Describe how different social, political, economic and environmental factors drive people to migrate

Describe how different social, political, economic and environmental factors drive people to migrate

Learning Goals:

Describe how different social, political, economic, and environmental factors drive people to migrate

Explain how host-country policies and institutional structures shape immigrants’ lives in their new homes

Critically analyze the role of racism and gender in immigrant reception and incorporation

Articulate clear critiques about dominant discourses of immigration

Audience: Imagine this as something that would be read in a major newspaper. Thus, you will have to explain anything that would not be immediately familiar to the general public.

Instructions:

Write an op-ed of 800-1000 words evaluating one or more current US policies towards immigrants, as discussed in the first five weeks of this course (You may think broadly about US immigration policies, or you may focus in on one policy, but you MUST be specific and concrete in your analysis). Your Op-Ed should

Have a headline/title at the top that reveals your main point

1) describe what the policy (or policies) are meant to do

2) analyze whether they have succeeded in their own terms, and

3) evaluate whether and why the goals of these policies are misguided in the first place.

4) discuss what “unintended” consequences they have produced.

5) Conclude by making a proposal for what the incoming administration should do instead (for this part, you can either imagine your “dream” administration or try to pitch a proposal you think the actual incoming president might do).

Muster as much evidence as possible from the class readings, mini-lectures, videos, and multimedia materials about the effects (or misguided character) of existing policy, including quotes or paraphrases and citations.