Essay Assignment

First, be sure to use the text as a guide in answering your question. While I welcome opinions, you will need to substantiate any of your arguments with citations. Also, cite all pertinent information from the text or from any other sources you might use, as I will be assessing your critical reading skills. This does not mean copying and pasting from a website or placing a long quote from the text into your paper.

Second, (this should be obvious, but it still happens) be sure to check for spelling and grammar before turning in your assignment. Also, be sure that some of the informal writing that happens in think-pieces and emails doesn't get translated into sloppy work for assignments.

Third, I will be assessing the papers on effort, thoughtfulness, and content. While seemingly subjective terms, these elements are the types of elements you know when you see them (don't expect to just get by).

Finally, here is some information on the assignments directly from the syllabus:

The three assignments are designed to help you to think critically about specific questions dealing with Ethnic Studies. You will pick and answer 1 out of 2 questions, which are listed below. Assignments are to be a minimum 1000 words. All assignments must be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins, and an acceptable 12-point font such as "Times New Roman."

Statement on plagiarism and cheating: "I will not tolerate cheating of any kind. Cheating and plagiarism will result in automatic failure in the course. In your answers, you must cite each reference and direct quotes. If you are not sure how to cite a source, please contact me."
Good luck and please contact me if you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc.

Please answer ONE of the following questions:

1. If you are a white person, adopt the perspective of a person of color, and if you are a person of color, adopt the perspective of a white person, and write an essay in which you discuss the fears and concerns that you believe such a person would bring to a discussion on race and privilege. Write your essay in the first person singular.

2. Erika Lee argues that new Asian immigrants were seen as a threat to the United States because of their race and their labor. How did nativists perceive Asians and why were they seen as racially threatening? How do these ideas behind this threat persist today, according to Angelo Ancheta's essay "Neither Black nor White and how does this sense of threat get translated into discrimination?