The response to another student should be between 75 and 200 words. It should specifically reference the other student’s argument and discuss points you agree and/or disagree with by using evidence similarly used in your initial post.
Your posts should demonstrate engagement with the specific ideas of others. For example, when you respond to another student’s post, state what you are specifically replying to (instead of merely saying things like “good idea!”)
Messages that consist entirely of statements like “I agree!” or “Good point Steve!” are fine, and it is good to encourage your classmates, but these kinds of messages will earn you almost no points.
Including hyperlinks in your post can be a great idea – it is a way to cite your source and share more information with everyone in class. However, a message should include more than the hyperlink – if you post a hyperlink you should also briefly “abstract” or summarize the main ideas you found in the site to which you are linking.
Asking thoughtful (and thought-provoking) questions is another good way to earn points, especially if you follow up by responding to the replies to your question (thus helping to create a “discussion thread”).
What you’ll be responding to.-
The United States greatly struggled with xenophobia due to having the mindset that immigrants were moving in to take over their country. Americans feared immigrants were crowding their lands and had intentions of staying. This fear made most Americans respond negatively to immigrants’ arrival. Additionally, some native Americans feared that the arrival of several immigrants would result in lack of employment and lower pay for them. Moreover, Americans also felt that immigrants were not capable of fitting in their society norms. These are some of the things that really made Americans struggle with xenophobia.
On the other hand, I was really surprised about how Americans feared the entry of immigrants in their nation, but made sure that they exploited the immigrants tremendously. Most American goods were greatly manufactured by immigrant labor and several factories utilized these immigrants for economic growth. According to chapter 18, “Immigrant workers labored in large industrial complexes producing goods such as steel, textiles, and food products, replacing smaller and more local workshops,” this means that immigrants were working extremely hard and had a huge input to the American economy. Furthermore, the flooding of immigrants into the nation, together with other from the countryside to the city, “helped propel the rapid growth of cities like New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and St. Louis” (Chapter 18). Although this was the case, immigrants were still treated with hate by the same Americans. This surprised me a lot as I would expect the natives to embrace these immigrants, especially since they contributed to developing the country’s economy in so many ways. Another thing that got me perplexed was ways in which native Americans thrived to segregate themselves from these immigrants due to their own fears and hatred towards the foreigners.
Today, things have changed but there is a slight comparison. America has maintained their laws and made it extremely difficult for immigrants to come to their nation. I recall a statement made by the former US President Trump, stating that immigrants are only here to take over American employment. This statement takes me aback to the views native Americans had decades ago. Things might have improved when it comes to immigration issues, however, there are not many recognizable changes made.
