Mt San Antonio College s3

MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE Course Syllabus

Course Title: Mexican American History Course number: HST 40 Class Meetings: W 6:30pm - 9:40pm Session: Spring 2016 Dates: 02/22/2016-06/11/2016 Ticket: 40998 Location: 26D-2240 Instructor Name: Todd Menzing Email Address: [email protected] Website: http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Mexican American History

Course Description: Survey of Mexican-American history in the U.S. from the Pre-Columbian period to the present. Emphasis on Mexican-American contributions to the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the U.S. Will also examine the relationship of Mexican-Americans to other cultural groups.

Course Length: 16 Weeks

Anticipated Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

 Change: Students will be able to identify and evaluate major agents of change/reform in American History effecting Mexican Americans  General Education Outcome: Area C. Students completing an assignment in Humanities Area C will be able to identify the influence of culture on human expression  General Education Outcome: Area C (Arts). Students completing an assignment in Area C (Arts) courses will be able to analyze modes of artistic expression.  Institutional influence: Students will be able to identify through analysis the role of institutions-- religious, political, economic, social, educational, etc.) in the development of Mexican American culture. Students will also be able to  Examine the effects of European colonization on Native Peoples.  Analyze the effects of being a colony on early Spanish settlement.  Articulate the changing terms of Mexican and American cultures and societies.  Examine the impact of the U.S. Mexican War on the Mexican peoples of the Southwest.  Determine the patterns that led to the Mexican migration to the Southwest during the “Porfiriato.”  Analyze the impact of the Mexican Revolution on Mexican Americans.  Explore the history of Mexican American life and culture during the Great Depression, World War II and the 1950-1960s “Bracero program”  Examine the rise of “Chicanismo” in Mexican American culture.  Explore contemporary issues relating to Mexican American culture and political identity.  To question "history" in order to understand that history emanates from subjective positions that shape the stories that are told, presented, or remembered.  To explore how we construct our knowledge of the world from our diverse experiences and backgrounds within Mexican American culture.  Articulate the goals, research methodologies, and issues common to most social and behavioral scientists.

Required Texts (available in the bookstore)

Gonzales, Mexicanos ISBN: 978-0-253-221-4 Cisneros, House on Mango Street ISBN: 978-0679734772

Other Readings: downloadable documents (Blackboard) Method of Instruction: Lecture/Online Estimated Homework Hours: 4-5 Technology Needed: Access to a computer, word processing program, disks, and printer

Grading Scale: A 90-100 B 89-80 C 79-70 D 69-60 F 59 or below

Process for Evaluation:

4 EXAMS (16% ea.) 64% Film Review 10% Final Exam 16% Essay ……………………... 10% 100%

Exams: Exams are multiple-choice. Each respective exam deals with information up to end of the week in which the exam is scheduled. Exam 1, for example, covers all material through week 3. Exam 2 will cover all material through week 6, etc. Each respective exam is made up of 50 questions. Students will have one hour to take the respective exams. Please bring a Scantron form #882 and #2 pencil

Final Exam: Final Exam is comprehensive and will consist of 100 questions.

Film Review: In addition to your essay writing assignment on The House on Mango Street, I would like you to choose one of the following films to review. You will have to acquire the film on your own through your college or public library, Netflix, internet search or some other venue (perhaps even Amazon.com purchase). You can research the respective film titles on www.imdb.com (just type in the name of the respective film into the search box) in order to determine which film interests you most. Your film review should be at least two pages in length (double spaced and typed). I do not want a simple summary of the film, but rather your reaction to the story in terms of such themes as immigration, assimilation, work, poverty, resistance to exploitation, family, gender identity, middle class success, etc. These films are meant to inspire you at some level. Your essay should be thoughtful, but you should also, along with your reading of The House on Mango Street, enjoy this project!

