Ethnic Studies
Ms. Portman

Ethnic Studies Website

The address for the class website is: http://sun.menloschool.org/~sportman/ethnic/

What can be found at this website:

• All assignments
• Other websites of interest
• Student work

I encourage you to check this address regularly.

Texts for the Class
Smith , Anna Deavere Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
Takaki , Ronald. A Larger Memory: A History of Our Diversity, With Voices. Boston:
Little , Brown and Company, 1998.
You will be reading selected essays from this anthology, but you need to buy the whole book.
You will also have assigned readings which I will give you in class.

General Expectations

• You are expected to read all assigned readings and be prepared for class discussion. If you want to have an interesting class, then it is your responsibility to spend time not just reading the words- you should be thinking about and processing the material. Being well-read will help you to make significant contributions to class discussion.

• Most homework assignments will include a reading assignment and questions for you to consider. Your responses will not be turned in unless otherwise noted, but I recommend that you write your answer down so that you will be prepared to discuss your ideas during class discussion. A clearly written answer will help you to think more clearly about the material being discussed.

• Besides completing short writing assignments, you will be assigned several long projects in which you will be given very clear directions and class time to work on them. You will also be given one in-class essay exams, but most of the work you will be doing for this class should be completed on your own time. Class time will be geared toward discussion of the material.

• All writing assignments and projects must be turned in on time. I am a stickler for due dates; if you are having problems with an assignment, you need to come see me before it is due.

Grade Breakdown

Class Participation and Short Writing Assignments		35%
Large Projects, In-Class Essays		45%
Final Exam		20%

Major Issues of the Semester
What does it mean to be "American?"
What is Ethnic Studies?
Why is Ethnic Studies taught in high schools and universities?
Why is perspective such an integral part of Ethnic Studies?
How has Ethnic Studies changed over time? What will it be like in the future?
How has a critical awareness of issues of ethnicity changed the way you view your local community? Greater society? Media? Politics? Economy?

Unit 1
What does it mean to be "American?"
What is Ethnic Studies?
Violent Tensions- Twilight

Unit 2
Stereotypes and Images in the Media
PERSPECTIVES- Larger Memory

• Stories
  Multiculturalism vs. The Melting Pot
  Helplessness in Society
  Ethnicity and the Economy

Unit 3
MULTICULTURAL DESTINY- Larger Memory

• American Experiences
  Assimilation
  Generation Gap
  Identity
  Gender and Ethnicity

Unit 4
THE NEXT GENERATION- Larger Memory

• Discrimination
  Immigration Laws
  The Neighborhood

Language
Racism/ Hate Crimes
Affirmative Action/ Inter-Ethnic Relationships