Syllabus ETHNIC AMERICA

The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the ethnic and racial landscape of the United States. The course will emphasize the interaction among the major components of the color multiculture, in addition to providing an overview of theories and recent research results concerning this dynamically growing area of American Studies

Instructor András Tarnóc PhD

Schedule

WEEK ONE: Introduction
WEEK TWO: Theories and laws of the immigration process Reading, Tarnóc, Introduction
WEEK THREE: Modeling American culture, the macrocultural landscape Reading Tarnóc, 1.1, 1.2
WEEK FOUR: The black experience 1619-1865 Reading: Tarnóc 2.1, 3.1
WEEK FIVE: The black experience. 1865-1970’s Reading Tarnóc 4.1.1
WEEK SIX: The Chicano experience Reading Tarnóc 2.2, 3.2, 4.2.1
WEEK SEVEN Midterm quiz
WEEK EIGHT: Native American cultures I
WEEK NINE: Native American cultures II
WEEK TEN: Asian immigration
WEEK ELEVEN The Central European experience
WEEK TWELVE The Crisis of Multicultural America, the revival of nativism
WEEK THIRTEEN: Final quiz
WEEK FOURTEEN: Evaluation, wrap-up

Text: Tarnóc, András. The Dynamics of American Multiculturalism: A Model-Based Study. Eger: EKF Líceum Kiadó, 2005.

Presentation topics:
Dutch immigration to America
Norwegians in America
The Italians
The Irish
Hungarian Immigration to America
The Swedes
The Vietnamese
Immigrants from India
Chinese Immigration
The Japanese
The Cubans
The Puerto Ricans

Grading: The course grade is a composite of marks earned as a result of the completion of three elements: two quizzes and an in-class presentation. The presentation should be no more than 15 minutes in length, and it should include the following elements: a brief overview of the history of the given immigrant group’s country, the analysis of their acculturation process, main representatives in American culture, the given group’s legacy in American society and culture.