University Studies 212C American Studies

Required Reading:

1) Packet of Select Readings, available from Smart Copy, 1915 SW 5th Street
and
2) One of the following six "autobiographies" (to be assigned):

Week	Date	Course Topics	Readings	Additional Resources
1	Sep 24	Introduction to the Term Explanation of Syllabus	Syllabus Schedule # 1, 2, 3, & 4	PBS NPR The Oregonian The New York Times Whadda Ya Think?
1	Sep 26	American Exceptionalism Historical Overview	# 5, 6, 7, & 8	American Exceptionalism Historical Overview
2	Oct 1	Working Concepts Frames of Reference	# 9, 10, & 11	Street Calculus Cartoon Your Own Status Calculus Status Set Worksheet
2	Oct 3	Seeing the World(s) Drawing the Line(s)	# 12, 13, & 14	Brief Multiple Reality Quiz Drawing the Line Exercise Questioning "Eruvs"
3	Oct 8	Ethnicity, Race, Religion, Nationality, Gender Dilemmas: Myth or Reality	# 15, 16, 17, 18, & 19	Family Tree "America Me" Essay Clues of Category
3	Oct 10	Assimilation Historical/Contemporary	# 20, 21, 22, & 23	Understanding American Exceptionalism Ellis Island Website
4	Oct 15	Anglo Primacy: The Melting Pot (the old immigration and platitudes)	# 20, 21, 22, & 23	Myth of the Melting Pot
4	Oct 17	Outliers: Indigenous People (Leave Us Alone)	# 24 & 25	Wounded Knee Massacre
5	Oct 22	What is a Nation? What is a People?	# 26, 27, & 28	Nationality & Peoplehood: Things to Think About Pluralism & Unity
5	Oct 24	Outliers: Black Exceptionalism (We Shaped the Culture But Can’t Get In)	# 29, 30, & 31	Synopsis of Black History Black Culture Quiz Answers-Black Culture Quiz
6	Oct 29	Asian Americans (Not Always Quiet Absorption)	# 32	Japanese American Internment .Ordeal at Wausau
6	Oct 31	Hispanic Americans (Changing the Rules)	# 33 & 34	Practice Questions Time Immigration Poll
7	Nov 5	Review and Reflections, Discussion...		Central Message of the Readings Exercise
7	Nov 7	Muslim/Arab Americans (Fundamental/ist Challenge)	# 35	Exam - Part I A Test of Faiths Answers to Test of Faiths
8	Nov 12	The Anomaly of Sex/Gender	# 36 & 37	Lives Together, Worlds Apart.
8	Nov 14	Contemporary Strains: New "isms" and Identity Politics	#38 & 39	.Where We Are Now
9	Nov 19	Post-Culturalism Possible? Summing Up	# 40, 41, & 42	About the Portfolio Exam - Part II
9	Nov 21	~ Thanksgiving Holiday Break ~
10	Nov 26	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
10	Nov 28	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
11	Dec 5	Completed Portfolio and All Assignments Due - Cramer 217T

The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese-American by Ben Fong-Torres	Between Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America After 9/11, by Geneive Abdo
Standing Tall: The Lifeway of Kathryn Jones Harrison, by Kristine Olson	Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail, by Ruben Martinez
Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America, by Nathan McCall	Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska