References
Brown, M. (2004). My name is/me llamo celia (A. Fontan Trans.). Flagstaff: Luna Rising.
This book provides a lovely example of how immigrants may bring their cultures to their new country. The author describes some of the difficulties Celia faced growing up (for example, she wasn’t always allowed to sing in competitions because of her skin color), while creating a very strong sense of her Cuban home. Readers learn that she left her home during the war, and she eventually settled in New York. She embraced the different cultures that were there, and she brought her own special music to America. Through Celia’s voice, the author emphasizes that Celia’s amazing accomplishments happened because of her determination and pride in her culture. A great book to use as an example of immigrants’ accomplishments in the United States, and to encourage students to be proud of what their personal background has to offer. This book is written in Spanish and English, so those in the class who are Spanish speakers may enjoy the chance to reread the book in their native tongue.
Cruz, C. (1998). La vida es un carnaval (yaramaca Trans.). yaramaca. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX-0XBalRtA
This is upbeat piece is one of the most famous salsa songs in Latin America, and it sends the message that life is beautiful and fun to live. Students will be taken in by the catchy rhythms and the great clips of people salsa dancing. This is an excellent video for students to learn about salsa because the steps shown are pretty basic, and the video portrays salsa as something anyone can learn and do anywhere. It also has fantastic pictures of Celia Cruz, whom we would be focusing on during this lesson.
Dream act dilemma. (2010). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Fb0jU29ZE&feature=fvsr
This video features Gaby Pacheco explaining what the DREAM Act is and what it would do for undocumented minors. As a class, we would only watch the first minute and a half, which would allow the students to hear her explanation. Her words, spoken by a person who is directly affected by this bill, are very powerful and important for students to hear.
Dream act is big nightmare. (2010). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CHxD4DyCD4
This video offers arguments against the DREAM Act. The person speaking in this video is vehement that the bill would be the end of America, and students should be exposed to his strong emotions and listen to his rhetoric, and decide if they believe he has strong points.
Lost & found (story of a DREAM act student). (2009). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7J2b3t4WU
This is the personal story of a girl who found out she was undocumented when she was eighteen. She shares that she is unable to drive, to have a passport, and to do anything that requires proof of her age. She is currently attempting to work her way through college, as she is unable to get any scholarships. At a mock graduation, she tells why she believes the DREAM Act needs to be passed. Students will hear her story and begin to understand what kind of affect the DREAM Act would have on the lives of undocumented college students.
Malone, B., & Oberle, K. (2004). Wisconsin: Our state, our story Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
From their textbook, the students will be exposed to the definitions of the words “immigrant”, “immigration”, “migrant”, and “migration”. The short text will provide some examples of these vocabulary words as well, with room for the teacher to scaffold to a more complete understanding.
Ramos y Sanchez, R. (2011). My immigration story. Retrieved 3/21, 2011, from http://www.myimmigrationstory.com/
This website is a space where anyone can write their personal immigration story and share it with the world. This would be a good place to select an immigrant story or two to share with the students so they can compare stories and note the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors identified in each. They would also be great examples for the students, as they will be writing their own immigration stories to share with the class.
Scholastic. (2011). Immigration: Three recent immigrants. Retrieved 3/21, 2011, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/recent/quynh.htm
Scholastic interviewed three young immigrants and asked for them to share their story of immigration. This would be a good place to select an immigrant’s story to share with the class, allowing them to compare to other immigrant stories they’ve heard and note the push and pull factors described. Again, this would also be a wonderful example for the students because they are going to be authoring their own immigration stories. As all of these immigrants are their age, these stories would really speak to the recent immigrants in this classroom.
Strobel, C. (2010). Daily life of the new americans: Immigration since 1965. Santa Barbara: Greenwood.
This book explores the more recent immigrations to America. As noted in the title, the daily lives of immigrants are explored; from making money to spending it, from joining the mainstream culture to defending personal beliefs, all is explored. Strobel also takes care to discuss how mainstream society tends to interact with immigrants, and the effect that immigrants have on American societal values, the economy, and politics. Though this book discusses specifics of an issue, it is easy to read and a great reference text for teachers to have. Because most of the students in my class are or are related to “new Americans”, this book was especially helpful in informing me of the unique situations their families be in. While the entire book would be overwhelming for students to read, passages on certain subjects (for instance, the specific reasons for immigration from certain countries) would be feasible for students to read and comprehend.
United States Canada Peace Anniversary Association. (2010). The history of a peace park. Retrieved 3/27, 2011, from http://www.peacearchpark.org/history.htm
This website talks about Peace Park, which is on the border between Canada and the United States. The Peace Arch in this park is a symbol of the positive feelings shared between those in the United States and Canada. This provides a sharp contrast to the relationship between the United States and Mexico, and it would be interesting for the students to explore that contrast. This website also has excellent photographs for visuals.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. (2011). Citizenship. Retrieved 4/3, 2011, from http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD
This website has an incredible amount of information regarding the processes that people must go through to become naturalized citizens. As most of my students are the children of naturalized immigrants, it would be invaluable for them to have a strong understanding of what their parents, grandparents, and/or other relatives had to accomplish to become citizens of America. The website offers example questions and word lists for the naturalization tests, and it would be interesting for the students to analyze these lists in terms of the relative usefulness of the knowledge presented.
Wepman, D. (2008). Immigration. New York: Facts On File.
This is the single most comprehensive volume on immigration I have come across. Each chapter contains a lengthy section of clearly written prose that describes the immigration of that era, a timeline that chronicles important dates, along with a short section describing the significance of each, and testimonies from people of that era, both famous and ordinary. Unlike many other books, Wepman begins his discussion of immigration to America with the year 1607, when Jamestown was established. Because of this, centuries of immigration history is added to the book. This addition allows for a more realistic picture of how immigration was absolutely central to the development of the United States. Several chapters were devoted to explaining the immigration of Europeans to the United States; noting the distinct immigrant groups that arrived, the specific reasons they came, and the challenges they faced in America. Too often, these groups are often glossed over as “the Europeans”, when each wave of immigrants was quite different. As I know two students have Irish and German ancestors, I was especially interested to read about how these immigrant groups were received in America and how they influenced America’s developing culture.
One of the most moving parts of this book is the section devoted to testimonies at the end of each chapter. Hearing immigrants, politicians, and laypeople describe in their own words the ideas of the era is powerful. Many strong statements are made that make one think twice about the viewpoint one holds, and the next quote can sway beliefs in a completely opposite direction.
This book’s major strength is that it spans over four hundred years of immigration history, and while the specifics may be different, the reader can see that attitudes towards immigrants and the difficulties they face in America really have not changed that much. This is an excellent volume for a teacher to read before teaching immigration to a class because it allows him/her to get the ‘big picture’ of immigration in America in his/her head. However, it may be a tough volume for students to get through. Quotes from chapters, the timelines, and the testimonies would be a beneficial addition to any lesson, however.
Werner, E. E. (2009). Passages to america. Dulles: Potomac Books.
This book is comprised of interviews with adults and children about their immigration experiences. The author narrates through their tales, writing prose that provides an effective transition between experiences or a clear outline of needed background knowledge. The book begins with the stories of those who came from Britain, the first major wave of immigrants, and ends with those who arrived at Angel Island in the 1940s and 1950s. While not a comprehensive look at immigration, this book does provide excellent first-person testimonies of immigration. It would be interesting for students to compare how immigration changed over the time periods discussed and how immigration was different depending on the place of arrival. Students may also notice that many stories from the same time period and location follow a predictable pattern. These stories provide a great starting point for discussing the effect of world events on immigration to the United States. When talking about these stories with students, it will be incredibly important to give them access to basic background knowledge or vocabulary, as is done in the context of the book. Without this, many main points will be lost.
