Sociology/Latin American and Latino Studies 253

Immigration   to   the   U.S.   since   the   1970s   has   been   characterized   by   a  marked   and   unprecedented   increase   in   the   diversity   of   new   immigrants. Unlike the   great   migrations   from  Europe  in  the  late  1800s  and  early  1900s, most  of  the immigrants  who  have  arrived  in   the   U.S.   in   the   last   four   decades   have   come from   Latin   America,   Asia,   and   the   Caribbean.  New   immigration   patterns   have had   an impact   on   the   racial   and   ethnic   composition   and   stratification   of   the American   population,   as   well   as   the   meaning   of   American   identity   itself. Immigrants   and   their   families   are   also   being   transformed   in   the   process,   as they   come   into   contact   with   various   institutional   contexts   that   can   facilitate, block,   and   challenge   the   process   of   incorporation   into   the   U.S.

This   course   examines   the   impact   of   contemporary  immigration   patterns   by focusing  on the child and youth population   in   the   U.S.  living in immigrant families. Since   1990,   children   of   immigrants (those   born   in   the   U.S.   as   well   as   those who   are   immigrants   themselves) have   doubled   and   have   come   to   represent   a quarter   of   the   population   of   minors   in   the   U.S.   Today, there are over 20 million children in the U.S. with at least one immigrant parent, with 60% of Hispanic youth and 80% of Asian youth residing in immigrant households.

In   this   course  we examine how  children  of  immigrants  are  reshaping  America,  and  how  America  is  reshaping  them,  by   examining  key  topics  such  as  the  impact  of  immigration  on  family  structures,  gender  roles,   language   maintenance,   academic   achievement,   and   identity,   as   well   as   the   impact   that   immigration   reforms   have   had   on   access   to   higher   education,   access to health care and social services,   and   political   participation.   This   course   will   provide   an   overview   of   the   experiences   of   a   population   that   is   now   a   significant   proportion   of   the   U.S.   population,   yet   one   that   is   filled   with contradictions,  tensions  and  fissures  and  defies  simple generalizations.

Professor: Eréndira Rueda