In light of efforts to contain COVID-19, you have two alternative options for completing Part III of your Citizenship Portfolio. Both of these involve you either interviewing somebody else or reflecting on your own experiences in the context of immigration to the United States and the U.S. Government’s policies on this issue.
Option #1: Studying in the U.S. as an International Student
International students currently make up 18% of the undergraduate student body at Northeastern - a number that has been rapidly growing in the past decade. What is it like to navigate the bureaucracy of studying at Northeastern if you are not an American citizen or permanent resident? I would suggest choosing this option if: a) you are an international student, or b) you do not want to or do not have enough information to write about your own family’s immigration history (see below). Write a roughly 1,000 word essay addressing the following questions:
- What are the specific legal requirements for studying in the United States as an international student?
- What are the different kinds of student visas and how do you apply for one?
- If you are an international student, describe your own (or your family’s) experience navigating the bureaucratic process of studying in the United States.
- If you are not an international student, interview one of your peers about their experience.
- How does this experience connect to the longer history of immigration in the United States?
Option #2: Family Immigration History
If your family lives in the United States, how did they end up there? Interview parents, grandparents, etc. for information about your own family’s immigration history to the United States. Write a roughly 1,000 word essay that describes that family history and places it within a larger historical context of federal immigration policies at during that time. You may need to choose just one person or branch of your family tree, and it is alright if you can’t provide details for every single question related to your family.
- Describe the move itself. Who immigrated? When did they move? Where did they come from? Why did they leave?
- Describe their arrival in the United States. Where did they end up? What did they do for work? Did they move around after arriving?
- What were the U.S. Government’s immigration policies during the period in which they moved? Were there restrictions on immigration from their particular country? What about for other parts of the world? How would you characterize those immigration policies compared to today?
Due Tuesday, 3/24 by 11:59PM