Teaching about Biases Against Immigration

"They are not like us!": Teaching about Biases Against Immigration

This exercise helps students understand that xenophobic attitudes have existed throughout United States history and that our culture has survived and been enriched by each new wave of immigrants. Students should be aware that these biases have been expressed in each generation, especially when large numbers of immigrants have come to our country.

Objective: The student will be able to analyze and make inferences about the meaning of a speech.

Grade level and Subject Area: 9-12/ English, Social Studies

Activities and Strategies:

Students read an updated excerpt from a speech written by a Famous American (Benjamin Franklin) without identifying the author.
Students are asked to determine who is speaking, when the speech was made, and wha t group of people is being described.
The teacher leads a discussion, eliciting responses from all students. Some questions to ask are, "What are the issues involved in the speech?", "What is fact and what is opinion?", "Why is the speaker concerned?". Their comments will likely reveal their stereotypes, such as "They are not like us" and "The U.S. will soon be overrun by immigrants."
Students are told that the speech is one by Benjamin Franklin in which "they" refers to early German immigrants, as opposed to Haitian, Cuban or other recent arrivals.

Extension activities include:

examine cultural diversity within the U.S. and the contributions of each group
write reflective response papers on the activity

From a Speech by a Famous American

I agree that these people are a matter of great concern to us. I fear that one day, through their mistakes or ours, great troubles may occur. The ones who come here are usually the most stupid of their nation. Few understand our language, so w e cannot communicate with them through our newspapers. Their priests and religious leaders seem to have little influence over them. They are not used to freedom and do not know how to use it properly. It has been reported that young men do not believe the y are true men until they have shown their manhood by beating their mothers. They do not believe they are truly free unless they also abuse and insult their teachers.
And now they are coming to our country in great numbers. Few of their children know English. They bring in much of their own reading from their homeland and print newspapers in their own language. In some parts of our state, ads, street signs, and even so me legal documents are in their own language and allowed in courts.
Unless the stream of these people can be turned away from their country to other countries, they will soon outnumber us so that we will not be able to save our language or our government. However, I am not in favor of keeping them out entirely. All that s eems necessary is to distribute them more evenly among us and set up more schools that teach English. In this way, we will preserve the true heritage of our country.

Adapted with permission of the author from Social Education, October, 1991, 396-397.

Bob Benoit, Butte County Office of Education, #5 County Center Drive, Oroville, CA 95965.