XHSC 0933D High School History of the American Immigrant Experience

Credits: .5

Offers a chronological examination of the immigrant experience in the United States from 1783 to the present. Details factors that drew waves of immigrants to this country. Including sacrifices made to come here; citizenship processes; legal, social and economic challenges; the settlement and work patterns. Covers the ways immigrants impacted and were impacted by national events and movements.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Contrast the specific appeals of American democracy with features of totalitarianism and cite protection of citizens and non-citizens’ rights in the U.S. Constitution.
Map and explain the geographic and demographic expansion of the United States.
Compare and contrast the major immigration waves in the 19th and 20th century citing time frames, countries of origin, push/pull factors, and labor and settlement patterns.
Use historical documents, narratives, and other resources to explain the impact upon indigenous populations and newcomers of 19th and 20th century ideas and activities.
Recount personal sacrifices made and challenges overcome by immigrants to this country.
Explain the chronology, purpose and patterns of specific historical legal barriers to and enticement of immigration and state current steps to becoming a US citizen.
Identify sources and provide examples of renewed ethnic pride within immigrant minority groups and compare past and present expectations for assimilation.
Argue from different perspectives on current immigration issues using historic and current information.
Connect U.S. immigration issues to international events and situations.

Content Outline

Introduction: Washington, Jefferson and Jackson on Immigration
Foundation Vocabulary
Significant Immigration Waves from 1820 to 2000 by Number, Origin, and Cause
- The “Old Immigration”
- The “New Immigration”
- Post WWII immigration of refugees and workers
- Current immigration
Push Factors
Pull Factors
Personal Sacrifices
Methods and Routes of Immigration: Legal and Illegal
Points of Entry, Processing Procedures, and Steps to Citizenship
Labor and Settlement Patterns
- Industrial/Agricultural/Service
- Urban/Rural
- North/South
- East/West
Personal Challenges for the Immigrant
Concerns, Successes and Limitations of the Progressive Movement as They Relate to Immigrants
Effects of the American Civil Rights Movement on Immigrants’ Rights, Ethnic Identity and Pride
Legal Barriers to and Enticements for Immigration and U.S. Citizenship and the Development of the Role of the INS
Impact of Immigrants on the Nation and the Nation’s Impact on Immigrants
Past and Present Expectations for Assimilation
Perspectives on Compelling, Current U.S Immigration Issues