 Salt of the Earth (1954) – this film is available online – I will post it in the Learning Block  Zoot Suit (1981)  The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)  Stand and Deliver (1988)  My Family (1995)  Lone Star (1996)  Selena (1997)  La Ciudad (1998)  Bread and Roses (2002)  How the Garcia Girls Spent their Summer (2005)  Quinceañera (2006)  Under the Same Moon (2007)  A Better Life (2011) The film review, along with the essay, will be submitted to www.turnitin.com (see below). Please submit the two assignments as one document (essay first, then film review)

Essay This essay is based on the Sandra Cisneros collection of short, interconnected stories House on Mango Street. You should focus your discussion of the stories on common themes such as patriarchy, gender identity, racism (both subtle and overt), poverty (and how family love helps people cope with it), relationships, working class day to day struggles, notions of middle class “success,” as well as common cultural expressions such as religion, food, dress, humor, etc. One way to approach the essay would be to choose three of these themes and then discuss them in turn with relation to the respective characters among the various stories. Your essay should be 4-5 pages in length, double- spaced and typed – the MAIN thing to keep in mind is that you must demonstrate that you read these stories. Your reaction to the various stories is welcomed.

The essay must be submitted to www.turnitin.com by June, 10 at 11:55 PM

User ID: 9592119 Password: Essay

Students should go to the website and register early. Please include your film review with your essay as a single document (first the essay, then the film-review). Any questions should be raised during one of the in-class sessions. The password is case-sensitive. Late papers will not be accepted!

Grading Policy: Grades are non-negotiable. I do not give grades, students earn them. I do not “round up” scores. Students must accept, for example, that a grade of 79.99% is a “C” grade. I only change grades if I make a mathematical/clerical error --- I will absolutely never change a student’s grade for any other reason.

Please note that this is not a straight-point grading system. The respective graded categories are weighted. The Blackboard gradebook is correct.

Academic Dishonesty: Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty while pursuing their studies at Mt San Antonio College. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: plagiarism and cheating, misuse of academic resources or facilities, and misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks. Plagiarism is the use (copying) of another person’s ideas, words, visual images, or audio samples, presented in a manner that makes the work appear to be the student’s original creation. All work that is not the student’s original creation, or any idea or fact that is not “common knowledge,” must be documented properly to avoid even accidental infractions of the honor code. Cheating is to gain an unfair advantage on a grade by deception, fraud, or breaking the rules set forth by the instructor of the class. Cheating may include but is not limited to: copying the work of others; using notes or other materials when unauthorized; communicating to others during an exam; and any other unfair advantage as determined by the instructor. Students who cheat and/or plagiarize will receive a failing grade for the exam or essay that they cheated on or plagiarized (absolutely and without question). Also, students who violate the terms of academic honesty will have an Academic Dishonesty Report filed with the Dean’s Office. Grading Criteria for the Essay Assignment:

"A" range work is:

Outstanding achievement; significantly exceeds standards. Unique topic or unique treatment of topic; takes risks with content; fresh approach. Sophisticated/exceptional use of examples. Original and "fluid" organization; all sentences and paragraphs contribute; sophisticated transitions between paragraphs. Integration of quotations and citations is sophisticated and highlights the author's argument. Confidence in use of standard English; language reflects a practiced and/or refined understanding of syntax and usage. Sentences vary in structure; very few if any mechanical errors. "B" range work is:

Commendable achievement; exceeds minimum standards. Specific, original focus; content well-handled. Significance of content is clearly conveyed; good use of examples; sufficient support exists in all key areas. Has effective shape (organization); effective pacing between sentences or paragraphs. Quotations and citations are integrated into argument to enhance the flow of ideas. Have competent transitions between all sentences and paragraphs. Conveys a strong understanding of standard English; the writer is clear in his/her attempt to articulate main points, but may demonstrate moments of "flat" or unrefined language. The work contains very few mechanical errors.

"C" range work is:

Acceptable achievement; meets minimum standards for course. Retains over-all focus; generally solid command of subject matter. Subject matter well explored but may show signs of under-development. Significance is understood; competent use of examples. Structure is solid, but an occasional sentence or paragraph may lack focus. Quotations and citations are integrated into argument and references are provided. Transitions between paragraphs occur but may lack originality. Competent use of language; sentences are solid but may lack development, refinement, style. Occasional minor mechanical errors may occur, but do not impede clear understanding of material. The work contains few serious grammatical or spelling errors.

