Mexican American History Blog Project
Over the last few weeks, we have been discussing contemporary (Post-WWII) civil rights issues in Mexican American history. Imagine that Phoenix College has begun an initiative that focuses on a topic of history. One of the first phases of this initiative is to find a lasting way to familiarize students on campus with the significant role this topic has had in shaping Mexican American (and U.S.) history since the 1940s. They have asked you, specialists of Mexican American history and culture, to design a blog to do just that. After you have crafted a blog (informative essay) in a Word document and checked for spelling/grammatical errors, cut and paste your final blog in the discussion board that will be provided in Module 16.
Directions:
* Design your blog with the goal of teaching students of today and future students about the most significant aspects of your chosen topic (see list below) as it has developed since the 1940s.
* Focus on the ways in which the Mexican Americans associated with your topic had a significant role in society or the historical processes (economic, political, and social) that the U.S. went through since the 1940s. Consider whether their actions were extraordinary or, perhaps, mundane, but with extraordinary outcomes.
* Make sure to address the following:
1. What is the topic that you find relevant to research?
2. How has it been discussed recently?
3. What historical developments led to the contemporary state of the topic/issue?
4. What is significant about that history?
5. How does your research on Mexican American history inform the present?
6. What lesson is learned by applying the historical lens to your issue/topic?
You may find that you can answer some of these questions thoroughly, and others might be more difficult. Do your best to search out the answers through secondary and, if possible, primary sources. Take advantage of your library research skills. The class will greatly appreciate your hard work!
Directions and Requirements
Research:
For this blog assignment you will conduct individual research in the library databases. Some relevant databases from the library’s eResources page include any of the links under the history subheading, JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, Academic OneFile and any of the databases that we have used on the midterm.
Use the guiding questions below to find information on your research focus. Also use your main topic and theme to decide which sources are relevant.
* Who’s involved?
* What happened?
* What social, political, or economic context is important?
* What significant role/impact did the event, person, or topic have in Mexican American history?
* How did your chosen topic change over time?
Required Sources:
You are required to include the textbook and a minimum of 3 sources from the library databases in your blog (2 must be peer-reviewed academic journals). Please include a bibliography (list of sources) in MLA 8th edition format at the end of your blog. Please use the library’s “Student Toolbox” as a citation style guide. This assignment will have the same format as the midterm.
Sources
* The textbook and other material for our class will provide some of the historical context that you will need to answer the questions above, but will not count towards the independent research requirements. You must reference the textbook at least once. You do not need to provide a bibliographic entry for the textbook or course material. Instead, simply use the parenthetical citation format that we have used on the weekly essays and homework assignments associated with the content.
* You must use a minimum of three (3) other sources
* Acceptable sources:
* Encyclopedia articles (no more than one)
* Periodical articles
* Periodical/Newspaper articles
* Academic peer reviewed journal articles (minimum two)
* Books
* I will be looking for a diverse set of sources used for your blog.
Logistics of the blog
* Word count: 800-1000 words
* Blog must have a title
* Spell/grammar check
* Citations will be in MLA 8th edition format, and in-text citations are in parentheses (author last name, page #).
Possible Topic List
Education
Poverty
Race/ethnicity
Discrimination
Activism
Art
Gender
Urban issues
Rural issues
Police/incarceration
Immigration
Border issues
Any other issue related to post-1940s Mexican American history and culture (you must get your topic approved by me if you choose one that is not on the list above)
