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\begin{document}

\title{Freshman Seminar:  Formulating an Immigration Policy}

\author{Norm Matloff}

\date{Fall 2006}

\maketitle  

\tableofcontents{}
\newpage 

\section{Overview}

Immigration has always been a highly controversial and political topic.
This year illegal immigration in particular has become a focal
point,\footnote{I will not be using this term for long.  See below.} and
most aspects of legal immigration continue to be under heavy debate.

In this seminar, you students will formulate your own ideal immigration
policies, based on what you consider to be the national
interests---economic, social, humanitarian and so on.  Hopefully you
will reach consensus, but if not, separate policies will be fine too.

It is important to note that in this course {\it the students supply
their own power}.  As this is a seminar course, we will not use the
traditional lecture format.  Instead, each class meeting will consist of
discussion.  I will give you the questions for discussion, and will
provide guidance to you in researching the answers, but the answers come
from you.  You will be working in groups.  In short, our pattern will be:

\begin{enumerate}

\item I give your group some questions to research.

\item \label{step2} You research them, with guidance from me, and report
back the next class meeting.

\item The class as a whole discusses your findings, leading to other
questions. 

\item Go to step \ref{step2}.

\end{enumerate}

\section{Prerequisites}

There are no course prerequisites. However, it is assumed that the
students are: willing to participate in class discussions; willing to
respect the points of view of others; and willing to use computers
extensively in the course---{\bf e-mail, word processing, Web access
will be crucial}.

\section{Aspects of Immigration Policy}

The main portions of legal immigration policy are:

\begin{itemize}

\item {\bf Family-related Immigration:}  An American (in most cases a
citizen, whether native or naturalized) may sponsor for immigration the
American's spouse, adult sibling, minor son or daughter, parent, etc.
The spouse and minor children of the person who is sponsored also derive
immigrant status.

\item {\bf Employment-related immigration:}  An American employer can
sponsor for immigration a foreign national whom the employer wishes to
hire.  The employer is supposed to show that no qualified American is
available for the job.  Also, a foreign national of outstanding talent
may apply on his/her own for immigrant status.

\item {\bf Humanitarianism-related immigration:}  This category consists
of refugees and political asylees.

\item {\bf Miscellaneous:}  There are many other aspects of the laws on
legal immigration, among them: The Diversity Lottery is literally a
program under which foreign nationals may ``win'' immigrant status;
Congress may, and often does, pass {\it private action} bills which
grant immigrant status to certain individuals; a foreign national may
acquire immigrant status by making a sizable investment in the U.S.;
etc.  

Also, there are many types of {\it nonimmigrant visas}, which allow
foreign nationals to stay in the U.S., possibly for extended periods of
time.  Foreign students studying at U.S. schools, for instance, usually
hold F-1 visas.  Many skilled workers, such as engineers, are brought to
the U.S. temporarily under the H-1B work visa program.  Etc.  Though
these are called ``nonimmigrant'' visas, many of these foreign nationals
ultimately acquire immigrant status through marriage, employment, etc.

\item {\bf Illegal immigration:}  This too involves ``policy,'' e.g. in
terms of giving amnesty to some or all of those here illegally.

\end{itemize}

\section{How Our Work on These Aspects Will Be Distributed}

We will work in groups, with each group assigned to work on one
of the following:

\begin{itemize}

\item Family immigration policy:  What is the history of current policy?
What kinds of family members should be sponsorable?  Is the actual
day-to-day operation of this policy living up to its ``family values''
goals?  Is {\it chain migration} an important issue?  What percentage of
our yearly mix of legal immigrants should be in this category?  Should
there be additional qualifications?  What should be the responsibilities
of the sponsors?

\item Employment-based immigration policy:   What is the history of
current policy?  Under what conditions should employers be allowed to
sponsor workers for immigration, or for temporary work visas?  Should
Americans be given hiring priority?  How can we assure that the
immigrant/foreign workers are paid fair wages?  What percentage of our
yearly mix of legal immigrants should be in this category? 

\item Refugees and asylees:   What is the history of current policy?
Is the U.S. doing its share relative to other developed countries?  Is
the actual day-to-day operation of this policy living up to its
humanitarian goals?  What should those goals be, and how should
applicants be assessed against them?   What percentage of our
yearly mix of legal immigrants should be in this category? 

\item Illegal immigration:  What are the real economic impacts of
illegal immigration?  Who are the winners and losers, and to what
degree?  Where are they from, and why do they come here?  What is their
typical level of education, facility in English, etc.?   How many are
single?  How many of them have spouses or children here, and of those,
how many are here legally?  Should there be rolling amnesties, earned 
amnesties, no amnesties, or what?

\item Costs and benefits of immigration:  This is not directly a
``policy'' question, but an accurate, meaningful understanding of the
costs and benefits is crucial to good design of immigration policy
itself.  Does immigration bring a net fiscal benefit or drain to the
nation?  What are the impacts on education, welfare, public health,
transportation, the environment and so on?  Is there a net positive or
negative impact on the economy, say as measured in terms of per capita
GDP (either overall or, say, of natives and earlier immigrants)?  What
about less obvious economic measures, such as real estate prices and
international trade?  What about the intangible benefits---the
enrichment of our language, food, music, spiritual sense, even our sense
of humor?  How are all these to be weighed?  Above all, how much new
immigration per year, legal and illegal, is desirable/manageable?  Even
the freeway onramps have traffic signals to regulate the inflow to a
freeway; what is the right amount of inflow per year for immigration?

