The Fringe is the Fabric: Anti-Immigrant Movements in the United States

This course traces nativist anti-immigrant movements and violence in the United States. Starting in the colonial period and ending with contemporary issues, the course demonstrates how anti-immigrant movements occur across place and time and serve to police the boundaries of U.S. citizenship. The course relies on fiction, documentary films and other historical texts to highlight continuing violent conflicts. We focus on the use of "vigilante" violence and put contemporary discussions of immigration in a new frame. Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores.