History of Mexican Americans in the United States

HISTORY OF MEXICAN AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES
Hisory 314K, MAS 316
Fall 2011

Emilio Zamora
Garrison 2.104B
E.zamora@mail.utexas.edu
475-8706 (office), 739-0168 (cell)
Office Hours: Tues, 1-2, Thurs,1-2, and by appointment

Course Description

This reading and lecture course—a cultural diversity flagged course—surveys the history of the Mexican community in the United States since 1848, with an emphasis on the period between 1900 and the present. Its primary purpose is to explain the incorporation of the Mexican community as a national minority and bottom segment of the U.S. working class, all along making note of time and place specific variations in this process.   One of my central concerns is to make note of two inter-related historical trends in this incorporation, steady upward mobility and unrelenting social marginalization, especially after the Great Depression.   I emphasize work experiences, race thinking, social relations, trans-border relations, social causes and larger themes in U.S. history such as wars, sectional differences, industrialization, reform, labor and civil rights struggles, and the development of a modern urbanized society. I also incorporate relevant aspects of the history of Latinos, African Americans, and Mexico.  

Course materials, including a copy of my resume, this syllabus, lecture notes, and notes on interviewing techniques, will be available on Blackboard, UT’s course management site.   Call the ITS help desk (475-9400) if you have questions about Blackboard. Students with disabilities can seek academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259. Also, consult the Department of History’s policy on plagiarism: http:///www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/history/about/academic-integrity.php.

Course Requirements

Your course grade will be based on a mid-term examination (25%), a final examination (25%), a research paper (30%), two chapter...