Discuss why research projects should focus on a Mexican American Studies topic that deals with “Healing, Resilience, or Resistance” and use a historical and critical lens.
SAMPLE PROPOSAL:
Below is a SAMPLE PROPOSAL for another college class I once taught: Senior Seminar in History-Race & Ethnicity in Texas History. While it is for a different class, I have provided it here, so you have a clear idea of what categories to include in your proposal and the writing quality I am expecting.
Research Topic: (Your topic can be a short title (no subtitle needed yet) in your proposal, such as Chicana Farmwork Activists)
Jeff Hamilton: Studying Texas Heroes through a Counternarrative Lens
Research Question: (You should start with a “How” or “Why” question because they require doing some research. A “When” or “Who” question is generally not a good question because it can usually be answered quickly and without much research.)
How do the experiences of Sam Houston’s enslaved people, such as Jeff Hamilton, change or add to what Texas history textbooks currently tell us about Houston?
Why I Chose this Topic: (Include 1-2 introductory sentences. In the body, briefly describe the person/group/event/idea/etc. you’ll be doing your project on. Then, tell me what you hope to find or learn through this project. End with 1-2 concluding sentences.)
(Introductory sentences) Texas history books and teachers still glorify Euro American perspectives and people. What if we re-studied the master narratives told about Texas heroes like Sam Houston through the lens of people of color?
(Body-Brief description) I propose to examine the relationship of Sam Houston, storied Texas leader, and Jeff Hamilton, his enslaved person. Houston was president of the Republic of Texas twice, Governor of the state of Texas, and Major General during the Texas Revolution. Jeff Hamilton was one of many of Houston’s enslaved people. Jeff Hamilton’s name is not as widely known, but it should be because he was allegedly close to Houston.
(Body-Hope to find) I would like to understand how Hamilton interpreted his time period and his enslaver’s stance on slavery. For example, Houston received lots of animosity from his fellow Texans for sometimes opposing slavery’s expansion, such as his opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. It is possible that his bond with Mr. Hamilton made Gen. Houston less eager to defend slavery than his fellow white slaveowners.
(Concluding sentence) Overall, I want to understand what happens when we include more voices and perspectives in the master narratives we, as a society, tell.
Annotated Bibliography: (You need at least 2 sources. Please read the instructions below.)
Hamilton, Jeff. My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times. Austin, TX: State House Press, 1992.
This is an autobiography of Jeff Hamilton, one of Sam Houston’s slaves (enslaved people). This source is useful for my paper because it reveals how Hamilton viewed his slaveowner and what type of relationship they had.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY INSTRUCTIONS
Please list and briefly describe at least 2 sources. Both should be sources written within the last 30 years or so (1990 or after).
Encyclopedic sources can be a good way to begin your research, but they should not appear in your annotated bibliography.
Scholarly (written by a professor) books, scholarly journal articles, reputable newspaper or magazine articles, and credible websites are all acceptable sources.
To see how to create your bibliography, go to Chicago Citation quick guide: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html Scroll down to “Bibliographic entries (in alphabetical order).” Once you find your two sources for your research paper, list them according to the example above (Hamilton, Jeff)or on the above chicagomanualofstyle website.
Below each source please write your annotation (two sentences). Please look at the Hamilton, Jeff example above for how to write an annotation:
a concise summary of the source (~1 sentence).
an explanation of why this source is valuable to your research project (~1 sentence).
Possible topics listed in the files to chose from .
Last Completed Projects
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