ou are asked to answer the 3 questions below in no more than 6 pages total. Your answer
should be typed, double-spaced pages for the three questions. The general presentation of your
paper should include the following:
your name; page numbers; correct spelling and grammar; proper citations and quotations using
MLA format; standard page formatting (i.e., one-inch margins all around, double spacing, 12
point font). If you decide to use tables, pictures, graphics, and/or charts to reinforce your
argument, keep in mind that the space they occupy won’t be included in the total page count.
The essay is worth 20pts (see below on grading criteria). Your paper is due on Friday, March
10th at 11:59 pm. All exams should be submitted electronically at the course web site on
Canvas. Label your file listing your last name first, followed by ‘GEOG 018 Midterm Sp 2023
(i.e., Smith GEOG 018 Midterm Sp 2023). Upload your file onto the “Assignments” folder.
Please use two outside scholarly sources for two of the questions to support your argument(s).
You may also draw on class lectures/discussions, assigned readings and video to support your
argument(s).
Note: be critical and analytical. Do Not simply state factual information.
Question 1 (10pts). Race & Ethnicity
Explain the differences between race and ethnicity and their application to different groups in
California. What does it mean to say that race is a “social construction”? Next, explain the
distinction between prejudice and discrimination (especially in its systemic, institutionalized
form). Provide and explain one specific example of how race has been made real in the lives of
all people in Californian communities, whether or not they agree or accept these definitions or
their implications. Why is it important to understand these distinctions when attempting to
analyze a complex, racialized society like the United States? Please use specific examples from
the videos, lectures, and/or reading resources in your answer.
Question 2 (10 pts): The Continuing Legacy of Past Housing Discrimination
We have talked much about past housing discrimination and its legacy that continues affecting
California and American communities. Explain the connection between being able to buy a
house (and/or land) and such factors as education, occupational distribution, and overall
socioeconomic status across generations. Drawing upon lectures, readings, please provide and
reflect on specific examples of past practices California’s and the U.S. government and others
have employed that helped create so many of the inequalities we continue to see between
racial/ethnic groups in California’s communities today.
Question 3 (5pts)
Describe some of the ways that migration has shaped the growth of California’s cities, how
cities have grown and changed and how humans get around within cities? And how does
globalization render the migration process more transnational in nature? Provide examples
(5pts).
