The Line Between Us: Teaching about the Border and Mexican Immigration.THE LINE BETWEEN US: TEACHING ABOUT THE BORDER AND MEXICAN IMMIGRATION immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. By Bill Bigelow Rethinking Schools, 2006 Rethinking Schools' newest curriculum publication seeks to give a human face to terms like "border," "immigrant," "free trade" and "globalization globalization Process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world. Factors that have contributed to globalization include increasingly sophisticated communications and transportation ." Beginning with the U.S.-Mexico war, the book provides a variety of perspectives on border relations and ways to engage with social studies material. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Line Between Us does what Rethinking Schools does best--takes complicated issues and makes them accessible for teaching. The sections on neoliberalism ne·o·lib·er·al·ism n. A political movement beginning in the 1960s that blends traditional liberal concerns for social justice with an emphasis on economic growth. ne and the environmental ramifications ramifications npl → Auswirkungen pl of free trade are some of the strongest I've seen. As with many Rethinking Schools publications, however, the heart of this collection is the role plays. Detailed, thoughtful character sketches are provided for students to engage on a personal level with the U.S.-Mexico war, the passage of NAFTA NAFTA in full North American Free Trade Agreement Trade pact signed by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in 1992, which took effect in 1994. Inspired by the success of the European Community in reducing trade barriers among its members, NAFTA created the world's , the relationship of developing countries to debt, and the decision of whether to cross the border. (The "Transnational Capital Auction" and "Mexico Border Improvisations" I can personally vouch for--my students loved them!) Many of the stories and roles created in The Line Between Us are based on conversations with labor organizers, maquiladora ma·qui·la·do·ra n. An assembly plant in Mexico, especially one along the border between the United States and Mexico, to which foreign materials and parts are shipped and from which the finished product is returned to the original market. workers, artists and activists from Bigelow's many trips to Tijuana, Mexico. In the introduction, Bigelow writes that he attempts to craft lessons based on what makes students "want to dig deeper." That perspective is strongly reflected in the subsequent lessons of The Line Between Us, which is one of the few curricula that engages with the issue of U.S.-Mexico relations from both U.S. and Mexican perspectives. |
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