Writing assignments are designed to prompt you to synthesize your knowledge of the information gained through your engagement with the course readings and lectures. 

Requirements:  Students will write a 3-4-page paper, with an introduction, body, and conclusion.  Within the body of the paper, students should answer the questions below.  Papers should be double-spaced, 11 or 12-point font.  Please conduct a spelling and grammar check before turning in your work.

Reading materials needed for the assignment: 

(1) Beginnings: Durability of Ethnic Boundaries in the Pre-1969 Era, by Dina Okamoto, (26-52).

(2) The Emergence of Organization Pan-ethnicity, by Dina Okamoto, (53-84).

(3) Black on Black History, by Candis Watt Smith, (19-44).

(4) Diasporic Consciousness: Theorizing Black Pan-Ethnic Identity and Intra-racial Politics

by Candis Watt Smith, (45-68).

(5) From Bi-Racial to Tri-Racial: Towards a New System of Racial Stratification in the USA

by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, (931-950).

(6) Reinventing the Color Line: Immigration and America’s New Racial/Ethnic Divide

by Jennifer Lee and Frank Beak, (561-586). 

And

Lectures and Movies

Please note:  You must cite sources within your paper to demonstrate your knowledge of the materials.  Also, you do not have to use all of these sources, but you should use at least four out of the six sources.  You do not need a work cited page. 

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Background: We have learned from our selected readings for the past three weeks that immigration can broaden or expand perspectives of race and ethnicity.  From around 1880-1925, Southern, Central, and Eastern Europeans immigrants broadened the White racial category by becoming White.  Subsequently, more recent immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean similarly challenge what it means to be Black and White.  Consequently, due to the influx of non-white immigrants, several scholars have proposed that racial and ethnic categories have shifted and broaden due to this change in demographics.   In this paper, you will compare and contrast three theories:  pan-ethnicity, tri-racial divide, and the black/non-black divide.  You will also make a logical argument for which theory you believe is the most accurate.

Answer the following questions, make sure you use specific page numbers from the readings and proper citations (i.e. (Okamoto, 75))

1.)    Drawing from the articles by Dina Okamoto and Candis Watt Smith:

a.       What is pan-ethnicity? Why do Okamoto and Smith believe that the theory of pan-ethnicity is best theory to describe the experiences of Blacks and Asian Americans in the United States? Explain using specific examples.

2.)    Drawing from Bonilla-Silva’s article:

a.       What is the tri-racial divide? What evidence does he present to demonstrate his theory? Why does he think that his theory is the best theory to describe the contemporary race relations? 

3.)    Drawing from Lee and Bean’s article:

a.       What is the Black/ Non-Black divide? What statistical evidence did the authors use to prove their theory? How did their interviews with multiracial individuals confirm their theory? Why do they think their theory is the best theory to describe contemporary race relations? 

4.)    Compare and Contrast each theory:

a.       What are ways in which these theories are similar and different from each other?

b.       How do these theories challenge, broaden or maintain the White/Black divide?

5.)    Finally, based on the evidence, which theory most accurately depicts race relations in the United States?  Or, if you believe neither of these theories accurately portray race relations, propose a different theory that better describes contemporary race relations. 

Grading (50 points)

1.       Answered all Questions (15 points)

2.       Quality of Answers (10 points)

3.       Sufficient examples from Text (15 points)

4.       Organization and Quality of Writing- Introduction, Conclusion, Grammar, Sentence Structure (10 points)

Format for Responses

1.       Typed

2.       Double-spaced

3.       11/12-point Times New Roman font

4.       1” margins on all sides

5.       At the top of the sheet, single spaced, (at the left margin), please type the following:

a.       Title of Assignment

b.       Date:

c.       Your Full Name

d.       Name of Instructor