Internet Activities

  1. How well do you think you understand modern immigration issues? Take the Immigration Quiz at http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/immigration-quiz-2. Which questions/answers surprised you the most and why? Identify at least two online sources that provide answers to the questions that this quiz raised for you. How does what you learned relate to ideas in this chapter?
  2. Investigate the debate over English Only legislation that’s happening in your community or state, or in the United States. Find two organizations working on different sides of this issue. Summarize their arguments and then evaluate their evidence. For example, what are the sources of their information? What issues do they overlook? Which arguments hold the most weight for you and why? What can you find out about similar debates in other countries such as France and Germany?
  3. Investigate recent deaths of people attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. What are the most frequent causes of crossing deaths? What role do border smugglers, or “coyotes,” play in illegal immigration? What are the official (i.e., government) and unofficial responses to these deaths in Mexico and the United States? Find two organizations working to help people cross the border safely or to stop people from crossing the border. Identify each organization’s mission, rationale, and evidence in relation to chapter concepts.
  4. Watch this short video, How the Census Defines Race at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=55ZCzRGV6jY. What do you make of the debate about whether Mexicans should be listed as a separate racial category? How does that relate to ideas of power and privilege?