Task: You will need to make up a character as if they are real. So you have to write a narrative as if you interviewed an actual immigrant. But my teacher will think it is real. So try to answer these questions to make it seem as real as possible maybe try to add some facts from wherever you choose for them to be from.
A Historical Narrative of a Local Immigrant
You will be writing a narrative of an immigrant or refugee to the greater New Jersey – New York metropolitan region. This signature assignment will address the relationship between history on the local and small scale (i.e., the immigrant’s narrative) and global scales (i.e., the broader forces that contributed to his or her migration). This project is based on your interview(s) with an immigrant.
Here are the criteria/guidelines:
Must have come from another country at least five years ago;
Must have been at least 13 years old when moved;
Must be willing to have story told in assignment;
Must be willing and able to discuss personal topics with you and have them shared with me and the class;
Must speak the same language as you (does not need to be English)
Please do not pick somebody who does not meet the above criteria as this will make it very difficult to complete the assignment correctly.
Your signature assignment will be a ~4 page paper that deals with the following:
1. The immigrant’s pre-migration life. Where did she grow up (rural area, big city, etc); what did her parents do for a living; was there anything special about her background; what was her family situation before migration; what was her education and work experience before migration?
2. Migration itself. How did she decide to migrate? Did she know anybody else in the U.S.? Did she migrate by herself or with others? Did she migrate directly to the U.S. or did she first migrate to another country? Did she have a visa when she migrated? Did she first migrate to to New York/New Jersey or somewhere else? How did she decide to migrate to New York/New Jersey? How did she migrate (e.g., by plane)? Where did she stay upon arrival? Did she know English? What were her first impressions of the U.S.? Did she get a job? How? [Note: your immigrant may not feel comfortable discussing all of these, especially if they involved breaking the law. That is fine. It is your responsibility to tell her story in a way that respects her privacy and still presents her story in a ineligible manner.]
3. The post-migration process. How did she adjust to the U.S.? How did she learn English? How did she obtain a better job and place to live? Did she get married and have a family? How have her views of the U.S. change over time? Has she returned to her home country? Does she plan on staying in the U.S. permanently? Does she consider herself an American now? Does she regret her migration?
Note: the above are just some ideas. You will need to add and subtract subjects based on your immigrant’s individual story and her comfort with telling you (and your telling the class) aspects of her life. The paper is a narrative, that is it is written as a story about your immigrant’s life. It is written in the third person.
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