The US-Mexico Border and the History of Mexican Migration

Catalog description

This course offers a historical perspective on the US-Mexico border and the movement of people and goods across it. Immigration has long been controversial and recent Mexican migration to the United States in particular has proven to be a political lighting rod. This in-depth study of the history of the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexican immigration will provide us with insight into long-standing debates over who should be allowed into the country; how - and against what perceived threats - we should secure our borders; how immigration impacts American society and what our country will look like in the future. In this course we will address such as: How and why has the U.S.-Mexico border changed physically from a mere "line in the sand" to a militarized checkpoint reinforced by weaponized fences, borders patrol agents, volunteer vigilantes and drones? How has it changed legally in order to facilitate the flow of certain goods while restricting the flow of laborers? What factors drive migration, and how has Mexican migration to the United States change over time? Why are some groups seen as "assimilable" while others are assumed to be unable or unwilling to assimilate? Why is immigration such as controversial issue in the US politics? How do we reconcile conflicting national narratives of the United States as both a "nation of immigrants" and a "gatekeeping nation"? Credit Badge: Immigration Advocacy and Policy.