Messiah College HIS/IDSE 339: Immigrant America Spring 2006 MWF 10:20-11:20 Boyer 231 Instructor: John Fea Office Hours: M 2:00-2:45, W 2:00-5:30, F 2:00-5:30, and by appointment Office: Boyer 258 Phone: x2253 email: jfea@messiah.edu Syllabus is on-line at:  http://home.messiah.edu/%7Ejfea/HIS339Spring2006.htm

Course Description
 "What is an American?  In 1782,  J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, a French aristocrat who migrated to the newly formed United States first asked this question in Letter III of his classic piece of American literature, Letters from an American Farmer.  Crevecoeur described Americans as "individuals of all nations" who are "melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world." By examining the immigrant experience in America from colonial times until the present, this course will help us make sense of Crevecouer's remarks.  Why did immigrants come to America and how were they perceived once they arrived? How have immigrants to the United States managed to balance their commitment to Old World and ethnic traditions with the pressure to assimilate into American culture?  In an age of multiculturalism and postmodernism is there anything that still hold America together as a nation?  Should there be anything that holds us together as a nation?  Finally, this is a history course. While it is concerned with contemporary issues related to American pluralism (and it thus meets the General Education requirement for Pluralism in Contemporary America), it will be driven by the assumption that the best way to address some of these pressing issues is through a close study of the American past.  

Course Objectives
1).  To have students attend to contemporary issues arising out of the racial, ethnic, social class, gender and religious diversity of American society.
2).  To help students examine contemporary American society from diverse viewpoints and, through these, to increase self-awareness.
3).  To help students become aware of the effects of inequality, prejudice, and discrimination in American society
4).  To encourage students to articulate and practice an informed and faithful Christian response to the diversity of American society.

Required Reading
Jon Gjerde, ed., Major Problems in American Immigration and Ethnic History
Willa Cather, My Antonia
Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers
Monica Stone, Nisei Daughter
Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard of Rodriguez
*Additional readings will be available on-line or distributed in class

Course Requirements
This course will include both lecture and plenty of discussion.  You are expected to complete the reading before the class period in which it will be discussed and arrive prepared to actively engage in class discussion.  There will be four scheduled reading quizzes and the possibility of unannounced reading quizzes.  The scheduled quizzes are listed in the course schedule below.  Class participation and attendance will be VITAL to your success in this course.  You will be evaluated based on the following:

A 4-6 page book reflection on either My Antonia or Bread Givers (15%)
A 4-6 page book reflection on either Nisei Daughter or Hunger of Memory (15%)
4 quizzes and two homework assignments (10%)
A comprehensive final exam (20%)
An eight page oral history paper (20%)
Class participation/attendance/preparation for class (20%)

Notes:

2 or more unexcused absences will impact your class participation grade in this course

Late papers will be penalized a full letter grade for each class period it is late.  Papers handed-in more than four class periods late will receive a failing grade, but must still be handed-in before the end of the semester in order to receive a passing grade for the course.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:  Any student whose disability falls within ADA guidelines should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester of any special accommodations or equipment needs necessary to complete the requirements of this course.  Students must register documentation with the Office of Disability Services (Hoffman 101).  If you have questions, please call extension 5358.

Plagiarism will be penalized according to college policies.  According to the Student Handbook, plagiarism is “submitting as one’s own work part or all of any assignment (oral or written) which is copied, paraphrased, or purchased from another source, including on-line sources without the proper acknowledgment of that source. Examples include:  failing to cite a reference, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, misrepresenting another's work as your own.”  The penalty for plagiarizing all or most of a paper is the assignment of an ‘F’ for the course.

