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Best Immigration Documentaries: Part 1, History and Global Context
(http://thesocietypages.org/colorline/2011/01/26/best-immigration-documentaries-part-1history-and-global-context/)
by C.N. (http://thesocietypages.org/colorline/author/le/), 1 day ago at 09:10 am
This spring semester, I am again teaching my “The Sociology of Immigration” course, whose description reads, “This course
examines who, why, and how different groups immigrate to the U.S. and what happens once they arrive — how they are received by
mainstream society and how they adjust to their new country. Specific issues include settlement, education, identity, assimilation,
discrimination, employment, language, marriage, legal status, and political participation.”
With that in mind, I would like to share my list of films, videos, and documentaries that I think are good choices for showing in
introductory classes focused on immigration (the videos are most suited for college and advanced high school courses). As we all
know, the political, economic, and cultural issues related to immigration are some of the most emotional, controversial, and hotlydebated topics in American society today. While the documentaries listed here tend to emphasize a comprehensive approach to
immigration reform (http://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/2009/04/more-support-comprehensive-immigration-reform/), they all do
an excellent job in portraying and highlighting just how complex and even contradictory this issue is.
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The following list is organized by topic and corresponds to the chronological
order in which I discuss each topic in my “Sociology of Immigration” course.
For each topic, I highlight the documentary that I tend to show the most often,
followed by other videos that I consider to be good choices for that topic as
well. This post focuses the the first few topics of my immigration course — the
history and global context of immigration. Part 2 will focus on issues specific to
unauthorized immigration and Part 3 will emphasize socioeconomic attainment,
mobility, and assimilation.
Basic Concepts: The Racialized Landscape
In this first section of the course, I lay out the sociological framework and
institutional nature of the U.S.’s racial/ethnic landscape, within which the issues
of immigration are framed and structured. I focus on how, contrary to historical
and contemporary ideals of being “colorblind,” American society has been and
continues to be highly racialized and these mechanisms of racialization impact
immigration.
Race: Power of an Illusion (Episode 2) (http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About
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Best Immigration Documentaries: Part 1, History and Global Context » Th...
http://thesocietypages.org/colorline/2011/01/26/best-immigration-docume...
/002_04-about-02.htm): This excellent PBS series explores the social and political construction of race and perceived racial
differences. As it relates to immigration, this episode takes an in-depth look at how the identity of “American” has been closely
linked with Whiteness and the inherent barriers that people of color and immigrants have to overcome in order to formally and
informally be considered “real” Americans.
The Color of Fear
Race, the World’s Most Dangerous Myth
Understanding Race
Historical Patterns of Entry and Restriction
In this section, I summarize the major waves of immigration into the U.S. through the years, along with the evolution of immigration
laws and regulation in U.S. history.
Between Two Worlds (http://www.pbs.org/becomingamerican/ap_prog2.html): Produced by PBS, this video examines the
events leading up to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its effects on Chinese Americans and their families who were kept
apart by both ancient custom and U.S. law. It also describes way in which a few laws also provided relief as Chinese
Americans turned to the courts for justice.
Carved in Silence: Chinese Immigration During Exclusion (http://distribution.asianamericanmedia.org/browse/film/?i=35)
Ancestors in the Americas: Chinese in the Frontier West (http://www.pbs.org/ancestorsintheamericas/)
Roots in the Sand (http://www.pbs.org/rootsinthesand/)
The Italians in America (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210210/)
Out of Ireland (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110753/)
Motivations & Incorporation: Past & Present
This section explores the multidimensional and multi-level process of how immigrants have been received by mainstream American
society and how they have adapted to the challenges and opportunities in the first generation of life in the U.S. I also discuss the
major theories of why and how immigration happens, particularly as they relate to global political, economic, and cultural forces.
And the Pursuit of Happiness (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092561/): A personal work of Louis Malle, a French filmmaker,
this video explores a range of immigrant experiences in the U.S. during the 1980′s, including portraits of migrant workers, an
Indian motel owner, African and Asian families in urban areas, Cuban exiles in Miami, and a Russian Jewish community in
Brooklyn, NY to name just a few.
The Other Side of Immigration (http://www.theothersideofimmigration.com/)
Bracero Stories (http://www.documentary.org/content/pbs-voces-bracero-stories)
Global Voices: Beyond the Border (http://www.pbs.org/itvs/globalvoices/beyondtheborder.html)
Refugee (http://distribution.asianamericanmedia.org/browse/film/?i=170)
On the Other Side (http://www.blinefilms.com/films_buffalo.htm)
Finding New Communities: Immigration from Mexico, Nigeria, & Palestine
From a Different Shore: The Japanese-American Experience
The Global Context
Drawing on the global issues inherent in the immigration process, this section explores some examples of how immigration in other
countries around the world. Students in my class find it useful to compare and contrast the experiences of immigrants in other
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Best Immigration Documentaries: Part 1, History and Global Context » Th...
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countries to those of immigrants to the U.S.
Dying to Leave: The Dark Business of Human Trafficking (http://ffh.films.com/id/12833
/Dying_to_Leave_The_Dark_Business_of_Human_Trafficking.htm): This video illustrates how globalized forces can lead to
desperation on the part of people, who then become unwittingly entangled in the illicit human trafficking business in many
countries around the world.
Crossroads: Inside the European Union (http://ffh.films.com/id/13730/Crossroads_Inside_the_European_Union.htm)
Golden Venture (http://www.goldenventuremovie.com/)
The Other Europe
Tokyo: The Neon City
Fortress Europe: Death on the Border
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