EN250G:
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course...
Coming to America: Literature of Immigration
This course will explore the history of immigration to the United States through the literature created by those immigrants. From the forced migration of slavery to the waves of Western European, Eastern European, Jewish, Asian, Caribbean, Latinx, and African immigrants who have sought economic opportunity and safety in the United States, immigration has shaped the character of the nation for hundreds of years.
Required texts:
Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa the African ISBN: 9780142437162
- Willa Cather, My Antonia; ISBN: 9781435172968
- Carlos Bulosan, America is in the Heart; ISBN: 9780143134039
- Edwidge Danticat, Breath, Eyes, Memory; ISBN: 9781616955021
- Uzodinma Iweala, Speak No Evil; ISBN: 97800612849
Learning Goals:
CALENDAR
| Week One: | Forced Migration |
| T 1/14: | Introduction to the Course |
| R 1/16: | Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Ch 1-4 |
Week Two: | |
| T 1/21: | Olaudah Equiano, Ch 5-8 Content quiz |
| R 1/23: | Olaudah Equiano, Ch 9-12 Short essay due—in class writing |
Week Three: | Open Borders of the Nineteenth Century |
| T 1/28: | Willa Cather, My Antonia, Introduction-end of Ch 15 |
| R 1/30: | Willa Cather, Ch I6-end of Book 2 Short essay due—in class writing |
Week Four: | |
| T 2/4: | Willa Cather, My Antonia, Book III-end Content Quiz |
| R 2/6: | Abraham Cahan, “A Ghetto Wedding” (Blackboard); Anzia Yezierzka, “The Fat of the Land” (Blackboard) Short Essay due—in class writing |
| Week Five: | The Era of Immigration Restriction |
| T 2/11: | Carlos Bulosan, America is in the Heart, Ch 1-8 |
| R 2/13: | Bulosan, Ch 9-16 Short essay due—in class writing |
| Week Six: | |
| T 2/18: | Bulosan, Ch 17-26 Content Quiz |
| T 2/20: | Buloson, Ch 27-36 Pre-write for Essay #1 due |
Week Seven: | Identity and Place |
| T 2/25: | Bulosan, Ch 37-end |
| R 2/27: | Essay #1 First Draft Due |
Week Eight: | |
| T 3/4: | Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior, “No Name Woman” and “White Tigers” Content quiz |
| R 3/6: | Essay #1 Final Version Due |
March 10-14: Week Nine: | SPRING BREAK: NO CLASS |
| T 3/18: | Kingston, “Shaman” |
| R 3/20: | Kingston, “At the Western Palace” |
Week Ten: | |
| T 3/25: | Kingston, “A Song for a Barbarian Pipe” Content quiz |
| R 3/27 | Danticat, Breath, Eyes, Memory, Ch 1-10 Short essay due |
Week Eleven: | |
| T 4/1: | Danticat, Ch 11-20 |
| R 4/3: | Danticat, 20-35 Short essay due |
Week Twelve: | |
| T 4/8: | Iweala, Speak No Evil, Ch 1-3 Content quiz |
| R 4/10: | Castillo, Ch 8-end Iweala, Ch 4-6 |
| F 11/8: | Iweala, Part 2, Ch 3-end Short essay due |
| Week Thirteen: | |
| T 4/15: | Iweala, Ch 7-Part 2, Ch 2 |
| R 4/17: | Conferences |
Essay #2 First Draft Due Conferences: no class | |
Week Fourteen: | |
| T 4/22: | Iweala, Part 2, Ch 3-end Content quiz |
| R 4/24: | No class: staff in service day |
Week Fifteen: | |
| T 4/29: | Essay #2 Final Version Due |
| R 5/1: | Final exam review |
Final Exam: | Tuesday, May 6, 10:15 am-12:15 pm |
Assignments:
Two 5-7 page essays. Each of these will undergo a full drafting and revision process. You will receive assignment sheets for each.
Content quizzes: Regular content quizzes will quiz you over reading material and the factual things we discuss in class (genre, vocabulary, history, etc).
