AMST 7220 - Passages to America

3 Class Hours 0 Laboratory Hours 3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate program in American Studies or permission of the program director.
Students enrolled in Passages to America examine forced and voluntary migration and immigration in the historical development of American culture. The varied experiences of these individuals and their families are discussed in the context of such topics as racial and ethnic group relations, nativism, and social class formation. We examine power relations between dominant and subordinate groups, along with debates over citizenship, Americanization policies, and legal/illegal immigration. Finally, students analyze the cultural concepts of assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism that frame these debates. Course may be repeated for credit provided the content differs entirely from the previous offering.