ESL615 Intergenerational Conflicts in Contemporary Immigrant Fiction (1 cr.)

This course explores contemporary fiction written by and about immigrant families adjusting to life in American society.  The focus is on intergenerational conflicts that arise when immigrant children are caught between American teen culture and expectations of parents rooted in home country culture.  Genres include memoir, contemporary fiction, ethnographic studies, picture books, film media, and journalistic accounts.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Analyze the unique needs of adolescents caught between the expectations of their parents clinging to home country customs and the lure of contemporary U.S. teen culture.
2. Compare and contrast the integration experiences of adolescents immigrating from different cultural and economic groups.
3. Develop a framework for assessing the assimilation status of adolescent immigrants, American-born children, and their families.