Take-home final essay prompt:
In this class, we’ve studied the history of the southwest border region. I have tried to present how this region has been fought over for control of the land and its resources: The colonial Spanish period, Mexican control, the Mexican-American War and American conquest, the Apache Wars, Industrialization, the Railroads and Copper Mining, the struggle of migrant farm workers and lastly, NAFTA and its maquiladoras, where poor women come from Mexico’s interior and beyond to assemble U.S. consumer products for as little as $11 a day.
We began the class talking about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe
Arpaio, “Americas toughest sheriff,” who defends his crackdown on undocumented
immigrants by asserting he won’t rest until all those here illegally are deported
back to their country. Write a 5 paragraph essay explaining to Arpaio the long
history of Mexicans and Latinos in the southwest and how white European
descendants came to control the region. Use 3 of the periods in this process that we studied. (Each period is a paragraph in the body of your essay.) Use at least 6 specific examples and references (2 per period) from the readings, movies, handouts, homework, etc.
(You may also defend Arpaio’s actions if you wish).
Email me if you have questions: will_hodges@yahoo.com