\end{itemize}

Student input on modifying, or adding to, this list is welcome.

We will assign groups in the second meeting of class.  Some groups may
be larger than others, and I will try to accommodate everyone's first
choice as much as possible, but I anticipate that many, likely most,
people will not get their first choice.  Please accept this without
regret; remember, you will have plenty of chance to discuss ALL topics
in class, and in your final paper.

\section{Group Operation}

Remember, YOU are doing the research.  I'll provide you with lots of
guidance, but it won't work unless all the members of your group work
cohesively, productively and respectfully with each other, and with
everyone in a group doing his share.

If you have any concerns about how the group is working, let me know as
soon as the problem appears.

When your group presents its findings in class, be sure that everyone in
the group does part of the presentation.  (The presentation is informal;
no need for slides, etc.)

In order to even out the workload, on occasion I may ask students in one
group to help research a particular question assigned to another group.

\section{Workload and Grading}

This is a one-unit course.  According to the so-called Carnegie Rule,
which is the usual standard in colleges and universities nationwide, the
workload of a course should be about two hours per week for each hour
spent in class.  So, in our course you should average about two hours
per week of outside work.  Note that this is an average over the ten
weeks of the quarter, and there will be week-to-week variation.

The basis for your course grade will be:

\begin{itemize}
 
\item Written work, 80\%:

First, there will be a paper on your group's preliminary findings, 40\%,
due around the sixth week (I'll announce it in plenty of time).  This
paper will be about a page or two in length.  This is a group paper, one
per group, but with the writing shared by all.

The final paper, worth 40\%, will be on your ideal immigration policy,
bringing together all the aspects we've looked at.  This will be five or
six pages long.  It will be individual, with each student submitting
his/her own paper.

Your grade on the writing will reflect quality of research, argumentation
and exposition.  Note that that last point means that you are supposed
to do a good professional job, with good writing and proper grammar, and
with references.\footnote{Reference style can be any standard one.}  

In your final papers, you are expected to take into account the findings
of the various groups.  Hopefully there will be consensus in the class,
but if not you are fully welcome to disagree.  If you do, though,
explain what it is on which you are disagreeing, and why you believe
your policy is better; do NOT simply ignore what others have found.

{\bf \Large PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL TO ME, IN PDF FORMAT,}
at matloff\@cs.ucdavis.edu

\item Class participation, 20\%: All I will ask for in this is
continuing evidence, through the student's comments in class, that the
student has been fully participating in the group work, and giving
serious thought to the issues being discussed in class.

\end{itemize}

\section{Class Discussions}

I am looking forward to lively discussions in class, the livelier the
better.  The vigorous exchange of ideas is what a university education
is (or should be) all about.  However, this must be done in an
atmosphere of full respect for others.

\section{A Word on Terminology}

Some people object to the term {\it illegal immigration}, or at least to
{\it illegal immigrant}.  The common alternative, {\it undocumented}, is
misleading, though.  So, we will use the term {\it unauthorized
immigration} instead.

Another loaded word is {\it American}.  Sadly, some ignorant U.S.
natives use the term to mean ``white.''  Obviously some of them are
bigoted, but I have heard so-called ``respectable'' people use the term
that way too, to my great distress.  For example, I once heard the
famous historian Doris Kearns Goodwin make such a statement!  Twice!
And she is a putative liberal!  I found it very depressing to watch her.

It is also common, for instance, for Asian immigrants to use the term in
this way, i.e. using ``American'' to mean ``white.''  Again, that is
wrong and counterproductive.

I am sure that no one in our course would take the term {\it American}
to be synonmyous with white.  However, it is also important to
understand to keep in mind that {\it American} means not only natives
but also naturalized U.S. citizens, and that in addition in many senses
U.S. permanent residents (green card holders) are legally considered
Americans too.

\section{Consultation}

I'll be giving you a lot of guidance on how to research your group's
questions.

Since we will be meeting only once a week, e-mail contact is crucial.
{\bf \Large PLEASE CHECK YOUR E-MAIL EVERY DAY.}  

If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.  It is a
great way for us to get to know each other.  My office hours will be
Mondays and Fridays, 1-2 p.m., in 3053 Kemper Hall, 752-1953.  Also, I
am available via e-mail virtually "24/7."

\section{Who I Am}

If you would like to know something about me, especially my connections
to the immigration issue, you can read my bio at
\url{http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/matloff.html}.

\section{This Should Be Enjoyable and Enlightening for Us All}

I'm really looking forward to working with you.  I believe you will find
that the course expands your analytical powers, develops your research
abilities, and gives you the real critical thinking strengths that
college study is supposed to develops.  Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the
ride; I know I will.

\end{document}

