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Campus | Bryn Mawr |
Semester | Fall 2020 |
Registration ID | SOCLB235001 |
Course Title | Mexican-American Communities |
Credit | 1.00 |
Department | Latin American, Iberian, and Latinx Studies |
Instructor | Montes,Veronica |
Times and Days | TF 11:10am-12:30pm
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Room Location | |
Additional Course Info | Class Number: 2273 For its unique history, the number of migrants, and the two countries' proximity, Mexican migration to the United States represents an exceptional case in world migration. There is no other example of migration with more than 100 years of history. The copious presence of migrants concentrated in a host country, such as we have in the case of the 11.7 million Mexican migrants residing in the United States, along with another 15 million Mexican descendants, is unparalleled. The 1,933-mile-long border shared by the two countries makes it one of the longest boundary lines in the world and, unfortunately, also one of the most dangerous frontiers in the world today. We will examine the different economic, political, social and cultural forces that have shaped this centenarian migration influx and undertake a macro-, meso-, and micro-levels of analysis. At the macro-level of political economy, we will investigate the economic interdependency that has developed between Mexico and the U.S. over different economic development periods of these countries, particularly, the role the Mexican labor force has played to boosting and sustaining both the Mexican and the American economies. At the meso-level, we will examine different institutions both in Mexico and the U.S. that have determined the ways in which millions of Mexican migrate to this country. Last, but certainly not least, we will explore the impacts that both the macro-and meso-processes have had on the micro-level by considering the imperatives, aspirations, and dreams that have prompted millions of people to leave their homes and communities behind in search of better opportunities. This major life decision of migration brings with it a series of social transformations in family and community networks, this will look into the cultural impacts in both the sending and receiving migrant communities. In sum, we will come to understand how these three levels of analysis work together.; At the end of this course,T the students will be able to demonstrate 1. Knowledge of the different migration eras that compromise the longstanding migratory history between Mexico and the United States and how distinctive eras have been shaped by U.S. migration policy. 2. An understanding of how macro-level forces in the form of political economy have determined the migration flows of Mexicans into the United States and how this migration has become a major factor of economic interdependency of the two countries 3. Comprehension of social transformations that Mexican migration has had in both the communities of origin and the communities of reception, particularly by understanding the intersection of the three levels of analysis described above. 4. A capacity to articulate some of the major challenges facing Mexican migrants, as well as the strategies that are employed when confronting those challenges. 5. A solid comprehension of the different socioeconomic and political factors that have shaped some of the current challenges faced by the Mexican immigrant communities in the US. Approach: Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC); Enrollment Cap: 25; If the course exceeds the enrollment cap the following criteria will be used for the lottery: Major/Minor/Concentration; Senior; Junior; Sophomore; For students taking this course virtually, I expect they are able to join us synchronously at least once a week. For those students in -person, I will incorporate some remote elements into the class. |
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