History of U.S. Immigration Policy

Catalog description

This course traces the development of U.S. immigration and naturalization policy from the founding of the nation to the present. We will focus on the evolving debate about what it means to be American and how changing answers to this question have dramatically impacted immigration and citizenship opportunities over the past 250 years. We will examine the critical role that immigrants have played in the economy and culture of the United States, why certain groups of immigrants became white while others were labelled undesirable or threatening, and how this designation has led to efforts to restrict their entry or expel them from the country. Students will gain a clear understanding of the development of immigration policy over time, why immigration is such a politically divisive issue in American life, and what can be done to improve our immigration system moving forward. This course meets the Dietrich Gen Ed "Contextual Thinking" requirement.