Open Course Fall 2013

Mondays/Wednesdays Period 6 4:15pm - 5:30pm Instructor: Professor Suzanne Oboler

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS IN THE AMERICAS

LLS 341 section 01 CODE - 4585

Fulfills Requirement for: GEN ED college option: Justice in Global Perspective (300-level) Major in Humanities and Justice Minor in Latin American and Latina/o Studies Electives

This course will focus on the relationship between human rights and citizenship rights through examining the issues of immigration in the US today. As Arizona's recent "papers please" laws spread across the country, it is becoming clear that issues of immigration do not only affect "undocumented immigrants." They also have consequences for all US citizens and residents, who may soon have to prove their belonging in various other states that are considering similar laws in other parts of the country. This course explores the following questions: What does it mean to belong? To what extent can one belong to a society in which one was not born? To what extent can one feel belonging in spite of the reactions or perceptions of others? To what extent is a persons legal status (whether as a citizen, as an immigrant, as a refugee, undocumented worker, etc.) in the receiving society as significant in determining people's experiences as their gender, generation, racial, ethnic and/or social backgrounds? Ultimately, who has the right to have rights in the United States today? Focusing on peoples sense of belonging as a lived experience, our discussions will address the roles of race, gender, language, class, generation and national origin, in determining the nature of belonging and citizens and immigrants access to rights today.

If you experience any difficulty registering, please call the Department of Latin American and Latina/o Studies at 212-237-8749 or visit the department in room 8.63.00