Course Outline for History 22
Mexican American History and Culture

Effective: Fall 2018
SLO Rev: 04/03/2017
Catalog Description:

HIS 22 - Mexican American History and Culture

3.00 Units

A survey of Mexican American history from pre-Columbian period through the present. Special emphasis on Mexican Americans’ role in the political, economic, social and geographic development in the United States. Major topics include European colonization, native cultures and slavery, the U.S. – Mexican War, World War I and World War II, industrialization, immigration and labor, and the Civil Rights Movement. This course includes analysis of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Rulings, and California state and local government issues related to the rights of Mexican Americans. May not receive credit if ES 22 has been completed.
Letter Grade Only
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. discuss the diverse pre-Columbian indigenous peoples and their cultures that developed in Mesoamerica and influenced Native cultures within the present borders of the United States;
  2. identify the major periods in Mexican American history including the pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and American;
  3. discuss and explain the impact of La Conquista on the economic, social, and political development of the 15th century;
  4. trace the formation of the U.S. Constitution and political processes including the political philosophies of framers; rights and obligations of citizens; majority versus minority rights; separation of powers; comparison with Spanish law; implication for the U.S. and Southwest, including indigenous people;
  5. identify the impact of religious conquest on the Americas;
  6. assess U.S. Constitution and Mexican independence including implications for the Southwest;
  7. explain the geographical, political, and economic impact of Manifest Destiny on the Southwest region;
  8. explain the fusion of Mexican and Anglo-American cultural patterns which contributed to the cultural development of the United States to present;
  9. identify the contributions of Mexican American women to the economic development of the United States;
  10. explain the impact of Manifest Destiny and the California Constitution on Mexican Americans;
  11. identify geographical and boundary changes after the U.S. War with Mexico;
  12. assess U.S. Constitution as it pertained to Mexican Americans after 1848;
  13. discuss the economic transformation of the Southwest due to federal water development projects;
  14. discuss the political and economic impact of early 20th century such as WWI, the interwar period, and WWII on the political and economic advancement of Mexican Americans;
  15. evaluate the California State Constitution and state legislation which have had a significant impact on Mexican Americans and other ethnic groups;
  16. compare the United States Constitution in the 20th century regarding the Civil Rights of Mexican Americans and other minority groups;
  17. discuss California legislation that has curtailed rights of immigrant groups;
  18. compare the impact of civil rights Supreme Court decisions in the 20th century on Mexican Americans and other marginalized groups;
  19. trace the development of Mexican American led labor movements in the Southwest during the twentieth century;
  20. explain the impact of the Mexican Revolution and other social revolutionary movements on Mexican immigration and labor;
  21. describe the impact of nativism and discrimination upon various ethnic and racial groups;
  22. discuss Mexican American political participation in California state and local government;
  23. assess tension between federal government, state government, and local governments as it pertains to Mexican immigration in the United States.
Course Content:
  1. Study of Mesoamerican Indian Civilizations and their complex social Development
  2. The Spanish Conquest (La Conquista) of the Americas and its impact on both Native and European Cultures
  3. Introduction of Spanish colonial culture and political system in the Americas
  4. The rise of the Mestizo people in Mexico
  5. The founding of the Missions, Presidios, and Pueblos in the Southwest
  6. Mexican Independence, Nationalism, and its political and economic impact on Texas, California and New Mexico
  7. The Texas Revolt and loss of Mexican territory
  8. Impact of the U.S.–Mexican War on geographic expansion, slavery, and statehood for newly acquired territories
  9. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 and its impact on the development of California’s political and capitalistic economy based on American model
  10. The California Gold Rush, the Foreign Miners’ Tax and the California Land Act of 1851
  11. Study of the Doctrine of Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, and the racial, economic, and religious implications
  12. California Statehood, the Constitution and its impact on Mexicans, and other ethnic groups
  13. Mexican Americans participation in the development of the first California Constitution
  14. The Civil War and Mexicans
  15. Reconstruction and the American Southwest
  16. Impact of the Salughterhouse Cases (1873) on Mexican Americans
  17. Rise of capitalism to replace California Spanish pastoral economy and its impact on Mexican citizens
  18. Immigration and labor movements from 1850 to 1920s. The First Bracero Program.
  19. The 1929 Depression and its negative impact on Mexican Americans. The Repatriation of American citizens
  20. World War II and the Bracero Program
  21. World War II, the G. I. Bill and economic/poltical advancement
  22. Nativism, Patriotism and the Sleepy Lagoon/Zoot Suit Riots (Sailor Riots) of the 1940s
  23. Vietnam and the social order, and the anti-war movement
  24. Cesar Chavez and the Farm Labor Movement
  25. Study of Mendez vs. Westminster and other landmark cases regarding civil rights and school desegregation in the 20th century
  26. The G. I. Forum and League of United Latin Americans quest for assimilation
  27. Operation Wetback and the undocumented in the 1950s
  28. Mexican Americans, Democracy and the Viva Kennedy Clubs
  29. Evaluation of the constitution and its impact on the rights of Mexican Americans and other minorities in the political area with emphasis on the rise of ethnic politics and voting rights in California and Texas
  30. The Chicano Power Movement and its legacy
  31. Era of conservatism, backlash against immigrants, and California Propositions to eliminate health and education benefits to undocumented.  Pressure to end Affirmative Action.
  32. Issues of Mexicanization of U.S. Culture.  General view of population trends, culture, language, and immigration in the 20th century.
  33. Operation Gatekeeper: The Border and its political and geographic policy implications for Mexican Americans.

 

Methods of Instruction:
  1. Films with discussion
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Presentation
  4. Study questions
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Write a 10-page paper on a topic such as Westward Expansion and its social, political, and economic impact on Native Americans and Mexicans in the 1800s.
  2. Research with your group on civil rights issues such as segregation and affirmative action legislation affecting Mexican Americans and other minority groups.
  3. Take a field trip to two Spanish Missions and prepare to discuss issues of Spanish and Indian colonial relations.
  4. Trace the territorial expansion of the U.S. on a map.
  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Quizzes
  3. Research Projects
  4. Papers
  5. Projects
  6. Final Examination
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Synthesize factual information and historical evidence from a variety of sources and identify the connections between them.
  2. Students will demonstrate a body of knowledge about and critical understanding of eras, their key events and ideas, and the process of change over time.
  3. Analyze the causes and consequences of political, economic, and social change.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Hamalainen, P. (2015). Major Problems in the History of North American Borderlands Cenage.
  2. Acuna, R. (2014). Occupied America. A History of Chicanos (8th). Pearson.
  3. Vigil, J. (2011). From Indians to Chicanos (3rd). Waveland Press.
  4. Faragher, J. M. (2015). Out of Many (8th). Pearson.
  5. Takaki, R. (2008). A Different Mirror: History of Multicultural America (Revised). Basic Bay.
  6. Camarillo, Albert. (1990). Chicanos in California: A History of Mexican Americans in California Materials for Today's Learning, Inc..
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
A survey of Mexican American history from pre-Columbian period through the present. Special emphasis on Mexican Americans’ role in the political, economic, social and geographic development in the United States. Major topics include European colonization, native cultures and slavery, the U.S. – Mexican War, World War I and World War II, industrialization, immigration and labor, and the Civil Rights Movement. This course includes analysis of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Rulings, and California state and local government issues related to the rights of Mexican Americans. May not receive credit if ES 22 has been completed.