INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY - University of Southern …



Immigrants in the United States: Soc 355m

T/Th, 12:30-1:50 pm; KAP 166

University of Southern California, Spring 2011

James Thing, Ph.D.

Office: KAP 348B. Phone: 213-740-4729 Office Hours: Mon: 5-7 pm

Email: thing@usc.edu Tues: 11-12 noon

Course Description:

Immigration is at the core of the formation of the United States. According to the national narrative, the U.S. has long opened welcomed immigrants from across the globe. Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty is a poem from Emma Lazarus which states: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Yet the reality of U.S. immigration in many ways contradicts this mythology. Indeed, the history of immigration reveals that the U.S. is nation by design, a construction which welcomes some immigrants while rejecting others. Prior to the twentieth century a large majority of U.S. immigration – with the exception of significant streams of Asian laborers and African slaves – originated in European Countries. Currently, however, U.S. immigration is characterized by high levels of diversity with respect to countries of origin and the demographic makeup of immigrant groups themselves. While there is great diversity with respect to countries of origin, a large portion of immigrants today come from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. This diversity is changing the face of America – from white/black to a much broader range of colors and phenotypes.

This course explores contemporary trends in U.S. immigration, focusing most heavily on post-1965 migratory patterns. While we will examine, both theoretically and empirically, the migratory and settlement patterns, daily experiences, identities, educational and employment trajectories and family patterns of varied immigrant groups, we will study, most heavily Latin American and Asian immigration. We will challenge mainstream understandings of immigration by interrogating the ways that gender, sexuality and race/ethnicity shape immigrant experiences and the ways that U.S. immigration patterns are constructed in relation to gender, sexuality and race/ethnicity.

Course Objectives:

• To gain a comprehensive understanding of some of the major topics/issues studied by immigration scholars.

• To develop a thorough understanding of the the major theoretical models used to explain immigration and settlement patters.

• To gain an in-depth understanding of how immigration scholars theorize and empirically document how gender, sexuality, social class, race/ethnicity and immigration interact.

• To develop a critical understanding of how global forces shape contemporary migration.

*The professor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as needed to address the educational needs of the class.

Required Texts:

• Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria.(2005). Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Hamilton, Nora and Norma Stoltz Chinchilla. (2001). Seeking Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angles. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

• Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. (2003). Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Luibheid, Eithne. (2002). Entry Denied: Controlling Sexuality at the Border. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

• Massey, Douglas S. (2008). New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Course Grading

Midterm: 30%

Final: 30%

Research Project: 25%

Reading Facilitation: 10%

Attendance and Participation: 5%

*Your grade for the course will be in the A range if 90% and above, in the B range if 80-89%, in the C range if 70-79%, in the D range if 60-69%. Below 60% is an F.

Assignments, Requirements and Expectations:

Attendance and Participation: Student participation is a vital component of creating a vibrant learning environment. Therefore attendance will be checked every class and discussion section. Students should come prepared to class and discussion section having read all of the articles and ready to discuss them. Students should not only be active participants in class discussions but also should be active and courteous listeners. We will discuss several sensitive social issues in the course, so, collegiality and respect are expected of everyone.

Please try not to arrive late or to leave early unless it is unavoidable. Also, please refrain from using your cell phones for receiving calls, texting or any other e-communication. Further, please use your computers only to take notes – not to chat online or browse the web. All of these activities are disruptive and disrespectful to the professor, your TA, and your colleagues in class; so again, please try to avoid them.

Midterm and Final Exam:

The midterm (February 22nd) and final (May 11th, 2-4 pm) exams will be some combination of multiple choice, definition, short answer and essay. The final is not comprehensive, but rather, covers the material after the midterm. The exams are closed book, in-class exams for which you will need a blue book and scantron form. There will be no makeup midterms or finals unless you have a documented medical reason, or some other (verifiable) emergency, or unless the dates conflict with a religious holiday, or military service. Please notify Dr. Thing two weeks in advance to reschedule if for religious holiday or military service.

Reading Facilitation:

Each student will be responsible for presenting and facilitating a discussion on one article from the weekly reading schedule. I will hand out a sign-up sheet at the beginning of week 2. Your, 20-25 minute presentation should provide as many of the following components as possible: a brief summary of the article, the main point of the article, the data collection methodology (if discussed in the article), the theoretical perspective used (if discussed in the articles), a brief positive/negative critique of the article (What could the researcher have done to improve the study or the argument? Or, what would you like to ask the researcher if they were in class with us? Are there blind-spots or holes in the authors’ argument?), and finally, a discussion of how the article relates to one other of our course readings.

