understanding of border control and migrant deaths at the US-Mexico border. Of particular importance for the course is research knowledge concerning border control policies and patterns of migrant deaths.

 Specific Learning Objectives

• Gain information and understanding of the development and effects of US border control policies concerning the following: border control campaigns, social and public perceptions of the border, migrant death patterns in border areas, government plans to redirect migration, ethics of border control, human rights and critical perspectives related to migrant deaths, bureaucratic ideology in border control, migrant death forensics, smuggling, community responses to migrant deaths, recent research on border control and migrant deaths.
• Review and discuss different approaches and measures for border control. 

• Review and analyze government statistical reports concerning annual migrant apprehensions at the border and annual counts of migrant deaths in border sectors. 

• Develop an awareness of the significance of border control for the development of US immigration policy. 

• Review major impacts of US border control measures for local communities. 

Cultural Diversity Objective: 

“This course carries the flag for Cultural Diversity in the United States. Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization.” . .

 “Ideally, the Cultural Diversity Flag will challenge students to explore the beliefs and practices of an underrepresented group in relation to their own cultural experiences so that they engage in an active process of self-reflection.” 

III. Format and Procedures

The course is designed with the expectation that it will follow an intertwined format of lectures and class discussions.  A key expectation is that students will come to class prepared to discuss thematic issues covered in the class, or at least come to class with a curious and critical predisposition to become intellectually engaged in the class. All students are expect to contribute to class discussion, with a high regard for an open academic dialogue, which values respect for the ideas, opinions, and views of others. Class attendance is assumed and expected, and highly encouraged.

Students will have an opportunity to evaluate qualities of the course, including the instructor.  The purpose of the student evaluations is to provide feedback to help improve the teaching experience.

IV.  Assumptions

My assumptions about the nature of immigration in U.S. society is that it a) follows an historical course, b) flows from the interaction between human agency and social structures, c) takes normal paths of social division and degrees of accommodation and social incorporation, d) is partly affected by social constructions regarding different national-origin groups, and e) has its most profound significance within the dynamics of social reproduction (constant remaking of societies). 

V. Course Requirements

1. Class attendance and participation policy

Class attendance is required but not graded. I will assume that all students enrolled in the course attend all class meetings, and thus are informed of all class matters stated in class. Please try to arrive in class on time.  Also, you should review previous lecture notes and bring questions to class about points you did not clearly understand—including points from the assigned readings.  Please be attentive in class (turn off phones or set to vibration). You are greatly encouraged to participate in class discussion, and to do so in a manner that respects the rights of others to also participate.  If you have a problem hearing the lectures and discussion, or viewing class presentations, please let the instructor know immediately. 

Religious Holidays

UT Austin policy requires that you notify course instructors at least 14 days in advance if you plan to be absent due to a religious holiday. You will be given an opportunity to make up activities (exams, assignments, etc.) that you miss because of your absence due to a religious holiday.  You will be given a reasonable time to make up an exam or assignment after your absence. 

2. Course Readings/Materials 

a) Required books

Dunn, Timothy J. (D)  2009.  Blockading the Border and Human Rights: The El Paso Operation that Remade Immigration Enforcement. Austin: University of Texas Press.

De Leon, Jason. (DL) 2015.  The Land of Open Graves:  Living and Dying in the Migrant Trail.  Oakland: University of California Press.

b) Websites to review:

Migration Policy Institute: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/

Pew Hispanic Center: http://pewhispanic.org/

UC-Davis Migration News: http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Immigration Statistics): http://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/

Population Reference Bureau: http://www.prb.org/

 3. Assignments, Assessments, Evaluation, Dates

a) The course contains three exams and a paper requirement. The exams will consist of multiple-choice items. All exams have to be taken on the dates specified; the only exceptions to this rule are cases involving an emergency and authorization by UT Austin.  In such exceptional cases, essay makeup exams for the first two regular exams have to be taken within a week after the originally designated dates in the specified sociology room for makeups. In the rare possibility that a student needs to take a makeup for the third exam, arrangements with have to be made with the instructor. Makeup exams will consist of essay questions only. Students who miss a scheduled exam must alert the instructor beforehand and consult with the instructor regarding the makeup.  There is no procedure for making up the Final Exam outside of cases that are of a true exceptional and unusual personal pressing situation. Students have to take all exams on the dates and times specified.  Exams cannot be taken earlier or later than the dates and times specified.

