History 3208: History of Immigration, Ethnicity, and Nativism
Professor Peter Catapano
Spring 2007

Introduction to Immigration History
Key Terms: migration, immigration, assimiliation, mosaic, multicultural, and chain migration

The First Thanksgiving, reproduction of an oil painting by J.L.G. Ferris, early 20th century. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC4-4961)

I. Ravenstein's "Laws of Migration" (Daniels, pp. 16-22) Push Pull Means II. Daniels' immigration "myths" Plymouth Rock Statue of Liberty (lazarus) the "Melting Pot"

III. Daniels' general categories of Migration Characteristic of  Migrants Who leaves their homelands? At what age? Patterns of Migration From where? (i.e. cities, village, farms,etc) To where in the U.S.? (i.e. specific regions, cities, rural areas, etc.) Do people remigrate back to their homeland? Volume of Migration Due to difficulty of means, economic conditions, legal ease or difficulties, etc.

"The Mortar of Assimilation," Puck, June 26, 1889

Caliban from Scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest by Hogarth; Circa 1728

IV. Ronald Takaki's Cab Ride (pp. 1-2) (Takaki) Two questions raised: How does race play a role in the perception of what it means to be American? (Morrison) When did American become a multicultural place? V. Immigration and Ethnic History (Takaki, pp. 6-7) Oscar Handlin, The Uprooted - Strengths and Weakness The "New" Immigration Scholarship and Ethnic History The special place of England and Europe in US Immigration History (Daniels, pp. 23-29)

updated 1/30/08