H-Net Discussion Networks - Re: 19th century American Citizenship

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From: "Julia Brookins" <brookins@uchicago.edu>
List Editor: Aaron Benyamin Retish <aretish@WAYNE.EDU>
Editor's Subject: Re: 19th century American Citizenship
Author's Subject: Re: 19th century American Citizenship
Date Written: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:50:09 -0400
Date Posted: Thu, 30 Sep 2009 12:50:09 -0400

Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009
Subject: Re: 19th century American Citizenship


I've found this question and the responses very helpful, so
thanks everyone.  Next spring, I'll be teaching a history
class on immigrants' perspectives on citizenship, and their
impact on mainstream ideas about national identification in
the U.S.  I'll include Smith, Kettner, Ngai, and Zolberg, but
mostly I'll have the (undergrad) students reading primary
sources like memoirs, interviews, letters, etc. written by
migrants and permanent settlers in the United States. We will
also look at the content of civic education for immigrants,
and how U.S. history is represented and used to reproduce
certain ideas and practices of nationalism.

Since I haven't actually done it yet, I don't know how it will
go, but I just thought I put this idea out there.

--Julia Brookins,
  University of Chicago

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