Case Studies in this Unit

The ideal of a shared American identity has both strengthened and weakened us as a nation. Our changing beliefs and attitudes about what it means to “belong” carry notions about who is “us” and who is “them.” These attitudes have historically targeted those perceived to not belong, to not be one of “us.” Some of our nation’s most antidemocratic moments occurred when our perceptions of belonging were stoked by fear and insecurity. Consequently, beliefs and attitudes about American belonging have often materialized in the vulnerable and transient patterns of immigration and migration.

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Blue turban
Case Study
Targeted at Home
This case study focuses on the tension Muslim-Americans live with in the contemporary U.S. post-9/11.
Tag with text: War Relocation Authority, Bill Fuchigami
Case Study
Racism and Removal
This case study looks at how American attitudes about belonging were influenced by the forces of fear and anger during World War II.
Illustration showing a woman working while a baby sleeps on her back
Case Study
Hidden Histories
The period of Mexican repatriation is often referred to as “forgotten” history because it is so rarely taught. Students will read from a variety of sources and learn how racism and anxiety collided during the Great Depression to form nativist views of belonging.
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