4 Short essay and questions assignment

Sergio A. Gallegos

This assignment was developed by: Sergio A. Gallegos an Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 

This assignment has two components, each worth 50% of the grade.

The first component:

  • Watch the one-hour documentary film, A Class Apart. The documentary illustrates the general experience of discrimination faced by Mexican Americans during the 1950s and emphasizes the significance of the landmark Supreme Court legal case Hernandez v. Texas (1951).
  •  Write a short essay (1-2 pages long). The essay should be written in a document using MLA format (Times Roman 12 font, one-inch margin on all sides, double-spaced). If you are unfamiliar with MLA format, some examples are available here:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.htm

Prompt:

  • Edward James Olmos, the narrator of the documentary, along with several witnesses, describes life in the 1950s for Mexican-Americans.
  • While viewing the documentary, collect citations that demonstrate the overall experience of Mexican Americans in the 1950s. Then, using these citations, provide a brief explanation as to why Mexican Americans did not fit neatly into the traditional racial categorization that was prevalent in the United States during the 19th and much of the 20th century.

The second component:

  • Post on Blackboard a brief response to these questions.
    • Where do you think you fit in the current US racial categorization used by the US Census Bureau, which distinguishes five races (American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American and White)?
    • Is it correct to treat the category Latino or Hispanic as an ethnicity rather than a race? Why or why not?

 

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Social Justice Landmark Cases: Faculty Instructional Resources Copyright © by Sergio A. Gallegos. All Rights Reserved.

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