Reading quizzes: Daily reading quizzes will ask simple questions about the reading.
Short essays: Each week, you will have a short writing assignment, usually in class, related to what you have read for class.
Final exam: The final exam will include analytical and factual questions, like the weekly content quizzes but longer.
Grades will be given on a percentage scale, with 93% an A, 90% an A-, 87% a B+, etc. I will round up from 86.5%, etc. Grades will be posted regularly on Blackboard.
Figure 2: Uzodinma Iweala
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance
See the current student handbook for the college attendance policy.
How many classes can I miss? 3
How about excused absences? Still 3—I don’t keep track of excused or unexcused, but please talk to me about specific situations as they arise.
How about sports? Please try to schedule classes that your sports won’t conflict with too much. However, a couple of additional absences won’t be a big deal as long as you communicate about them with me in advance and keep up on your work.
What if I go over 3 absences?
Talk to me! If it is an emergency, I will make exceptions. If it’s a time management issue, we’ll discuss it.
Participate more! Participation will determine whether you receive a low B or high B, etc., on the attendance and participation scale.
Guideline for Attendance Grades:
9 or more absences: F
8 absences: D
6-7 absences: C
4-5 absences: B
3 or fewer absences: A
Plagiarism Guidelines
You may not copy the words or ideas of another without crediting that person in your text (typically quote marks, parenthetical citation, and Works Cited entry). This includes paraphrasing material or maintaining the same general sentence or paragraph structure as a source. Even credited material must be paraphrased in an original way that generates a new sentence and paragraph structure. Even unintentional copying of words, phrases, and sentence structures can sometimes be plagiarism. When reading a paper, I should always know which ideas, words, phrases, and paragraph structures are yours and which originate with someone else.
Likewise, you may not use generative AI of any kind to compose your work in this class. This includes Grammarly if it changes your word choices. It is permissible to use a grammar check program but not a program that generates words or ideas for you. My goal is not that you write perfectly but that you learn to express your own ideas in your own voice, without the aid of AI. If I find that you have committed academic dishonesty on an assignment for this course, you will receive a zero for the assignment and, depending on the offense, perhaps an F for the course. All offenses, minor and major, will be reported to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, who will help me determine the appropriate consequences. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, ask! See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Trigger Warnings
Some of the texts we read in this class include scenes or words that are offensive, graphic, or that have the potential to trigger traumatic responses in some readers. If you have concerns about your emotional or intellectual responses to a text, please consult with me outside of class and we will discuss options for moving forward.
Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Please use MLA format for your papers and Works Cited pages. That includes Times New Roman 12 point font and 1-inch margins all around. Please submit your essays electronically to Blackboard.
Privacy Statement
Student work may be kept on file and used for evaluation and assessment purposes. Any work shared with either students, faculty or administration will be done so anonymously. If you have any questions or concerns about how this work is shared, let me know.
Writing Skills Statement
This is a writing intensive course. As a result, we will have weekly short writing assignments, and two essays, both of which undergo full revision. I will instruct you on and help you with writing, research, and citation skills throughout the class. Please also feel free to make use of the Writing Center or to come to office hours for help. The Writing Center is located in the Student Resource Center in RCC. You may stop by or call for an appointment with a writing tutor.
Global Education
With reference to Wilmington College’s mission, vision, core values, and queries, students will:
- Develop knowledge of the perspectives of cultures other than their own global issues, especially as they relate to peace, social justice, and/or ecology.
Reflect upon the interconnectedness of world and their own roles as engaged members of a global community.
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•Plan on devoting 2-3 hours to homework tween each class.Reading is due the day it is listed on the syllabus. Bring your book to class•One free late paper! You have one one-week extension to use at any point in the semester. All other late papers will lose 3% of the final grade per day.•Can I make up a quiz? Yes, for content quizzes. Reading quizzes need to be made up before the fact. You have one free after-the-fact makeup for a reading quiz to use for the semester.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.