"D" range work is:

Marginal in achievement; it fails to not meet minimum standards. Significance of content is unclear. Some ideas may lack support, elaboration. Lacks sufficient examples or relevance of examples may be unclear. Support material may not be clearly incorporated into argument. Expression is occasionally awkward (problematic sentence structure). Mechanical errors may at times impede clear understanding of material. May have a few serious mechanical errors. “F" range work:

Ignores assignment. Lacks significance. Lacks coherence. Lacks focus. Difficult to follow due to awkward sentence or paragraph development. Mechanical errors impede understanding. Problems with writing at the college level. Any work that is plagiarized. Personal Responsibility

Hst 40 is a transferable course within both the CSU and UC college systems. This course is a university- level survey of Latin American history. If students are not prepared to engage the course at this level they should consider dropping the course.

Students are not allowed to record lectures, films, multimedia presentations, or class discussions on any portable electronic devices unless it is required according to the guidelines established by the Office for Students with Disabilities and only with the advance written consent of the Instructor. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY.

Course Requirements

NOTE: If you are no longer participating in the class it is your responsibility to drop or withdraw yourself from the course. It is not the instructor’s responsibility to drop students who are no longer participating in the class.

Homework and late assignments: students must keep pace with the reading schedule

Extra Credit Assignments: There is no extra credit

Students with documented disabilities: Students must report your requests for reasonable accommodations to the instructor on the first day of class. Any student with a documented disability will be accommodated.

DSP&S is located in the Student Services Building (9B), lower level closest to the west entrance. You may contact us at (909) 274-4290 (Voice) or 909-895-6634 (Video Phone for American Sign Language users).

Weekly Outline/Reading Schedule: The title of each week’s discussion matches that of each respective chapter in the Gonzales text. Students are to read 1 chapter per week, sometimes one chapter for two weeks, in addition to Cisneros (which you may read at your own pace). Students are also to view the any and all video episodes listed that I may attach to the Blackboard course Learning Blocks. Additional readings may also be attached to the respective Learning Blocks. The readings and viewing schedule may change slightly as we move through the semester (some films may be viewed in class)

Week 1 (2/24) Spanish and Native Americans, Prehistory-1521 READ: Gonzales, chapter 1 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 2 (3/2) The Spanish Frontier, 1521-1821 READ: Gonzales, chapter 2 View: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/ Week 3 (3/9) *****EXAM #1*****

Week 4 (3/16) The Mexican Far North, 1821-1848 READ: Gonzales, chapter 3 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 5 (3/23) The American Southwest, 1848-1900 READ: Gonzales, chapter 4 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 6 (3/30) *****EXAM 2*****

Week 7 (4/6) The Depression, 1930-1940 READ: Gonzales, chapter 6 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 8 (4/13) The Great Migration, 1900-1930 READ: Gonzales, chapter 5 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 9 (4/20) *****Exam 3*****

Week 10 (4/27) The Second World War and its Aftermath READ: Gonzales, chapter 7 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 11 (5/4) The Chicano Movement READ: Gonzales, chapter 8 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 12 (5/11) *****Exam 4*****

Week 13 (5/18) Goodbye to Atzlan – part 1 READ: Gonzales, chapter 9, VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 14 (5/25) Goodbye to Atzlan – part 2 & The Hispanic Challenge – part 1 READ: Gonzales, chapters 9 &10 VIEW: see http://saddleback.edu/faculty/tmenzing/

Week 15 (6/1) The Hispanic Challenge – part 2 Read: Gonzales, chapter 10, View: Morristown: In the Air and Sun (in class)

Week 16 (6/8) Final Exam - Wednesday, 6/8, 7:30-10:00 PM *****Final Exam ***** ESSAY DUE (Turnitin.com – Due 6/8)