 The paper requirement is a research brief of 1,350 words (5 pages) on a class-related border/migration topic for which at least three (3) research journal publications are consulted and cited in the text, and listed in the Reference section of the paper.  The motive for the paper is to give the student an opportunity to read research journal publications. Grading of the paper will include checking for a) the required number of words (1,450), b) the three required journal sources, and c) the adequacy and strength of the presentation in the paper.

 4. Use of Canvas:  Canvas will be used to help manage the course and to pursue interaction with students.  Canvas will be used to make announcements, distribute information, communicate with students, and post grades.  Students are encouraged to use Canvas to communicate and share relevant comments and information.  Please check your Canvas site regularly to look for communications from the instructor or from other students in the class.  Support for using Canvas can be obtained from the following websites:  https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/633028/pages/welcome-to-canvas; http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212

 VI.  Grading

 a) Three exams of 50 multiple-choice items (worth 100 points each).

• 100 points per exam x 3 exams = 300 points

 b) Paper requirement worth 50 points

Total possible points = 350

 c) Letter grades based on 350 possible cumulative points:

 A = 325-350     A- = 315-324

B+= 304-323    B  = 290-303    B-= 280-289

C+= 269-279    C  = 255-268    C-= 245-254

D+= 234-244    D  = 220-233    D-= 210-219

F  = 209 or fewer points

This course will investigate representations of Chicanos/as, both on-screen and behind the scenes of U.S. films. We will begin with a brief overview of representations of Mexicans/Mexican-Americans in U.S. film from the silent era through the 1960s. The remainder of the class will focus on films made by, for, and about Chicanos/as and Mexican-Americans from the Chicano Movement of the 1960s/70s to the present day. Feature-length, short, experimental, narrative, and documentary films from the first, second, and third waves of Chicano cinema will be examined. While the majority of the texts we will be looking at were made by Chicano/a filmmakers, we will also examine key works by non-Chicano filmmakers who have made significant contributions to the representation of Chicanos/as on film. We will consider historical, economic, industrial, social, and political factors affecting Chicanos/as access to and participation in the film industry, as well as their representation on-screen. Manifestations of gender bias in the Chicano movement, film industry, and writing of film history will be of particular interest, as will the following themes: film as a tool for social change; the construction of individual, ethnic, and national identity; the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality; the politics of representation; the commodification of Latinidad; cultures of production; and issues of authorship and creative control.

Description

This upper division writing intensive seminar offers students who already have some familiarity with the history of civil rights movements in the U.S. the opportunity to more deeply explore themes in African American and Mexican American struggles for justice in the mid-20th century, some of which are still relevant today. Using a comparative approach makes it possible to develop unique insights that are unlikely in courses focused solely on one of these movements. It encourages new questions about places like Texas, where these struggles had distinct roots and yet did not take place in isolation from each other. In Austin, for example, attorneys for African American and Mexican American organizations filed suit against school segregation on the same day. We also explore how cultural understandings of race, national identity, gender and class impacted these movements.

The University of Texas’s own history forms the basis for the main writing projects. Using historical documents, newspapers, and oral histories, students write historical essays and blogs about themes such as desegregation, Black and Chicano studies, and student activism. A central goal is to help students learn to articulate strong original arguments based on their own research.

Activities

This course includes both classroom discussion seminars and research workshops in campus archives. In the first weeks, students complete assigned readings and reading responses, visit archives, and take part in an activity about the 1950 Sweatt v. Painter Supreme Court decision, about desegregation of UT Law School. In the remaining weeks, class members conduct research individually or in teams, and complete writing projects based on this research and class readings. There is no final exam, but the last of these papers is due during finals week, by the date the exam would have been scheduled.

Readings:

Will include articles and sections of books. Possible books include:

Biondi, Martha. The Black Revolution on Campus

Goldstone, Dwonna. Integrating the 40 Acres: The 50-Year Struggle for Racial Equality at the University of Texas

Oropeza, Lorena. ¡Raza Si! ¡Guerra No! Chicano Protest and Patriotism during the Viet Nam War Era

Montejano, David. Quixote’s Soldiers: A Local History of the Chicano Movement, 1966-1981   

Theoharis, Jeanne. A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History

Evaluation

Attendance, preparation, participation

350-word reading responses (3 total, submission grade)

Sweatt v. Painter project (completion of information forms)

7-page essays or blogs, (3 total)

Please check back for updates.