Your presentation should not be more than 20-25 minutes (not including class discussion), so make sure to practice so that it is not too long or too short. It should focus primarily on the main points of the article. What is the research adding to the literature on immigration? The contribution could be primarily theoretical, or empirical or a combination of the two. Also, the summary should be brief – in the presentation, the written summary should be more comprehensive – and should not take up more than 5 minutes of the presentation. If the methodology or theoretical perspective is not discussed/identified, make sure to mention that in your presentation.

In addition, students are required to send me, via email, a 1½ - 2 page summary of the reading the day your presentation is due. I will then post these on Blackboard for your colleagues. (This summary is worth 20% of your presentation grade.)

Course Project: Research Paper (To be turned in to , Cue April 28th)

This 10-12 page paper is a straight-forward, thesis driven research report for which you will conduct extensive library research. You should focus on some aspect of immigration that interests you. You may examine a contemporary immigrant issue or a historical issue. Students should rely as extensively as possible on research by sociologists, although, research by historians, anthropologists, economists, literary critics etc. may be included. Immigration has been and continues to be an important area of sociological inquiry, so, try to use as many sociological sources as possible.

A 2 page project description including an introduction to the topic of study, a working thesis and a preliminary literature review is due Tuesday, March 8. This project description should include three academic bibliographic sources. The Final project is due Thursday, April 28th.

The final research paper should contain all the components of a sociological study: including an introduction, thesis, a literature review, discussion and analysis, and a conclusion. Detailed guidelines for the research project are included after the weekly reading schedule at the end of this syllabus

Academic Integrity:

Be aware that cheating and plagiarism are severe violations of academic standards and can severely affect your grade in this class as well as your status as a student at U.S.C. Should you require assistance in writing your assignments, please contact the USC Writing Center.

Written Assignments:

With the exception of the midterm and final exams, all assignments must be typed. Please use 12 point font, Times New Roman, font, double-spacing, and 1 inch margins all around on plain white paper. Carefully proofread (check spelling, grammar) and watch for “spell check” errors. For midterm and final exams, please bring blue books and scantrons to class.

Late assignments will be marked down each day they are late (e.g. A- to B+), unless you make prior arrangements with the professor or T.A. or provide documentation of an emergency situation. NO late papers will be accepted more than 5 days after the due date. Do not email assignments to the professor or T.A. though you may email us regarding specific questions and concerns. However, when you miss class for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed by first asking your classmates.

Email Etiquette

The best way to contact me is through email. Make sure to write “Sociology 200m” in the subject line. Please do not email me to let us know that you will be absent, unless, of course there is some sort of emergency or illness that will result in missing more than one class period, for which, you should bring documentation. Email questions should be short and to the point. As your professors are very busy, any questions that require a lengthy response should be asked in a face-to-face conversation during my office hours or at a scheduled meeting. Absolutely no assignments will be accepted via email.

Weekly Reading Schedule

The following illustrates the weekly subjects/topics and the required readings. Readings should be completed prior to the class lectures. All dates are approximates and subject to change. Students will be adequately informed should any scheduling changes occur.

Weeks 1 & 2: Introduction to Immigration: Theory, Empiricism and Gender

January 11: Introduction to Class

January 13: Theory and Immigrant Typology

• Massey, Douglas, S. (1990). “The Social and Economic Origins of Immigration.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 510:60-72 . [Blackboard].

• Portes, Alejandro and Ruben G. Rumbaut. (1996). “Introduction: Who They are and Why They Come.” Immigrant America: A Portait, 2nd edition. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Week 2

January 18: Gendering Immigration Theory and Empiricism

• Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. (2003). “Gender and Immigration: A Retrospective and Introduction.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Pessar, Patricia R. “(2003). “Engendering Migration Studies: The Case of New Immigrants in the United States.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

January 20: Immigration in a Gendered Global Economy

• Sassen, Saskia. (2003). “Strategic Instantiations of Gendering in the Global Economy.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Weeks 3 & 4: Guatemalan and Salvadoran Immigrants in Los Angeles

January 25: Sending Context of Central American Immigrants

• Hamilton, Nora and Norma Stoltz Chinchilla. (2001). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Ch. 1, “Introduction,” and Ch. 2, “Origins and Patterns of Central American Migration”. In Seeking Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angles.