Assignments

Book Reflection Papers:  These 4-6 page reflection essays will ask you to respond in writing to two of the primary sources we will read in class.  You should write with your own voice--connecting your own opinion/critique/faith/commentary/reaction to the content of the text.  A good reflection will creatively make connections between your own experience, the subject matter of the text, and the subject matter of the course.  This is not a book review or a summary of the text.  I want to see how deeply you have thought about the concepts, values, belief systems, and attitudes at the heart of the work you are engaging.  You are, in essence, carrying on a conversation or dialogue with the work (and its author) and the historical issues about immigrant life that it addresses.  What ideas or values about the immigrant experience or American culture is the author trying to promote and how does he or she promote them? (Show me you are familiar with the content of the book and the author's perspective on the immigrant experience).  What is your personal position in relation to the author's or how has this text reflected the world in which you now live? Be reflective, but ground your reflections in both the history surrounding the text and the text itself.  

Oral History Paper  Tape a one hour interview with an immigrant.  This could be a Messiah College student, a family member, someone from your home town, etc...  The person that you choose must have lived in the United States for at least three years and have no immediate plans to return to their homeland.  Your paper should summarize the major themes of the interview and connect them to the major themes of this course.  In other words, the paper should be more than just the details of this particular person's life. It should instead explore some of the following questions: Why did this person come to America and what were the circumstances surrounding his or her arrival?  What has his or her experience in America been like?  To what extent has he or she assimilated into an American way of life?  Does the experience of this person fit with the immigrant patterns we have discussed in class?  In addition to the paper, you must hand in a sign release from the person that you interviewed (See some of the guideline links for how to prepare a release).  You should also be prepared, if asked, to hand in the tape of the interview.  DUE APRIL 7th

Here a few helpful websites on doing oral history:
Guidelines for Oral History Interviews (The History Channel)
Kansas Humanities Council
Oral History Guidelines

