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Immigration and the Inner City UIC-3050-050 Urban and Inner City Studies

University of Winnipeg Winter term 2016

CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor: Fadi Ennab E-mail: F.Ennab@uwinnipeg.ca Office Hours: Contact me for an appointment Class Meeting: Wednesday 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Class Location: 2M74

COURSE SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES

This course explores both long-standing and recent questions about immigration and the inner city. Topics include the impact on contemporary inner-city communities of immigration; globalisation; international and transnational social and economic developments; and civil wars, internal wars and violent conflicts. Students’ inquiry into the relationship between immigration and the inner city involves an exploration of both early and contemporary discourse on the subject. The specific aims of the course are: To examine the relationships between immigration, citizenship, and society. To gain a critical understanding of immigration in Canada and ways to advocate for migrant

justice. To improve writing skills through writing short and long essays in assignments and tests. To develop discussion skills through participation in class.

COURSE FORMAT

Classroom sessions will involve a mix of lectures, class discussion, and small group projects. Sessions will also involve audio/video presentations to illustrate specific cases, experiences, or issues. Most students should find that attending and participating actively in classroom sessions will increase their chances of attaining a good grade in the course.

REQUIRED READINGS

Walia, Harsha. 2013. Undoing Border Imperialism. Oakland: AK Press & Institute for Anarchist Studies. All additional readings will be available electronically through the UW Library or on-line using the Nexus system.

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EVALUATION

Participation Throughout the course 10% Assignment 1 January 27 15% Mid-Term Test February 10 30% Assignment 2 March 9 15% Take-Home Test April 06 30% Participation: It is expected that you read the assigned readings before class to allow you to participate in an active and meaningful way in discussions. In addition to regular attendance, participation includes raising questions related to course material, thoughtful responses to ideas of others, and engagement in discussions and in-class projects. Assignment 1: Reflecting on course material from weeks 2 and 3, write an essay (2-4 pages) relating the concept of “border imperialism” to the experiences of the migrants in the film, A Continuous Journey. Mid-Term Test: Consists of short and long essay questions based on course material examined for the term. The test is designed to assess how well you understand and think critically about the assigned readings and discussion in class, rather than your ability to memorizing facts. Assignment 2: Reflecting on course material from week 9 and 10, write an essay (2-4 pages) explaining the main challenges facing Arab Canadians. Use the case of Maher Arar and examples from the films Being Osama and/or A Scent of Mint to support your argument(s). Take-Home Test: On the last day of class (March 30, 2016) a take-home test of 3 or 4 questions will be distributed in class. You are required to write short critical essays on all questions (2 pages at most for each answer). Try to be as concise as possible. The test will largely cover material after the mid-term test. The take-home test must be submitted electronically using the Nexus system by no later than midnight on April 6, 2016. Note: Your responses in the assignment and take-home test should be in essay format, typed, double-spaced, font 12, and margins with 1 inch.

LATE POLICY

Late assignments or take-home tests will be penalized 3% per day (including weekends). No request for an extension will be considered if made after the relevant due date, except for documented medical reasons or very severe family emergencies. No extension will be given under any conditions if requested more than two weeks after the due date.

IMPORTANT DATE

Last date to withdraw without academic penalty – March 1, 2016

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic misconduct and plagiarism are serious offences and will not be tolerated. Penalties will range from failure on an assignment or failure in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the university. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which a student submits another person’s published or unpublished work as his or her own, either in its entirety or in part. Published work includes written, electronic or other forms. Other acts of plagiarism include: not giving recognition to the author for phrases, sentences or thoughts, and submitting the same work for evaluation in more than one course. All suspected cases of plagiarism are forwarded to the Senate Academic Misconduct Committee for determination. For further elaboration on forms of academic misconduct and plagiarism, as well as the appeals process, students should review the University of Winnipeg’s Academic Regulations and Policies, which are in part outlined in Sections 8 & 9 of the University of Winnipeg 2013-2014 General Calendar. All students, faculty and staff have the right to participate, learn and work in an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination. The UW Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy may be found online at www.uwinnipeg.ca/respect

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Students can access Student Advising from the University at the Rice Building or through the Urban and Inner City Student Advisor, Cheyenne Henry.

SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Students with documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions, requiring academic accommodations for tests/exams (e.g., private space) or during lectures/laboratories (e.g., note-takers) are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services at 786-9771 or accessibilityservices@uwinnipeg.ca to discuss appropriate options. All information about a student’s disability or medical condition remains confidential. www.uwinnipeg.ca/accessibility. GRADING SCHEME

% Score Grade % Grade % Grade %

95-100 A+ 95-100 B+ 77-83 C 60-64 91-94 A 90-94 B 70-76 D 50-59 89-91 A - 84-89 C+ 65-69 F <50

SCHEDULE OF COURSE READINGS AND ACTIVITIES

Week 1: January 6 – Introduction to Course

Week 2: January 13 – (Im)migration and Indigeneity Walia, Harsha. 2013. Forward by Andrea Smith and Introduction Pp. 1-32. Gyepi-Garbrah, John et al. 2014. “Indigeneity, Immigrant Newcomers and Interculturalism in Winnipeg, Canada.” Urban Studies 51 (9): 1795–1811.

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Film: A Continuous Journey (2004) by Ali Kazimi, Part 1 Week 3: January 20 – Theorizing Violence Walia, Harsha. Chapter 1: What is Border Imperialism? Pp. 35-93.

Green, L., 1994. “Fear as a Way of Life.” Cultural Anthropology, 9 (2): 227-256.

Film: A Continuous Journey (2004) by Ali Kazimi, Part 2.

Week 4: January 27 – Violence Against Women: An Anti-Exclusionary Approach

*Assignment # 1 – Due in Class*

Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2002. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others.” American Anthropologists 104 (3): 783-790.

Holt, M., 2013. “Violence Against Women in the Context of War: Experiences of Shi'i Women and Palestinian Refugee Women in Lebanon.” Violence Against Women 19 (3): 316-337.

Interactive Documentary, Exile Without End: Palestinians in Lebanon (2012) by Nahlah Ayed et al. Toronto: CBC.

Week 5: February 3 – Canadian Immigration and Refugee Policy Thobani, Sunera. 2000. “Closing the Nation's Doors to Immigrant Women: The Restructuring of Canadian Immigration Policy.” Atlantis 24 (2): 16-26. Lacroix, Marie, 2004. “Canadian Refugee Policy and the Social Construction of the Refugee Claimant: Understanding Refugeeness.” Journal of Refugee Studies 17 (2): 147-166.

Film: Who Gets in? (1989) by Barry Greenwald, National Film Board of Canada.

Week 6: February 10 – Mid-Term Test

Week 7: February 17 – READING WEEK - NO CLASSES

Week 8: February 24 – Exclusionary Citizenship: The Social Exclusion of Arab-Canadians and the Case of Maher Arar

Abu-Laban, Yasmeen and Nath, Nisha. 2007. “From Deportation to Apology: The Case of Maher Arar and the Canadian State.” Canadian Ethnic Studies 39 (3): 71-98.

Abu-Laban, Yasmeen. 2015. “On the Borderlines of Human and Citizen: The Liminal State of Arab Canadians.” In J. Hennebry and B. Momani (Eds.), Targeted Transnationals: The State, the Media, and Arab Canadians (Pp. 68-85). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

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Film: Being Osama (2014) by Tim Schwab and Mahmoud Kaabour. Arab Film Distribution.

Week 9: March 2 – Exile, Trauma, and Family Separation

Said, Edward. 2000. “Reflections on Exile.” In Reflections on Exile and Other Essays (Pp. 137-149). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Rousseau, Cécile et al. 2001. “Trauma and Extended Separation from Family among Latin America and African Refugees in Montreal.” Psychiatry 64 (1): 40-59

Film: A Scent of Mint (2002) by Pierre Sidaoui, National Film Board of Canada.

Week 10: March 9 – Precarious Migrant Labour in Canada

*Assignment # 2 – Due in Class*

Goldring, Luin. et al., 2009. “Institutionalizing Precarious Migratory Status in Canada.” Citizenship Studies 13 (3): 239-265.

Walia, Harsha. 2010. Transient Servitude: Migrant Labour in Canada and the Apartheid of Citizenship. Race and Class 52(1): 71–84.

Week 11: March 16 – Anti-Colonial Migrant Activism: The Case of No One is Illegal in Canada Walia, Harsha. Chapter 2: Cartography of NOII. Pp. 97-169 and Chapter 3: Overgrowing Hegemony: Grassroots Theory. Pp. 171-202 Short film clips from: Never Home: Legislating Discrimination in Canadian Immigration by No One is Illegal-Vancouver Coast Salish Territories. Week 12: March 23 – Strategies of Resisting Border Imperialism Walia, Harsha. Chapter 4: Waves of Resistance Roundtable. Pp. 205 – 247.

Yazdiha, Haj. 2010. “Conceptualizing Hybridity: Deconstructing Boundaries through the Hybrid.” Formations, 1(1): 31-38.

Week 13: March 30 – Decolonizing Social Movements and Relations *Take-Home Test questions distributed in class* Walia, Harsha. Chapter 5: Journeys toward Decolonization Pp. 247-276, and Epilogue by S. Hussan Pp. 277-283.

*April 6 – Take-Home Test due*