The Big Apple!
As with my other seminars, Immigration Across Disciplines first caught my eye as a way to work on something not entirely dominated by the science curriculum I am involved in as a pre-medical student. In addition, we know very little about my family’s own immigrant history, a subject that I have been meaning to become more familiar with. Throughout the course, we read and discussed texts detailing the evolution of immigration law in the US and debated the effects of various policies, both historical and modern. I think that many of us, with the exception of the senior capstone students, had very little idea how important immigration law and reform is for relations both within the US and between the US and other nations.
In conjunction with this material, we traveled to New York City (Manhattan) and spent a lot of time exploring various areas connected to immigration. Many of these areas were regions, such as Chinatown, that had a continued, marked ethnic feel. We also saw how these regions evolved, undergoing a succession of ethnic groups and the changes brought by each. Of course, much of this involved eating our way through the abundant ethnic foods available! In addition, we were split into groups to explore specific boroughs around Manhattan (most toward the east and south) in an attempt to better understand how various immigrant groups continue to hold sway in these areas.
During the course, I learned of several likely periods in which my ancestors would have been involved in migratory activities. Using this knowledge, I am continuing my quest to learn more about my family’s ancestry and past. My paternal grandmother has asked me to help her do some research on her own family, an opportunity I hope to use to grow even close to her. The course gave me a much greater appreciation of the difficulties involved with immigration, the complications that can arise, and the benefits and drawbacks. In light of this information, I take a much more understanding view of the situations of new immigrants to the US as the debate over immigration reform continues.
In conjunction with this material, we traveled to New York City (Manhattan) and spent a lot of time exploring various areas connected to immigration. Many of these areas were regions, such as Chinatown, that had a continued, marked ethnic feel. We also saw how these regions evolved, undergoing a succession of ethnic groups and the changes brought by each. Of course, much of this involved eating our way through the abundant ethnic foods available! In addition, we were split into groups to explore specific boroughs around Manhattan (most toward the east and south) in an attempt to better understand how various immigrant groups continue to hold sway in these areas.
During the course, I learned of several likely periods in which my ancestors would have been involved in migratory activities. Using this knowledge, I am continuing my quest to learn more about my family’s ancestry and past. My paternal grandmother has asked me to help her do some research on her own family, an opportunity I hope to use to grow even close to her. The course gave me a much greater appreciation of the difficulties involved with immigration, the complications that can arise, and the benefits and drawbacks. In light of this information, I take a much more understanding view of the situations of new immigrants to the US as the debate over immigration reform continues.