Tentative Class Schedule
   

DATE	TOPIC AND ASSIGNMENTS
Jan. 30	Introduction to the Course
Feb. 1	Immigrant Themes READ: "The Life of Phyllis Arleo"  (Print and bring to class for discussion)
Feb. 3	"What is an American?" READ: Hector St. John de Crevecouer, "What is an American," Letter III, Letters from an American Farmer
Feb. 6	Approaches to American Immigration History READ: Oscar Handlin, "Immigration Portrayed as an Experience of Uprootedness" (p.3ff); John Bodnar, "Immigration Portrayed as an Experience of Transplantation" (p.8ff) **Personal Autobiographies Due
Feb. 8	Approaches to American Immigration History READ: John Higham, "The Problem of Assimilation in the United States"(p.16ff); Kathleen Neils Conzen, "The Invention of Ethnicity in the United States" (p.22ff)
Feb. 10	Colonial Migration and Settlement
Feb. 13	Colonial  Migration and Settlement READ: "William Moraley, an Indentured Servant..." (p.37ff) Benjamin Franklin Advises..."(p.41ff); William Byrd II... (p.43ff)
Feb. 15	The American Revolution and the Search for an American Identity
Feb. 17	The American Revolution and the Search for an American Identity READ: "Benjamin Franklin Opposes the Migration of Non-English..."(p.70ff) "Congress Establishes its Initial Policy on Naturalization" (p.80ff); Arthur Mann, "The Creation of American Identity..." (p.89ff).
Feb. 20	Early 19th Century Immigration:  "Push" and "Pull" Issues
Feb. 22	Early 19th Century Immigration: Everyday Life READ: Kerby Miller, "Irish Immigrants Who Perceive America as Exile"(p.113ff); Kathleen Neils Conzen, "German Catholic Immigrants Who Make Their Own America"(p.123ff).
Feb.. 24	Early 19th Century Immigration: Religious Nativism READ: "Lyman Beecher Warns About Immigrants Flooding into the American West;" Maria Monk, a Supposed Escaped Nun..."(138ff); Samuel F.B. Morse Enumerates the 'Dangers' of the Roman Catholic Immigrant"(pp.136ff); Thomas Whitney, an Anti-Catholic, Compares 'Romanism' and 'Republicanism" (144ff).
Feb. 27	Early 19th Century Immigration: Political Nativism READ: "The Know Nothings, 'The American Party,' Defend Their Political Movement"(p.147); Tyler Abinder, "The Ideology of the Know Nothing Party (152ff).
Mar.. 1	Immigrants in the West: A Discussion of My Antonia READ: Willa Cather My Antonia (Entire Book) **QUIZ
Mar. 3	Immigrants in the West: A Continued Discussion of My Antonia
Mar. 6	Industrialization READ: Herbert Gutman, "Immigrants Adjust to Industrial Labor, 'Clock Time,' and Unionization in the Early" (p.219ff).
Mar. 8	The Great Migration HOMEWORK:: "Determining the Geographic Origins of Immigrants at Century's Turn."  (Assignment will be explained in class). **REFLECTION PAPERS ON CATHER DUE
Mar. 10	Immigrant Family Life READ: "Sociologists Describe the Disruption of Familial Solidarity..."(p.239ff); "Jane Addams Renounces the Patriarchal Authority of Immigrant Households"(p.242); "A Depiction of the Patriarchal Immigrant Household..."(p.244ff) "Two Italian Americans Analyze Changing Familial and Gender Patterns Among Immigrants" (p.246ff).
Mar. 11-19	SPRING BREAK
Mar. 20	The Jewish Immigrant Family READ: Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers (Entire Book) QUIZ
Mar.. 22	The Jewish Immigrant Family (Continued Discussion of Bread Givers)
Mar. 24	Scientific Racism READ: "Samuel Gompers Racializes Chinese American Labor"(.275ff); "The Asiatic Exclusion League"(p.275ff); "A Racialized Description of Immigrants from Europe"(p.281ff); 'A Sociologist Portrays the Racial Dimensions of Immigrants from Europe"(p.283ff); "Congressman John Box Objects to Mexican Immigrants"(p.285ff); John Higham, "The Evolution of Thought on Race and the Development of Scientific Racism"(p.291).
Mar. 27	Immigration Restriction **Reflection on Bread Givers Due
Mar. 29	Immigration Restriction READ: Josiah Strong, a Protestant Clergyman, Considers the 'Perils' of Immigration"(p.309ff); "The Immigration Restriction League..."(p.310ff) "A German American Attacks, 'False Americanism'(p.312ff);
Mar. 31	The Americanization of Immigrants READ: A Jewish American Playwright..."(p.314ff); "Theodore Roosevelt Advocates 'Americanism'(p.316ff);" "Randolph Bourne Promotes Cultural Pluralism"(318ff); "The Governor of Iowa Proclaims English the State's Official Language"(321ff).
Apr. 3	The Americanization of Immigrants READ: Stephen Meyer, "Efforts at Americanization in the Industrial Workplace, 1914-1921;" John Higham, "The Varieties of Ethnic Pluralism in American Thought."
Apr.. 5	Americanization and Consumer Culture READ: Lizabeth Cohen, "The Impact of the Great Depression on Local Ethnic Institutions in Chicago"(p.360ff); George Sanchez, "The Role of Popular Culture in Changing the Mexican American Community in Los Angeles Between 1920 and 1935"(p.370ff).
Apr. 7	Immigration and World War II READ: Roger Daniels, "World War II and the Forced Relocation of Japanese Americans"(p.395ff); Philip Gleason, "The Influence of World War II on Changing the American Identity"(p.404ff). **Oral History Paper Due
Apr.. 10	The Japanese in America READ: Monica Stone, Nisei Daughter (Entire Book) QUIZ
Apr. 12	The Japanese in America (Continued Discussion of Nisei Daughter)
Apr. 14-17	EASTER RECESS
Apr. 19	Liberalism and the End of Immigration Restriction
Apr. 24	The Mexican-American Experience READ: Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory (Entire Book) QUIZ
Apr. 26	The Mexican-American Experience (Continued discussion of Hunger of Memory) **Reflection on Nisei Daughter due
Apr. 28	OPEN DATE: TOPIC TBA
May. 1	The Conetmporary Debate Over Immigration and National Identity.  Hand outs distributed in class. **Reflection on Hunger of Memory due
May 5	EXAM: 8am Boyer 231