Brown, M. (2004). My name is/me llamo celia (A. Fontan Trans.). Flagstaff: Luna Rising.
This book provides a lovely example of how immigrants may bring their cultures to their new country. The author describes some of the difficulties Celia faced growing up (for example, she wasn’t always allowed to sing in competitions because of her skin color), while creating a very strong sense of her Cuban home. Readers learn that she left her home during the war, and she eventually settled in New York. She embraced the different cultures that were there, and she brought her own special music to America. Through Celia’s voice, the author emphasizes that Celia’s amazing accomplishments happened because of her determination and pride in her culture. A great book to use as an example of immigrants’ accomplishments in the United States, and to encourage students to be proud of what their personal background has to offer. This book is written in Spanish and English, so those in the class who are Spanish speakers may enjoy the chance to reread the book in their native tongue.
Cruz, C. (1998). La vida es un carnaval (yaramaca Trans.). yaramaca. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX-0XBalRtA
This is upbeat piece is one of the most famous salsa songs in Latin America, and it sends the message that life is beautiful and fun to live. Students will be taken in by the catchy rhythms and the great clips of people salsa dancing. This is an excellent video for students to learn about salsa because the steps shown are pretty basic, and the video portrays salsa as something anyone can learn and do anywhere. It also has fantastic pictures of Celia Cruz, whom we would be focusing on during this lesson.
Dream act dilemma. (2010). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Fb0jU29ZE&feature=fvsr
This video features Gaby Pacheco explaining what the DREAM Act is and what it would do for undocumented minors. As a class, we would only watch the first minute and a half, which would allow the students to hear her explanation. Her words, spoken by a person who is directly affected by this bill, are very powerful and important for students to hear.
Dream act is big nightmare. (2010). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CHxD4DyCD4
This video offers arguments against the DREAM Act. The person speaking in this video is vehement that the bill would be the end of America, and students should be exposed to his strong emotions and listen to his rhetoric, and decide if they believe he has strong points.
Lost & found (story of a DREAM act student). (2009). Retrieved 4/10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7J2b3t4WU
This is the personal story of a girl who found out she was undocumented when she was eighteen. She shares that she is unable to drive, to have a passport, and to do anything that requires proof of her age. She is currently attempting to work her way through college, as she is unable to get any scholarships. At a mock graduation, she tells why she believes the DREAM Act needs to be passed. Students will hear her story and begin to understand what kind of affect the DREAM Act would have on the lives of undocumented college students.
Malone, B., & Oberle, K. (2004). Wisconsin: Our state, our story Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
From their textbook, the students will be exposed to the definitions of the words “immigrant”, “immigration”, “migrant”, and “migration”. The short text will provide some examples of these vocabulary words as well, with room for the teacher to scaffold to a more complete understanding.
Ramos y Sanchez, R. (2011). My immigration story. Retrieved 3/21, 2011, from http://www.myimmigrationstory.com/
This website is a space where anyone can write their personal immigration story and share it with the world. This would be a good place to select an immigrant story or two to share with the students so they can compare stories and note the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors identified in each. They would also be great examples for the students, as they will be writing their own immigration stories to share with the class.
Scholastic. (2011). Immigration: Three recent immigrants. Retrieved 3/21, 2011, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/recent/quynh.htm
Scholastic interviewed three young immigrants and asked for them to share their story of immigration. This would be a good place to select an immigrant’s story to share with the class, allowing them to compare to other immigrant stories they’ve heard and note the push and pull factors described. Again, this would also be a wonderful example for the students because they are going to be authoring their own immigration stories. As all of these immigrants are their age, these stories would really speak to the recent immigrants in this classroom.
Strobel, C. (2010). Daily life of the new americans: Immigration since 1965. Santa Barbara: Greenwood.
