I. Objectives
The objectives of this curriculum unit are:
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1. To understand the underlying reasons for immigration, focusing on five major trends:
political, economic, family, career and educational.
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2. To explore current immigration issues within the major nationalities of Spanish speaking immigrants: Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and Cubans.
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3. To have students make informed conclusions as to the future of immigration policies in the U.S.A.
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4. To engage in readings and viewing of movies that will make immigration issues more of a reality for all students.
II. Introduction
Immigration has been part of the North American experience since Columbus arrived in 1492 and some of his men decided to stay and settle in what they called “the new world”.
Centuries later, after the Westward expansion of pioneers into the then-unknown territories of the West, the 1890 census declared that “there are no more frontiers” left to be conquered, thus a frontier-less America was all that was left to those living here. (1) As those premature thoughts engaged the minds of the people back East, a new frontier was indeed being seen by the millions who came across the water, from Europe and Asia, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These immigrants came looking for a new frontier, and millions of Europeans found it in the bustling cities of the East, while Chinese and other Asian families went to California, to work as laborers for the railroads and other labor-intensive jobs. Women in particular had plenty of opportunities working in the garment industry and other service areas.
Now we find ourselves at the end of the twentieth century, and people are still migrating to the United States of America. Through this curricular unit students (and teachers) will learn and explore together the reasons that still drive people to settle into a new country and adopt a new language. The impact of the last fifty years of immigration will be the focus of this unit, as current immigration trends dictate what America will be like in the year 2000.
The subject of this institute is of particular interest to me in view of our roles as educators in today’s multicultural world. As the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S.A. grows, the issues of immigration, acculturation and ethnicity continue to polarize our society. Our students and their families need to deal with these issues in clear and unbiased way, therefore we must use the classroom as a vehicle to bring this information to them, or risk having all the information they receive be from negative media reports to anti-immigrants political agendas. This curricular unit will allow students to explore the reasons that drive people today to settle into a new country and adopt a new language. As a Foreign Language teacher of Spanish in the New Haven Public School System, my daily work is with urban youth of different cultures and backgrounds, including Spanish speaking students from Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America. It is my expectation that this unit will help these young people from diverse backgrounds and languages to learn and appreciate the reality of being an immigrant in today’s society, as well as the positive contributions that these individuals have made to make our country rich in variety and cultures.
II. Overview of Units
Each unit has three sub topics, plus one or two recommended films as ancillary material. Depending on the time of year, one topic can be convered in ten school days. The showing of the longer theatrical films will take two or three regular class periods (45 to 50 minute periods). I recommend that the topics be presented in the order that they are written (1 to 4) since each topic builds on the material previously covered.
Teachers may choose to spend more time on a daily basis and expand on their own knowledge and resources. Some options for enrichment are: guest speakers, field trips (Ellis Island is highly recommended), after-school programs, and team teaching with the Language Arts and the Social Studies Department . Other links could be established with visits to the library, on-going book reports and soliciting materials from the US. Census Bureau at the beginning of the unit. Students could request information on how to apply for a passport or a visa to travel abroad which would offer students a wonderful opportunity to see the legal process in action.
This curriculum unit has been designed for use at the middle and high school level.
Unit 1 Who is an immigrant?
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1. Why do people migrate.
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2. Who is a minority in the U.S.A.
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3. Voluntary v. involuntary migration.
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4.
Film: El Norte
Unit 2 Living in a new country.
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1. Linguistic differences.
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2. Cultural differences.
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3. Socio-economic issues.
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4.
Films: The House of Ramon Iglesias
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El Super
Unit 3 The Puerto Rican Experience
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1. The island’s historical background.
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2. Travel between the island and the mainland.
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3. Current and future political issues: commonwealth v. independence
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4.
Films: Operation Bootstrap
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Puerto Rican Passages
Unit 4 The USA in the year 2000
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1. Government policy in regards to documented aliens v. undocumented
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2. Characteristics of Latinos in the 1990s
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3. Language policy issues.
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4.
Film: Whose America Is It?
(Bill Moyer’s documentary)
III. Learning Outcomes
As a result of this unit students will engage in a variety of activities surrounding the issue of immigration, students will be expected to:
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A. Engage in independent reading and writing-by reading articles, historical documents, short stories and writing on the topic of immigration.
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B. Speak tothe class—using their listening and speaking skills to engage in discussions in class, debating different points of view as well as presenting their own.
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C. View films-critically and objectively, in order to find the meaning and purpose of the film, as well as relating the fiction of the film to the non-fiction of real life.
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D. Become life long learners-by understanding immigration policies and continuing to learn and understand the reasons why people migrate.