This course is focused on the history of U.S.-based Latina filmmakers (primarily directors, producers, and screenwriters) and the images they have created. The class will begin with a brief examination of early representations of Latinas in Hollywood film. The remainder of the semester will be spent investigating Latinas’ points of entry into the film industry while interrogating traditional notions of authorship that have relegated their labor and creative contributions to the margins of film history. Students will view short, experimental, documentary, and feature-length films and videos made by U.S.-based Latinas from the 1960s onward, and consider how the filmmakers have (and/or have not) been able to subvert stereotypes as they have gained increasing amounts of control over their own images, particularly since the 1990s. Central to the discussion will be the ways in which the Latina body, marked by race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality, is used to produce meaning about Latinidad in the United States, as well as how those conceptions have shifted over time. Themes of particular interest include issues related to authorship and creative control, personal, ethnic, and national identity, and the commodification of Latinidad. 

Please check back for updates.

This course will investigate the ways in which Latinx activists use mainstream, alternative, legacy and new media, as well as other visual and performing arts to effect social and political change. We will investigate where/how the creative practices of socially/politically engaged artists intersect with the strategies and tactics that social movements employ to mobilize support and achieve their goals. Historical and contemporary examples of activism from the 1960s to the present day will illustrate the ways in which collective action can be facilitated through the use of media and the arts, and we will consider the ways in which the internet has provided new opportunities for connective action via social media networks that amplify the voices of underrepresented populations. Students will engage with a variety of materials, including scholarly articles and texts by artists and activists who have effected/are effecting change “on the ground," and consider how they shape and reflect the discourse around social and political issues in the United States. Students will also participate in critiques of various social movements’ utilization of activist media and art via personal blogs and the development of group projects. Some examples of topics we will explore throughout the semester include (but are not limited to): the Nuyorican Poets cafe, El Teatro Campesino, documentary film, political posters, Las Mujeres Muralistas, Ana Mendieta, the Zapatistas, Mujeres de Maiz, DREAMers and immigrant rights, storytelling for advocacy, Ricardo Dominguez and tactical media, the poetry of raúlsalinas, neoliberalism, globalization, Latin American solidarity, community building, radio activism, protest music, DIY activism, and zines.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

This course examines the cultural prehistory and racial history of Mexican Americans

from 1519 to the present. The purpose of the course is to examine how policies and

laws enacted by the governments of Spain, Mexico, and the U.S. impacted the ethnic

and racial identities of Mexican Americans. The geographic focus of the course is

Mexico and the United States Southwest.

Course Description:

This course provides an overview and analysis of contemporary U.S. migration policies and practices, focusing particularly on the most recent period of crisis defined by bans, restrictions and retrenchments. The course begins with an overview of the major epochs in US immigration history. It then explores five thematic areas: 1) Refugees and Asylees; 2) Bans and exclusions; 3) Family Separation; 4) Raids, Detention; 5) Sanctuary and Resistance. Course materials are primarily historical and sociological.

Readings:

• Naomi Paik, Bans, Walls, Raid, Sanctuary: Understanding U.S. Immigration for the 21^stCentury
• Kelly Lytle Hernandez, Migra! A History of the US Border Patrol
• Mae Ngai, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America

Grading:

• Participation and Attendance: 25%
• Reflection Papers: 25%
• Group Research Project: 25%
• Individual Research Project: 25%

Description:

Over the past twenty-five years, the image of urban Mexican and Russian men has changed; the physically strong, often violent, and emotionally unavailable male of 1990s film, television, and popular music has been replaced by the more balanced, emotional, and cerebral performances of the 2000s. While still maintaining their mantle of macho, i.e., powerful, attractive, and decisive masculinity, the New Machos of the New Millennium in Mexico and Russia represent cultural transformations of masculinity. They reflect the need for a “feminized,” but not emasculated, male cultural hero to counterbalance the harsh and crude reality of male-dominated criminal life and the men who participate in it. In effect, these recent portraits eschew more traditional popular portraits of machismo, while maintaining the social and cultural status of masculinity in both. And they do so in dialogue with each other. This course undertakes the study of representations of masculinity in products of Mexican and Russian popular culture at the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first centuries.

In both Mexican/Mexican-American and Slavic studies, much recent attention has been focused on the role and place of men in cultural, political, and social environments have appeared and received critical praise. This course juxtaposes these influential cultural portraits of masculinity in popular culture: Mexican and Russian. The course constitutes a comparative study of the performance of masculinity in Russian and Mexican cultures. It provides with provocative cultural perspectives on what it means to be macho in the twenty-first century. The course will engage texts from cultural, gender, ethnic, and media studies, as well from Slavic and Latino studies.

