One of the overriding themes of the second half of my class is the question of whether American society should adopt an open or a closed approach to the issue of immigration. In some cases, the readings/films suggested that an openness to immigration has had real benefits to society, particularly regarding American culture. However, some critics might argue that a closed approach to immigration has been of far greater benefit to the security and welfare of the nation. For this essay, imagine you are Mayra, the young girl interviewed in the film ″Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary.″ Write the essay as if you′re writing an email (or emails) to one of your teachers at the school, do one of the following: explain why you now understand that it was indeed better to take a strong position against immigration since the mid-20th century to the present. Or explain why you believe it was better to take a more open approach to immigration since the mid-20th century to the present. Or perhaps argue a bit of both positions! In your conclusion, tell your teacher what you’ve been doing since the film ended and what you believe are the biggest obstacles facing young people in America in 2023.
(Reft, California Racial Covenants OR Podcast ″How Chinese Americans Family Challenged School Segregation″ (American Bar Association, 2017)
(15 Key Benefits and Advantages of Foreign Women OR Ramirez ″The History of Fetishizing Asian Women″ OR Love, ″Fear of Yoga in American Culture″)
[Please note that pretending to be someone from the film as part of the creative requirement of the essay does not count as a film source; you need to analyze the film in detail in its own paragraph if you want it to count. You also don’t need to use your fictional identity as a source-you can always use another film!]