Attention: Please note that one of the readings on the Syllabus for February 8th has been changed–already! My apologies, but I realized after class that I failed to inform you all. The Steinberg reading is no longer available and has been replaced by Kasinitz. Everything you need to read for next Tuesday is available under Course Readings.
The Peopling of New York
CUNY Honors College Seminar 2
Spring 2011
Powdermaker Hall 106
Professor Peter G. Vellon
Queens College
Powdermaker Hall, 352Q
718-997-5299
Technology Fellow: Maggie Dickinson
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 – 5:00, Honors Hall, Rm.20
The second Honors College seminar examines the role of immigration and migration in shaping New York City’s identity. We will explore themes such as: the factors drawing diverse peoples to the city since the 17th century; the creation and evolution of ethnic neighborhoods throughout the city; the role of race, class, religion, and gender in shaping immigrant interactions with the city; how immigrants have negotiated assimilation and americanization; and institution building.
We will also pay particular attention to how race and class have informed and exacerbated conflict among various ethnic and racial groups throughout the city. The culminating project for this course will be a website focused upon the New York City neighborhood of East Harlem which students will present at the Macaulay Honors College event in May.
Course Requirements:
- In Class Participation 20 %
Participation is defined broadly. Attendance is required in this course and more than two absences will adversely affect your grade. However, just attending class is not enough. Students must keep up with the weekly readings and come to class prepared to participate in discussions. Consistent, informed, and positive participation will earn students high participation grades. Negative participation, loosely defined as failing to discuss weekly readings, abusive lateness, text messaging, dozing off, or engaging in otherwise unproductive activities, will yield a participation grade closer to zero.
- On-line Participation 20 %
Each week of the semester (when there is an assigned reading) students will post weekly responses to the readings on our course blog. Two students will be assigned to “spark” the discussion by writing 2-3 paragraphs posted online by Sunday at 7:00pm responding to that week’s reading. Since this blog will be used as a springboard for our in class discussions, all other students must weigh in by 7:00 pm Monday evening.
- Short Papers 10%
Students will write 2 short reaction papers over the course of the semester on various themes explored in class. The first paper will be an examination of your own or your family’s experience with immigration and New York City’s role in that experience. The second paper will be an examination of assimilation, Americanization, and ethnic identity. Your own family’s experience, as well as relevant class readings/discussions will provide the basis for this paper. We will discuss these assignments in more detail during class.
Neighborhood Project: (50 % of final grade)
The class, both individually and collectively, will explore the neighborhood of East Harlem in order to construct a website project to be presented to the Macaulay Honors College in May. Using a variety of formats (i.e. text, photos, video, etc) students will be responsible for collecting and composing material that will provide the building blocks of our class-based website.
The neighborhood project grade will be broken down as follows:
- Walking Tour and Writing Assignment: 10% of final grade
Each student will submit at least 4 questions they seek to have answered and then write a 2-3 page paper responding and analyzing the material covered on the tour.
- Writing Assignment: Each group (4 groups of 4, 1 group of 3) will be assigned one thematic category to research in East Harlem:
- arts & culture
- institutions
- political/neighborhood organizations
- demographics
- economy/work/labor
Each member of the group will be assigned a different era to research within that particular theme. For example: [a] arts & culture in late 19th/early 20th cent.; arts & culture in mid-20th cent.; arts & culture in late 20th cent.; arts & culture today. Each student will submit 4-6 page paper worth 20% of final grade.
- Presentation: Each student will do 10 minute presentation to class based upon findings in research paper. 10%
- Website Participation: 10 %
Required Books:
- Nancy Foner, From Ellis Island to JFK (Yale University Press,2000)
- Tyler Anbinder, Five Points (Penguin,2001)
- Wendell Pritchett, Brownsville, Brooklyn: Blacks, Jews, and the Changing Face of the Ghetto (University of Chicago Press,2002)
- Robert Orsi, The Madonna of 115th Street (Yale University Press,1985)
- Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets (Vintage, 1997)
In addition, selected readings have been uploaded to the class website either as pdf files or hyper links to QC’s electronic library.
Note: Please be advised that changes to this schedule/additional readings may be made via e-mail or announced in class. If this is necessary I will try to provide as much advance notice as possible. Also, note that the readings are due the day they appear on the syllabus.
Schedule:
February 1 Course Introduction
February 8 Context: Race, Assimilation, and Ethnicity
Readings:
- Kasinitz, et al., Becoming American/Becoming New Yorkers”
- Walzer, “What it Means to be an American”
- Gerstle, “Liberty, Coercion and Becoming American…”
- Morrison, “Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination”
- Horsman, “Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial Anglo-Saxonism”
Each student gives a 5 minute presentation about how his or her family’s experience with immigration/migration and the role of NYC. What has been the role of NYC in this experience? More specifically, reflect upon the role of neighborhood or community. Strongly encourage the use of photos or props. Write up 2-3 page paper, including at least 2 interviews.
February 15 Peopling of NY: Colonial Period
Readings:
- Binder & Reimer, Ch.1
- Harris, Ch.1, “Slaves in Colonial NY” [available as E-book on QC library website]
- Foote, Ch. 5, “Black & White Manhattan” [available as E-book on QC library website]
Short paper based upon family history due today.
Introductory Web session: will use photos/props used for presentation to build personal websites based upon previous week’s presentations.
February 22 Peopling of NY: Old and New Immigrants
Readings:
- Anbinder, Ch. 2, 12, 13
- Foner, Ch. 1
March 1 Ethnicity and Neighborhood
Readings:
- Anbinder, Ch. 1 (Five Points) & Ch. 3 (How they Lived)
- Foner, Ch. 2
- Pritchett, Ch.1 (Brownsville)
March 8 Immigrant Labor, Work, and Economy
Readings:
- Foner, Ch 3 & 4
- Anbinder, Ch. 4
- Lee, “Entrepreneurship and Business Development among African Americans, Koreans, and Jews: Exploring Some Structural Differences”
- Chin, “When Coethnic Assets Become Liabilities: Mexican, Ecuadorian, and Chinese Garment Workers in New York City”
Neighborhood Study: East Harlem
March 15 Neighborhood: “Italian East Harlem”
Readings:
- Orsi, Ch. 2 – Ch.5 (pp. 14 – 149)
March 22 Tentative date: Walking Tour: East Harlem
Continue Reading:
- Continue reading Orsi, Ch.6 –Ch.8 (pp. 150 – 231)
- Start Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, Ch. 1 – Ch. 8 (pp. 3 – 84)
March 29 Neighborhood: “Spanish Harlem”
Readings:
- Thomas, Ch. 20 – 24 (pp.209-254); Ch. 30 – 34 (pp. 294 – 354)
- Sharman, Ch. 3, pp.49-78 (“Puerto Ricans”), Ch. 4, pp.79-104 (“African Americans), Ch. 5, pp.105-134 (“Mexicans”), Ch. 6, pp. 135-160 (“West Africans”) — [available as E-book on QC library website]
April 5 Race, Class, & Ethnicity
Readings:
- Foner, Ch. 5
- Bobb, “Race, Racism & West Indian Immigration Experience”
- Lessinger, “Class, Race, & Success: Two Generations of Indian Americans Confront the American Dream”
April 12 Changing Neighborhoods, Urban Renewal, and Race/Color
Readings:
- Anbinder, Ch. 11
- Pritchett, Ch. 4 & 5
- Orsi, “The Religious Boundaries of an Inbetween People: Street Feste and the Problem of the Dark-Skinned Other in Italian Harlem, 1920-1990”
- Sharman, Ch. 8, pp. 191-208, “Urban Renewal & Final Migration” [available as E-book on QC library website]
April 19: NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
April 26: NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
May 3 Website Preparation
May 10 Race, Class, and Contested Turf
Readings:
- Anbinder, Ch. 9 “Riot” (Five Points)
- Pritchett, Ch. 7 & 8 (Brownsville)
- Rieder, Ch.3 & 6 (Canarsie)
- Joseph Sciorra, “Italians Against Racism”: The Murder of Yusef Hawkins (R.I.P.) and My March on Bensonhurst, Ch. 12, pp. 192-209 in AIW
May 17 Student Presentations/Wrap Up
