Immigration

Movin’ Out!: Race, Religion, and Belonging 

Course Description:

Statistics demonstrate that immigration- the movement of people from one country to another - is on the rise. For example: There are 175-200 million immigrants and refugees worldwide, more than double the number of immigrants 30 years ago. America itself has often been described as a nation of immigrants. But who is allowed to live among us? How do beliefs about race and religion influence how people are received when they move? This course will consider the history and present day realities of migration in the United States in an attempt to answer these questions. We will consider how choices and actions of the people who move shape ideas about freedom and democracy. Essential Questions: How do migrations affect the identities of individuals, communities and nations? How do ideas about who may belong influence immigration policy? How does a society integrate immigrants, and how do immigrants transform societies?

Course Outline

Unit One: American and National Identity (Hyphen American)

Unit Two: The Chinese in late 19th and early 20th Century America

Unit Three: The American Eugenics Movement and Immigration

Unit Four: Refugees and the United States: The Lost Boys of Sudan

Unit Five: Contemporary Immigration and Community: Farmingville, NY