This book explores the more recent immigrations to America. As noted in the title, the daily lives of immigrants are explored; from making money to spending it, from joining the mainstream culture to defending personal beliefs, all is explored. Strobel also takes care to discuss how mainstream society tends to interact with immigrants, and the effect that immigrants have on American societal values, the economy, and politics. Though this book discusses specifics of an issue, it is easy to read and a great reference text for teachers to have. Because most of the students in my class are or are related to “new Americans”, this book was especially helpful in informing me of the unique situations their families be in. While the entire book would be overwhelming for students to read, passages on certain subjects (for instance, the specific reasons for immigration from certain countries) would be feasible for students to read and comprehend.
United States Canada Peace Anniversary Association. (2010). The history of a peace park. Retrieved 3/27, 2011, from http://www.peacearchpark.org/history.htm
This website talks about Peace Park, which is on the border between Canada and the United States. The Peace Arch in this park is a symbol of the positive feelings shared between those in the United States and Canada. This provides a sharp contrast to the relationship between the United States and Mexico, and it would be interesting for the students to explore that contrast. This website also has excellent photographs for visuals.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. (2011). Citizenship. Retrieved 4/3, 2011, from http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD
This website has an incredible amount of information regarding the processes that people must go through to become naturalized citizens. As most of my students are the children of naturalized immigrants, it would be invaluable for them to have a strong understanding of what their parents, grandparents, and/or other relatives had to accomplish to become citizens of America. The website offers example questions and word lists for the naturalization tests, and it would be interesting for the students to analyze these lists in terms of the relative usefulness of the knowledge presented.
Wepman, D. (2008). Immigration. New York: Facts On File.
This is the single most comprehensive volume on immigration I have come across. Each chapter contains a lengthy section of clearly written prose that describes the immigration of that era, a timeline that chronicles important dates, along with a short section describing the significance of each, and testimonies from people of that era, both famous and ordinary. Unlike many other books, Wepman begins his discussion of immigration to America with the year 1607, when Jamestown was established. Because of this, centuries of immigration history is added to the book. This addition allows for a more realistic picture of how immigration was absolutely central to the development of the United States. Several chapters were devoted to explaining the immigration of Europeans to the United States; noting the distinct immigrant groups that arrived, the specific reasons they came, and the challenges they faced in America. Too often, these groups are often glossed over as “the Europeans”, when each wave of immigrants was quite different. As I know two students have Irish and German ancestors, I was especially interested to read about how these immigrant groups were received in America and how they influenced America’s developing culture.
One of the most moving parts of this book is the section devoted to testimonies at the end of each chapter. Hearing immigrants, politicians, and laypeople describe in their own words the ideas of the era is powerful. Many strong statements are made that make one think twice about the viewpoint one holds, and the next quote can sway beliefs in a completely opposite direction.
This book’s major strength is that it spans over four hundred years of immigration history, and while the specifics may be different, the reader can see that attitudes towards immigrants and the difficulties they face in America really have not changed that much. This is an excellent volume for a teacher to read before teaching immigration to a class because it allows him/her to get the ‘big picture’ of immigration in America in his/her head. However, it may be a tough volume for students to get through. Quotes from chapters, the timelines, and the testimonies would be a beneficial addition to any lesson, however.
Werner, E. E. (2009). Passages to america. Dulles: Potomac Books.
This book is comprised of interviews with adults and children about their immigration experiences. The author narrates through their tales, writing prose that provides an effective transition between experiences or a clear outline of needed background knowledge. The book begins with the stories of those who came from Britain, the first major wave of immigrants, and ends with those who arrived at Angel Island in the 1940s and 1950s. While not a comprehensive look at immigration, this book does provide excellent first-person testimonies of immigration. It would be interesting for students to compare how immigration changed over the time periods discussed and how immigration was different depending on the place of arrival. Students may also notice that many stories from the same time period and location follow a predictable pattern. These stories provide a great starting point for discussing the effect of world events on immigration to the United States. When talking about these stories with students, it will be incredibly important to give them access to basic background knowledge or vocabulary, as is done in the context of the book. Without this, many main points will be lost.
