College Seminar (105-7-23)
Topic
Immigrant Stories
Instructors
Charles S Yarnoff
8474914965
555 Clark St., 243
Office Hours: By appointment
Meeting Info
Annenberg Hall G28: Mon, Wed, Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Overview of class
We live in a time when hostility toward immigrants has made many Americans forget that, as Barack Obama said, "We are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too." This hostility has obscured the complex reality of the lives of immigrants. In this course, we will study fiction and poetry by immigrants and their children in order to understand that complex reality. We will explore such questions as: How do social attitudes and institutions impact the lives of immigrants as they seek to pursue the "American Dream"? What happens to the relationships between parents and children through the process of acculturation into American society? How do differences in national origin connect with other differences, particularly gender, race, ethnicity, and class?
Learning Objectives
In this course, you will develop: (1) your understanding of the diverse experiences of immigrants and their children; (2) your ability to read closely and critically, considering multiple ways of interpreting literary works and supporting those interpretations with evidence from the text; (3) effective strategies for planning, drafting, revising papers; (4) your ability to use and offer constructive feedback on writing; (5) skills and knowledge that enable you to take advantage of the resources available at Northwestern.
Teaching Method
Class Discussion
Evaluation Method
Three papers, discussion board posts, class participation, and peer feedback on drafts of papers
Class Materials (Required)
Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena María Viramontes (ISBN 9780452273870)
All other readings will be available online.
Class Attributes
WCAS College Seminar