Grading:

Shorter essay (4-5 pp.)                           25%

Film Review (2-3 pp.)                           20%

Seminar presentation                             20%

Longer Paper (8-10)                                          25%

Participation                                                     10%

In 2017, Texan journalist Lawrence Wright claimed, “America’s Future is Texas.”1 He emphasized not only the outsized role that Texas has played in national politics recently—with several 20th- and 21st-century presidents coming from Texas and with Texas’ significant role in the creation of the far right conservative movement—but also Texas’ economic and cultural leadership. Lawrence noted, however, that despite with the radical growth that Texas has experienced in recent decades, its society is often sharply divided over issues of race, religion, immigration, access to healthcare, government intervention, and so on—issues divisive around the U.S. today. Is it true that, as Gail Collins wrote in 2012, As Goes Texas, so goes the nation?2 If so, how did we arrive at this Texan Present? How does Texas’ past play a role in defining “America’s Future”?

This course will examine the history of Texas in the 20th century with an eye toward its political, economic, and socio-cultural development. This class is divided into two units that cover, roughly, Texas from Reconstruction to World War II (1865-1945) and Texas from World War II to the Present (1945-2018). As this course comes with a Cultural Diversity flag and is cross- listed with Mexican American Studies, we will especially emphasize the experiences of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, African Americans, and women in the state. By the end of the course, students should have a clear conception of the development of racial and ethnic relations and conflict, political shifts and realignments, and major economic and urban developments in Texas—and hopefully be better prepared to understand how they, as citizens of Texas can influence the direction of a powerful state within the United States.

Class readings may include:

* de la Teja, Jesus F., et al. Texas: Crossroads of North America, 2nd Ed. Boston: Cengage, 2016. (ISBN: 978-1133947387)

* Ladino, Robyn Duff. Desegregating Texas Schools: Eisenhower, Shivers, and the Crisis at Mansfield High. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996.

* Zamora, Emilio. Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas: Mexican workers and Job Politics during World War II. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009.

* Study materials; workshop materials; primary sources; and (brief) lecture outlines will be posted to Canvas throughout the semester. [No purchase required.]

Grading based on:

Primary Source Responses 100 points [2 papers @ 50 points each]

In-Class Exams 100 points [2 exams @ 50 points each]

Book Analysis Paper 100 points [1 paper @ 100 points]

Quizzes Only given on an as-needed basis; total points possible raised accordingly

Extra Points Up to five points added to total; awarded in class with Exit Tickets

Your final grade will be determined by taking your total points earned and then by dividing it by the total points possible [300 points]. Grades will be awarded on a plus/minus scale (e.g. 87-89 is a B+; 83-86 is a B; 80-82 is a B-). I will “round up” (e.g. 89.5-89.9 will become an A-).

Description

Immigration patterns have significantly affected the development of U.S. society since its inception.  In the 1990s, the United States experienced a record number of new immigrants admitted into the country, and the last decade (2000-2009) recorded even a larger number of immigrants admitted.  This course uses a sociological perspective to address various impacts of immigration in U.S. society.

Course Aims and Objectives

Aims

 This course is designed to provide a sociological understanding concerning the nature of immigration in U.S. society, including an understanding of how immigration affects large (macro) and small (micro) social units in the society.

Specific Learning Objectives

• Gain background information on the development of immigration patterns in U.S. society and discuss the social forces that affect these patterns from the perspective of historical and recent immigration trends.
•  Review and discuss different perceptions about immigration patterns.
•  Review and analyze government statistical reports concerning annual immigration conditions and characteristics.
• Develop an awareness of the significance of immigration for the development of U.S. society.

 Review major laws affecting migration patterns to U.S. society

 Reading: 

 Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén Rumbaut. 2014. Immigrant America: A Portrait. Berkeley: University of California Press. (PR) 

Mobasher, Mohsen M.  2012. Iranians in Texas: Migratio, Politics, and Ethnic Identity. Austin: University of Texas Press. (MM)

Grading

a) Three regular exams (40 multiple-choice items and a take-home essay question for each):

100 points per exam x 3 regular exams = 300 points

b) Total possible points = 300

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

This course seeks to develop a student’s theoretical and historical understanding of race and ethnicity in the United States.  We will begin by examining the different historical processes of incorporation that led to economic inequalities between different ethnic groups in the United States.  After examining the formation and incorporation of the American ethnic and racial structure we will review a broad spectrum of topics dealing with American culture and identity. Topics receiving particular attention include:  critical race theory, globalization/neoliberalism, Latino immigration, modern manifestations of racism, and education and social mobility .