Bell's Bulletin Board

HISTORY 101AA (Spring 2013)

MW 12:10-1:25 - updated February 24, 2012

In Class Quiz #1 - Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Please bring a scantron and #2 pencil. Chapters 18, 19, and 21will be covered, in addition to class notes. I strongly suggest you use the chapter review questions to study. In addition, make sure you know the definitions of the Key Terms and how to use them. The test will be multiple-choice and true or false. Any questions please see me.

Individual writing assignment (130 pts.)

"An outraged and quivering world."  - Winston Churchill

He was speaking of Europe at the end of WWII.  Approximately 55 million were dead, including the systematic extermination of 12 million people; six million of them Jews. (Judt 14)  Millions were homeless, refugees fleeing from advancing armies.  European recovery would be painful, but with the importation of workers from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, and the Maghreb region (Northwest Africa) the process of recovery was amazing.

Countries like England, France and the Netherlands were forced to give up their colonial empires.  Indians and Pakistanis found their way to the industrial cities of England, while Algerians found their way to France, and Indonesians began arriving in the Netherlands.  The German population was so decimated by the war, the country imported workers from Turkey.  Decades later, these migrations has transformed nations and has profoundly affected the political, social and economic fabric of Europe.  The rise of right-wing parties in Greece, Germany and numerous other nations, the rise of xenophobia, and the belief that Western European culture is threatened, or even worse, disappearing are troubling.

Format:
1. Type and double-space your paper.  1" margins and 12 point font please.
2. G# in upper right hand corner.  NO NAME.  I will deduct 10 pts. right off the top if you put your name on it.
3. Works Cited Page at the end with a list of the resources you used.  If you do not include a works cited page I will deduct 25 pts. right off the top of the paper.  Use the Skyline College library website on how to format your resources.
4. Minimum of five full pages, maximum of seven.

Any questions please ask me.

Choose one of the following topics.  I have posed some questions to include in your paper.

Question 1 - General overview of immigration
1. What were the dominant immigration patterns in post-WWII Europe?
2. What are the European Union's policies regarding immigration?
3. Define xenophobia.  What is meant by the "politics of xenophobia?"  Give three examples OR
4. In what ways are Muslim migrants treated differently by European host societies?

Question 2 - Germany
Germany is rather unique.  In addition to non-German migration, specifically the Turks, West Germany has had to absorb East Germans after the fall of communism in 1991.  
1. What are the current immigration laws in Germany?  Give a cursory overview.
2. How successful has assimilation of immigrants and East Germans been in Germany?  Do they enjoy the benefits of German citizens?
3. What has been the backlash against immigrants? OR
4. Has multiculturalism succeeded or failed in Germany?  Give examples.

Question 3 - France
France has the largest Muslim population in Europe. 
1. What are the current immigration laws in France?  Give a cursory overview.
2. What is the French attitude towards its colonial citizens?
3. How successful have Algerians assimilated into French society? OR
4. How successful have Vietnamese assimilated into French society?  Give examples.

Question 4 - England
The "color" of England has changed dramatically over the past fifty years. 
1. What are the current immigration laws in England?  Give a cursory overview.
2. Limit your discussion to either Indian or Pakistani immigration.  How have these groups been assimilated into British society?
3. What role does religion play in how immigrants are viewed in English society? OR
4. How difficult or easy has it been for immigrants to move up the economic/social ladder in Britain?  Give examples.

Question 5 - Netherlands
The Dutch pride themselves on their progressive attitudes regarding social issues.  That included immigration.  Now, they sing a different tune.
1. What are the current immigration laws in the Netherlands?  Give a cursory overview.
2. Why has there been a national backlash against immigrants particularly from Muslim countries?
3. How successful has assimilation been of immigrants in the Netherlands? OR
4. Discuss how the death of Theo Van Gogh mobilized anti-immigrant sentiment in the Netherlands.

Question 6 - Italy
The Italian government is on the brink of collapse mainly because of economic mismanagement.  Italy is also a major destination of illegal immigration from North Africa.
1. What are the current immigration laws in Italy?  Give a cursory overview.
2. Libya had been an Italian colony; today, thousands of Libyans are fleeing to Italy to escape the chaos of the post-Ghadaffi era.  Discuss the current situation.
3. Should immigrants from former colonial possessions be given special treatment?  OR
4. What has been the national backlash against these illegal immigrants?