This assignment addresses the following student learning outcomes (SLO):
List the various race, ethnic and religious minorities who have immigrated to this country, their process of
assimilation and the special problems they encountered. (SLO)
List and analyze the current status of the various immigrant groups with regard to their acculturation, economic,
educational and political structural assimilation. (SLO)
To complete the essay you should do the following:
Pick one of the following racial/ethnic groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican
Americans, Chinese Americans, or Japanese Americans (others may be approved upon request).
In your own words, write a comprehensive essay on your chosen group by:
1. Explaining their early process of immigration (i.e. Why did they move and why did they immigrate to the
U.S.? What were the conditions of immigration?), the problems they encountered once they immigrated, and
their early process of assimilation. If you chose Native Americans, you should explain their initial contact
with European immigrants, problems encountered, and the early attempts of European immigrants to
assimilate Native American culture into their culture.
2. Analyze the current status of the group in regards to their economic (i.e. job status and income), educational,
and political assimilation. Some statistics would be appropriate for these sections.
Define concepts as you use them throughout the text.
Cite your sources in the body of the essay and by providing a works cited page using ASA style.
o Minimum of three sources. One of the sources may include the course textbook. The other sources must
be from a library book or academic journal article. Please, no websites or other course textbooks.
Include a title descriptive of your paper. A descriptive title is one that reflects the main argument of your paper. Thus,
simply stating Essay #2, Mexican Americans, or anything similar, does not constitute a descriptive title.
Include subheadings.
Save your paper as a Microsoft Word or Pdf file (no other file formats will be accepted).
Formatting requirements:
Double-spaced
12 point font
1.25 inch margins
Times New Roman
When grading your papers, I will among other things be considering the following:
Student provided a comprehensive essay, showing a thoughtful and in-depth analysis including all components of the
groups immigration process (i.e. push and pull factors), the problems they encountered once they immigrated, and
their early process of assimilation.
Student provided a comprehensive essay, showing a thoughtful and in-depth analysis including all components of the
groups current status in regards to their economic, educational, and political assimilation.
Student accurately defined and applied concepts throughout the text.
Student provided an accurate depiction of all components of the groups immigration process.
Student provided an accurate depiction of all components of the groups current status.
Quality of writing ex. grammar, spelling, organization, flow, sentence structure, etc. (an A paper is essentially free
from errors).
Accuracy of ASA citations (in text and works cited page).
Accurately followed formatting requirements.
Accurately followed instructions.
Expectations of topics to include when writing an essay for three sample groups:
Mexican Americans (include all topics below)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The role of the Mexican Revolution and WWI in the immigration process
Repatriation
The role of WWII in the immigration process
The Bracero Program
Special Force Operation
Prejudice, discrimination, and/or profiling of Mexican Americans
Cesar Chavez
La Raza
Current educational assimilation (statistics comparing Mexican Americans to White Americans would be
appropriate for this section).
Current economic assimilation (statistics comparing Mexican Americans to White Americans would be
appropriate for this section).
Current political assimilation
African Americans (include all topics below)
The transatlantic slave trade
Slavery
o Slave codes
o Conditions of slavery
Emancipation Proclamation of 1863
Thirteenth Amendment of 1865
Jim Crow laws and segregation
Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896
Willams v. Mississippi
The Civil Rights Movement
o Montgomery Improvement Association
o Rosa Parks
o Martin Luther King Jr.
o Brown versus Board of Education 1954
o The Civil Rights Act 1964
o 24th Amendment
Current educational assimilation (statistics comparing African Americans to White Americans would be
appropriate for this section).
Current economic assimilation (statistics comparing African Americans to White Americans would be appropriate
for this section).
Current political assimilation
Native Americans (in