Instructor: Javier Martin Ortiz, University Writing Program, College of Letters and Science
Description: This seminar will introduce students to the UC Davis 2007-2008 Campus Community Book Project Selection, The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea and investigating the topic of immigration. This seminar will seek to combine information and ideas from various issues covered in Urrea’s text, as well as from other writings from the author’s collection. Students will be expected to issue critical dialogue on these writings and report on them to the class, orally and in writing. Students will read The Devil’s Highway, as well as other readings from different disciplines and perspectives on immigration and its effects. By participating in the seminar, students will expand their understanding of the causes, effects, and human experiences of immigration. Furthermore, students will acquire a more sound and realistic understanding of the history of immigration and border enforcement policies in the U.S., and posit different perspectives on immigration reform. Students will be expected to compare and synthesize perspectives from different disciplines as a foundation for exploring the text and the topics that it raises. The students will improve their critical reading and thinking skills and improve their written and oral communication skills.
Format: The seminar will meet for one hour every week to explore various aspects and themes of the book through class discussions, mini-lectures, and writing assignments. Each student will also select at least two Campus Community Book Project events to attend and will write journals responding to readings and reporting on book project events (30 minutes of writing each week.) Additionally, they will draft short reviews of at least two events (500 words each), and revise at least one review for submission. In a final essay (750 words), students will focus on a particular area of interest and write a personal essay reflecting on the book project’s impact on their understanding of the book and the broader topic of immigration. Grading: Grading will based on class participation: 30%; journals (10): 10%; reviews (2) of book project events: 30%; revision of one review: 10%; and final reflective essay: 20%.
About the Instructor: Javier Martín Ortiz, J.D., is a second-year Lecturer at UC Davis, currently teaching in the University Writing Program, where he teaches the UWP 104B Legal Writing course. His interests include the development of critical thinking abilities, enhancing controversial discourse in the world of academe, and the production of collegiate writings based on critical race theory. His research interests include the areas of education policy and education law, and he also spends considerable time researching matters associated with undocumented immigrant communities. He is a Mentor to the Raza Pre-Law Student Association at UC Davis, and volunteers his time as a legal analyst with the Naturalization Workshop Project for California Rural Legal Assistance.