April 3

EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT 4 extra Points if sone correctly (refer to rubric) Due on April 28. Samples will be posted shortly.

Immigrant Short Stories
Immigration to the United States has deeply impacted society in many ways. Since the 1800s, millions of families and individuals from overseas (mainly Europe and later on Asia) have flooded major cities for many different reasons. Some were escaping discrimination and religious persecution. Others were following dreams of American wealth and sought new lives filled with economic opportunities. Whatever the cause, their presence and actions within their new country ultimately transformed the nation.



Task
For this particular assignment, you will be focusing on individual immigrant stories that are connected to you. Ask your family members, what are some immigrant stories from your background? This can be about your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, or even you. Collect a few photographs for your cover (You do not have to bring in original photos which I consider to be priceless, especially if they’ve been passed down a few generations. SCAN or COPY them instead). Underneath each picture write a brief one sentence caption explaining details in the image. Where was this taken? Why? Who is in the picture? Think back to the example showed in class. You should have about 3 photographs total and they should be connected or chronological (i.e., photo of your grandfather before he left Italy and photo of him at his workplace after his arrival in 1955). You can use current photos today if they connect to an older photo you have (i.e., your grandfather from Italy in his new apartment, 2007) Please do not use photos that do not tie in with immigration (i.e., picture of your shopping spree with your friends)

For the written portion of this assignment, you must write 3 short stories in first person narrative (One for each picture you have chosen). Each story should explain what is going on in the picture. You must include elements of immigration discussed in class, such as the reasons for coming here, the hardships faced after arrival, and what sacrifices were made in order to survive. Everyone is going to have a different story, so do not feel as if it has to be ‘perfect.’ Each story should be a page and a half typed (2-3 pages written). You can include more than 3 pictures if you like but limit your three stories to just three pictures in order to avoid confusion.