January 27: An Unfamiliar, Unfriendly Megalopolis

• Hamilton, Nora and Norma Stoltz Chinchilla. (2001). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Ch. 3, “Negotiating the Urban Scene,” and Ch. 4, “The Struggle for Survival.” In Seeking Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angles.

February 1 : Transnationalism, Theory, Empiricism and Gender

• Hamilton, Nora and Norma Stoltz Chinchilla. (2001). Ch. 7 “Organizing Locally and Transnationally: Changing Priorities, Strategies, and Alliances.” In Seeking Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angles.

• Mahler, Sarah, J. (2003). “Engendering Transnational Migration: A Case Study of Salvadorans.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.).Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Weeks 4 & 5: New Immigrants, New Destinations

February 3: Diversification of U.S. Immigrants and Receiving Communities

• Hirschman, Charles and Douglas S. Massey. (2008). “Places and Peoples: The New American Mosaic.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

February 8: Beyond Traditional Immigrant Cities

• Massey, Douglas S. and Chiara Capoferro. (2008). “The Geographic Diversification of American Immigration.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

• Donato, Katherine M. and Charles Tolbert. (2008). “Changing Faces, Changing Places: The Emergence of Non-Metropolitan Immigrant Gateways.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

February 10: Employment and Immigrant Destination

• Parrado, Emilio A., and William Kandel. (2008). “New Hispanic Migrant Destinations: A Tale of Two Industries.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. (Reading for today continued on next page.)

• Donato, Katherine M. and Carl L. Bangston III. (2008) “The Origins of Employer Demand for Immigrants in New Destinations: The Salience of Soft Skills in a Volatile Economy.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Week 6: Employment and Gender

February 15: Employment, Family and Gender Relations

• Espritu, Yen Le. (2003). “Gender and Labor in Asian Immigrant Families.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Menjivar, Cecilia. (2003). “The Intersection of Work and Gender: Central American Immigrant Women and Employment in California.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

February 17: Catch-Up and Review

Week 7: Midterm

February 22: Midterm Exam

Week 7-11: Sexuality, Gender and Migration

February 24: Sexuality and Immigration Control

• Luibheid, Eithne. (2002). “Introduction,” and Ch.1, “Entry Denied,” Entry Denied: Controlling Sexuality at the Border. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Week 8

March 1: Constructing the Nation and Virtuous (Hetero)Sexual Immigrants

• Luibheid, Eithne. (2002). Ch. 2, “The Blueprint for Exclusion,” and Ch. 3, “Birthing a Nation,” Entry Denied: Controlling Sexuality at the Border. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

March 3: Lesbians Not Welcome

• Luibheid, Eithne. (2002). Ch. 4, “Looking Like A Lesbians,” Entry Denied: Controlling Sexuality at the Border. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Week 9

March 8: (Hetero)Sexuality, Gender and Mexican Immigrant Communities

***************************Research Proposal Due****************************

• Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria.(2005). “Introduction,” and Ch. 1, “Twice Forgotten: The Sex Lives of Heterosexual Mexicans in the United States,” Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

March 10: Class Cancelled

Week 10

March 15& 17: Spring Break!!!

Week11 March 22: Immigrant Females’ Virginity and Males’ Dangerous Pleasures

• Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria.(2005). Ch. 2, “Beyond the Hymen: Women, virginity, and Sex,” and Ch. 3, “Pleasurable Dangers, Dangerous Pleasures: Men and Their First Sexual Experience,” Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

March 24: Immigrant Sexuality and Family Life

• Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria.(2005). Ch. 4, “Sex Is a Family Affair: Nurturing and Regulating Sexuality,” Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Espritu, Yen Le. (2003). “‘We Don’t Sleep Around Like White Girls Do.’: Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Week 12: Engendering Racial/Ethnic and Sexual Identities

March 29: Hindu Indian Identities

• Kurien, Prema. (2003). “Gendered Ethnicity: Creating a Hindu Indian Identity in the United States.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

March 31

• Thing, James. (2010). “Gay, Mexican and immigrant: intersecting identities among gay men in Los Angeles.” Social Identities, 16(6): 809-831. [Blackboard].

