Carl Guarneri
History 136: Immigration and Ethnic Relations in American History
1. Teaching Narrative for American Diversity
History 136 explores the history of migration by racial and ethnic groups to and within
America with four overall objectives in mind: 1) To trace the overall chronological and social
patterns of immigration to the United States, both voluntary and forced, 2) To analyze the
components of identity and social diversity within racial and ethnic groups that have come to the
United States, including ethnicity, race, class, family, gender, religion, and political values, 3) To
explore the interaction among these groups, and between them and the “host society” as it played
out in politics, social movements, group struggles for recognition and advancement, and
individual stories of striving and identity formation, and 4) To consider changing concepts and
patterns of American identity and ethnic relations as the nation moved from its British founding
fitfully but dramatically toward becoming a “nation of immigrants” and eventually a meeting
ground of diverse global cultures. The entire course thus hinges upon exploring key components
and the social and personal dynamics of American diversity.
Learning Outcome #1 of the American Diversity learning goal is to “analyze aspects
of social diversity (e.g., ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation,
religion, age, ability, and political identity) and how they affect society in the United States of
America.” This course uses a large selection of historical essays and documentary sources to
examine how immigration has contributed mightily to American social diversity and changed the
demographics, politics, and culture of the United States, although not without pain, struggle, and
opposition. Although the course title indicates a focus on ethnicity, racial groups and categories
play a major role as we examine the experience of black migrants and Asian immigrants in
comparative perspective and as we discuss the social construction of racial categories. Issues of
class, gender, sexual orientation, religion and age play key roles in readings that invite students
to examine the workings of these factors within ethnic groups and as competing allegiances that
intersect with, and sometimes erode through assimilation, members’ commitment to their ethnic
group of origin. As the course syllabus indicates, individual topics are selected from a
chronological and topical sequence that examines the impact of racial and ethnic diversity on the
United States from its founding through major periods of immigration to the present.
Learning Outcome #2 of the American Diversity learning goal is to “explain how
social categories and structures of power may affect the human person.” Built into the syllabus,
and a frequent topic for class discussion, is the relationship between group experience and
identity, on the one hand, and individual lives, on the other. In addition to examining large-scale
forces and trends related to migration and ethnicity, we explore the workings of social categories
such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, and class upon individuals by intensively examining
rich biographical sources, including a book of immigrant memoirs (by women as well as men)
and a collection of first-hand private and public documents produced by ethnic authors. These
sources, supplemented by historical works about group experience and its larger context, invite
students to assess the ways that social categories including ethnicity and race affect individuals,
the ways such categories intersect to form complex situations and identities, the ways these
categories have changed over time, and how individuals have reached across them to others.
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Historical analysis of migration, ethnicity, and race illuminates “how structures of power affect
the human person” as we examine the effects of social class, individual mobility, political
opposition, assimilationist pressures, racial and ethnic prejudice, government policies, and other
powerful forces upon ethnic groups and individuals as they forge their identity and seek an equal
place in American society. The shifting history of socially constructed categories, cultural
norms, and political constraints is a central feature of the course’s long-term perspective on
American diversity.
2. Learning Narrative for American Diversity
Student learning in each of the core outcomes of American Diversity will be assessed
through a variety of tools in History 136. The course’s two exams consist of two parts. The first
part asks students to identify, describe, and relate the significance of key events, concepts, or
people in U.S. ethnic and immigration history. These identification terms are chosen to reflect
the social diversity of the topics we cover in the course, whether those topics refer to key
sociological concepts, specific features of an ethnic group’s experience, or federal laws
regulating immigration and citizenship. By relating each term to its period and discussing its
significance for a major issue or question of that era, these questions are designed to examine
specific aspects of social diversity as well as their impact on American society as a whole, as is
stressed in Learning Outcome #1 of the American Diversity learning goal. The second part of
each exam is an essay question that asks students to construct a coherent and persuasive
historical interpretation of a group history or social trend. Examples have included discussing the
changing roles of family members (husbands and wives, parents and children) among migrant
groups, explaining the formation of urban immigrant enclaves, analyzing the rise of antiimmigrant movements, or exploring the history of Asian migration to the United States—all by
using supporting factual evidence and by comparing or assessing alternative explanations. These
essays are addressed to Learning Outcomes #1 and 2 of the American diversity learning goal.
The three papers required in History 136 (see syllabus) require students to use course
sources to develop and/or evaluate historical interpretations. Some address mid-level analysis,
such as comparing the experience of European immigrants to the U.S. with that of Black
migrants from the American South, or analyzing themes and conflicts central to immigrant
women. Others ask for a careful evaluation of overarching interpretations of the American ethnic
pattern, from Anglo-conformity to the “melting pot” and cultural pluralism.. These assignments
are intended to assess Learning Outcomes #1 and 2 of the American Diversity learning goal.
Students’ written and oral Document Reports, in which they gather, assess, and interpret
documents relating to an episode in the history of U.S. ethnic relations, provide an opportunity to
use documentary evidence to address the American Diversity learning goals. These sources are
particularly effective for understanding how ethnic cultures and the customs and laws of the host
society compete, and sometimes mutually reinforce, as they shape the choices and identities of
individuals (Learning Outcome #2 of the American Diversity learning goal).
Requirements for participation are stringent (see syllabus) and student participation is
carefully monitored. The class discussion component of the course grade, which includes
quizzes, addresses both American Diversity learning outcomes, alternating between them
according to the topic of the day (see syllabus).
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