In response to domestic and overseas tragedies, some politicians have proposed shutting our doors to
refugees, particularly those from Syria and Iraq. This
“knee-jerk”
reaction obscured logical thinking based on evidence, history, and analysis. More
recently, a growing number of national leaders from a variety of fields—ranging
from the military to faith—have
spoken out in favor of welcoming of refugees from Syria,
Iraq and other nations, often relying on historical examples to make their case.
This tension between refusal and refuge is not unknown in
the history of U.S. immigration. In fact, this historical analysis is the basis
of our latest classroom-ready resource, “A
Land of Refuge or Refusal? Perspectives on the Refugee Experience in the United
States.” The source
text
for this high school lesson plan is an article written by David
W Haines, Ph.D. professor of anthropology at George Mason
University. What this study of America’s past and present friction offers is a real
learning opportunity for students to understand the construction of logical
arguments, closely read and analyze the development of an author’s argument in
a non-fiction text, and make connections to our present moment. It is the kind
of critical and creative thinking about immigration so often missing from a
national debate that we hope to inspire in your classroom and offer you a tool
to do so. An extension for this lesson can also be made from this photo
essay, Year in
Twitter: Refugees Welcome, which expands upon the tension of refuge
and refusal to a global perspective. Please exercise discretion as some of the
images are graphic.
Please
click
here to view the lesson plan.
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Syrian
Refugees aboard a plastic dinghy (Photo Courtesy:
Ben White/ CAFOD, October 2015)
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A
Land of Refuge or Refusal? Lesson Plan Overview
In this immigration lesson
plan, students analyze key ideas in an academic article that provides
background on the refugee experience in the United States, including examples
of welcoming and exclusionary responses, as well as the impacts of these
disparate reactions. After analyzing the author’s claims and evidence, students
then apply one of those claims to the current refugee crisis in order to answer
the question: how is America a land of refuge, refusal, or both?
This lesson encourages critical thinking from students in
a very public discussion, both in the United States and abroad, about the
worldwide refugee crisis. In recent years, the United States has welcomed
70,000 refugees per year. The President has indicated he intends to admit
85,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2016, including 10,000 from Syria. This increase has been criticized by some who
believe the United States should do much more to protect those fleeing dire
situations and by some who fear that welcoming Syrian refugees may compromise
our national security. In considering the appropriate U.S. response to the
refugee crisis, it is important to remember the central role of refugees in the
American experience.
Adaptations are made for English Language Learners and
readers at multiple levels.
.
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