Weeks 13-15: Contexts of Reception in Immigrant New Destinations

April 5: Prejudice and Acceptance in the Midwestern United States

• Fennelly, Katherine. (2008). “Prejudice Towards Immigrants in the Midwest.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

• Marrow, Helen B. (2008). “Hispanic Immigration, Black Population Size and Intergroup Relations in the Rural Small-town South.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

April 7: Prejudice and Acceptance in the Southern United States

• Marrow, Helen B. (2008). “Hispanic Immigration, Black Population Size and Intergroup Relations in the Rural Small-Town South.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

April 12: Prejudice and Acceptance in Rural America

• Griffith, David. (2008). “New Midwesterners, New Southerners: Immigrant Experiences in Four Rural American Settings.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

April 14: Sexual Violence , Asylum and the U.S. Border Patrol

• Luibheid, Eithne. (2002). Ch. 5, “Rape, Asylum, and the U.S. Border Patrol,” Entry Denied: Controlling Sexuality at the Border. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

April 19: Education and Immigrant Reception

• Jones-Correa, Michael. (2008). “Race to the Top? The Politics of Immigrant Education in Suburbia.” In Douglas S. Massey (Ed.) New Faces in New Places: The Changing Geography of American Immigration. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

April 21: Catch-Up Day

Week 16: Second- and Third-Generation Immigrants

April 26: Work and Identities

• Lopez, Nancy. (2003). “Disentangling Race-Gender Work Experiencess: Second-Generation Caribbean Young Adults in New York City.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

April 28: Racial/Ethnic Identities

****************************Research Projects Due****************************

• Toro-Morn, Maura I., and Marixa alicea. (2003). “Gendered Geographies of Home: Mapping Second- and ThirdGeneration Puerto Rican’s Sense of Home.” In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo (Ed.) Gender and U.S. Immigration: Contemporary Trends. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Wednesday, May 11

****************************FINAL EXAM, 2-4pm****************************

RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINE, DUE APRIL 28th

This 10-12 page research project is argumentative research paper for which you examine some aspect of immigration. This is a traditional research project that relies exclusively on library research. The bulk of this paper will be your literature review, and discussion and analysis. This project requires extensive library research, reading, summarizing and distilling the main points of the readings and arguing a certain position supported by the research. The components and due dates of this project are as follow:

Project Description: Introduction, and Thesis (Due March 8th, worth 15% of the final research project): This 2 page paper should explain what your basic topic of study is and why it is important. A good way to begin is to write a brief narrative that will grab your reader, and then move into a more formal discussion of the key points of your research interest. Your (preliminary) literature review should engage 3 academic sources. You should use these sources to provide a brief discussion of the topic and should be the basis for your thesis. Since this is a partial literature review, you may find that your original thesis will change upon further research. (Include a bibliography – which does not count as part of the page requirement.)

Final Project (Due April 28th, worth 85% of the final research project): Should include the following components

Introduction, and (Revised) Thesis

This 1-2 page introduction should introduce the topic and the thesis your paper argues. Much of this intro can be gleaned from your original research proposal. If you revise your original thesis, please note that and state that you will explain the revision in your conclusion.

Review of the Literature: The 6-7 page literature review (including 15 scholarly sources or more) should encapsulate what researchers have said on your subject of investigation. This section “reviews” the range of debates on your subject matter. This is library research involving the use of academic journal and books. Look for themes and emphasize major findings rather than trying to report every study done on the topic. The literature review should provide the basis of your thesis.

Discussion and Analysis: This 2 page section summarizes and discusses the major research findings from your library research as related to your original or revised thesis. This is where you justify your argument.

Conclusion: This 1-2 page section ends the paper with a brief summary (i.e. basically reviewing the highlights of the report). This is also where you can examine the ways in which the literature supported and challenged your original thesis and a reflection/justification of why you chose to revise your original argument.

Final Paper: The final polished project should include the following sections: Introduction (with revised thesis), Literature Review, Discussion and Analysis and Conclusion.

*Remember to make sure your pages are ordered with typed page numbers (begin numbering from the Introduction through the Conclusion). Use 12 point, Times New Roman font, double spacing and one-inch margins.

Supplements that must be included in the final version:

(These pages are not numbered and not included in the overall page number requirement):

• References/Bibliography: Note different styles: MLA, Chicago style, ASA and APA. Social scientists generally use the ASA and APA format. This is used to cite the work of others - their ideas as well as their direct quotations that you have used in your research paper. You may use any style for your paper as long as you remain consistent throughout the paper.

• Title Page – In your final version, you will also include a title of your project. On the page you should also include, name, date, course name, and professor’s name.

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