This seminar is an introduction to some dimension of the history of a nation, region, people, culture, institution, or historical phenomenon selected by the respective instructor. Students will come to understand, and develop an appreciation for: the origins and evolution of the people, cultures, and/or political, economic, and/or social institutions of a particular region(s) of the world. They may explore how human encounters shaped individual and collective identities and the political, economic, and social orders of the region/nation/communities under study. Instructors prioritize critical reading, engaged participation, and focused writing assignments.

This seminar introduces students to major themes in the history of American immigration law and policy based on the intensive reading of classic and recent studies in the field. Much of the latest scholarship on American immigration law and policy focuses on the mid- and late twentieth century, but this course covers a broader chronology starting in the colonial period. Themes to be explored in this course include forms of migration regulation in early America; state-level immigration control in the antebellum period; the relationship between immigration and citizenship laws; Chinese exclusion; immigration law enforcement at points of entry; the development of U.S. policies for immigration restriction, border patrol, deportation, refugees, and detention; and the evolution of the concept and category of unauthorized immigration. In addition to expanding students’ knowledge about these subjects, the course is designed to prepare students to undertake their own research projects. For this reason, class discussion pays particular attention to different methodologies and kinds of sources used in historical scholarship on immigration law and policy. No advanced knowledge of U.S. history is required, but students taking this seminar must be ready to read a full monograph each week. Please see our faculty bios at https://history.berkeley.edu/people/faculty.

This seminar will open for enrollment on Tuesday, July 19.

Repeat Rules

Requirements class fulfills