The Immigrant Experience: Searching for American Identity

Bachelors Degree in American Studies

AMR 110

Breyer State University
Instructor: Tanya Mueller, MS

SYLLABUS

Immigrant inspection at Ellis Island, NY. -courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress

COURSE OVERVIEW: This course is a general survey of the immigrant experience in the United States. Immigration is a central component of American history, and the search for identity amongst transplanted individuals is a recurrent theme in this course. The course will examine the historical, political and economic aspects of immigration as well as issues that concern immigrants themselves, such as ethnicity, culture, and cross-cultural divides. When the course is completed you should be able to fully engage in the current intellectual debates surrounding immigrant identity and the history of American immigration.

TIME FRAME: This is a ten-semester hour course. This course is allotted ten weeks of time. You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the ten-week period. The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your textbook has arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded ten-semester hours of credit.

TEXTBOOKS: There are two (2) texts for this course:

Book 1: The Immigration Reader: America in a Multidisciplinary Perspective. David Jacobson Blackwell Publishers: ISBN # 1557869162.

Book 2: Immigrant Voices: New Lives in America , 1773 - 1986. Thomas Dublin University of Illinois Press: ISBN # 0252062906.

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EXAMINATIONS: There will be two examinations in this course, each consisting of 50% of your grade.

The first is a traditional mid-term exam (50 points):

The mid-term examination consists of three parts. The first section is "Identifications" which requires you to define terms from the reading. The second is a "Short Answer" portion, consisting of questions that can be answered in one or two short paragraphs. The third and final section is a short essay (2-4 pages). At the five week mark you will have finished the first text and will be ready to take the mid-term. I will email you the exam at the beginning of the week and you will return it to my email address by Sunday at midnight (Pacific Standard Time):

The second is a paper (50 points):

The final examination is an 8-10 page paper based on the readings. Please refer to the "assignments" section below for further details. Your paper is due upon completion of the course at the 10 th week. Please send your paper to my email address:

GRADING: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100%    = A
80-89%      = B
70-79%      = C
Below 70% = Fail

The grading criteria for the written assignment is as follows:

CONTENT AND LEVEL: Weight 60%.
1). Content is pertinent, and reflects points requested from the readings as well as original thought.
2). Student position or view is stated clearly, with appropriate justifications and logic.
3). Comprehensiveness of discussion is adequate.
4). The paper adequately addresses the assignment in scope and content.

ORGANIZATION: Weight 20%.
1). The paper has an introduction, major points as requested, and a concluding summary.
2). The paper demonstrates logical flow from idea to idea, point to point.
3). The paper includes supporting ideas from the assigned readings as appropriate.
4). The student viewpoint is clearly illustrated.

FORMAT/GRAMMAR: Weight 10%.
1). Spelling and sentence structure are without error.
2). Punctuation and word choice are without error.
3). Paper contains a title, subheadings and paragraphs as appropriate.

READABILITY/STYLE: Weight 10%.
1). The paper reflects a synthesis of ideas from the readings and from experience as requested.
2). The tone is appropriate to the content and assignment.
3). Style of the paper is appropriate academic level.

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course. Primarily, communication is through email. Upon registration, you will receive my email address. However, I am also available for conversation by telephone if you would like. Our classroom for this course has a "chat" room. I am also very willing to meet with you one-on-one in the chat room at your request. From time to time, depending on how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we will have some scheduled group chats. You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled. Please keep my email address handy so that you can contact me whenever necessary. If at any time during this course you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:Tanya Mueller holds a Bachelor's degree in American Studies with a concentration in gender from ASA accredited California State University, Fullerton. She also holds a Master's degree also from CSU, Fullerton, in Political Science with an emphasis in gender politics. She is currently working on a doctorate in clinical psychology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA.

Tanya is a 3rd generation Los Angeles, CA native and her love for culture and learning has led her to travel all over the country. Because of her location in the greater Los Angeles area she frequently travels throughout Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. The photos at the beginning of the syllabus are photos she has personally taken during some her many travels. Many of her observations for the course come directly from her travels in the regions listed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1). Examine the cultural experience of immigrant identity in the United States.
2). Understand the complex history of immigration and immigrant experience in the United States.
3). Sufficiently engage in the intellectual debates surrounding immigrant issues in American culture.

ASSIGNMENTS: There are two (2) graded written assignments for this course and several ungraded assignments.

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