America's Migrants: A History of Immigration from the Melting Pot to Multiculturalism

Have you wondered why it is a common refrain that the US is a "country of immigrants"? Where did the idea of the "melting-pot" come from? Has immigration always been a polarizing issue in this country? These are some of the questions we will tackle in this course. We will think critically about the historical forces that have made immigration a fundamental aspect of this country's development. By paying special attention to the ways that race, gender, and class historically intersect with immigration policies, this course focuses on the relationship between mass population movements and US nation-building. Using 20th century California as a case study, this course explores the role of settler-colonial ideologies in framing our understanding of nation, citizenship, and belonging. In this course, you will learn about the history of immigration in the US from an interdisciplinary perspective that brings together disciplines from the humanities and social sciences to discuss some of our society's most pressing questions. We will analyze the historical context that gave rise to concepts such as the melting pot and multiculturalism to trace changes and continuities in American attitudes about immigration. After taking this course, you will know why the meaning of "American" is contested as well as become familiarized with the troubled history of immigrant inclusion and exclusion.