Online Course Begins – Golden Doors & Border Walls: An Overview of Immigration to the United States

Course Information

Title: Golden Doors & Border Walls: An Overview of Immigration to the United States

Course Description:

We often refer to ourselves as a “nation of immigrants,” yet the question of who should come to America and who is capable of becoming an “American” has often clouded that more hopeful characterization of our nation.

This six-session course will examine the history of immigration and migration to what is now the United States from the time of the first peoples to the present. Students will examine the shifting patterns of global immigration and migration to North America, and particularly Northeast Ohio, over time and examine, in detail, the historical issues and events that created those patterns. Central to this examination will be a focus on the evolution of laws and policies, both within and outside of the U.S., that sought to regulate or stop the flow of immigrants and which also challenged the right of those already in the U.S. to become citizens.

Xenophobia, the fear of the stranger, has been ever present in this history. How and why it occurred at different times is central to understanding American immigration history. Equally present over time was the conception of the United States as a “refuge” – a place welcoming all who sought safety, liberty, and opportunity. One session of the course will be fully devoted to the way we have come to remember and to celebrate this aspect of the national experience. The core purpose of this course is to challenge the participant to consider whether this concept reflects reality – either then or now.

Note: Readings for this course are suggested but not required. This course will not involve any written assignments.

Schedule: Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, and 30; Aug. 6 and 13

Time: 12:00-1:30pm (a brief break will be included)

Instructor: John Grabowski, PhD, WRHS Senior Vice President of Research & Publications and Krieger Mueller Historian

Pricing:

Course Registration | $75

WRHS Member Registration | $65

How to Register:

To register, please see below. This course will be held through the Zoom platform. When you register, we will email you a link that will allow you to join the course, as well as all necessary login information and instructions.