Social Demography of U.S. Latino Population*
Professor Karen A. Woodrow-Lafield
Spring 2003 and Spring 2004 (University of Notre Dame)
ILS 403A (also SOC403A, ANTH403Z, AMST403Z, and AFAM403A)
Class Meeting
Tu Th, 3:30 to 6:00 pm
Class Location
DeBartolo 246
Contact Info
Office: 250H McKenna Hall, Phone: 574-631-9781
email: klafield@nd.edu (currently WoodrowLafield@cs.com )
Website: http://www.nd.edu/~klafield (currently http://home.comcast.net/~karenwoodrowlafield )
Office Hours
Tu Th, 2:00 to 3:00 pm or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an introduction to the social demography of Latino or Hispanic populations in the United States as to historical background, sociological fields, and current statistics and studies. First, in exploring the demographic perspective on the Latino population, a strikingly young and increasing segment of the U.S. population, the processes of fertility, mortality, and migration are presented. Next to be addressed is the literature on conceptualizing and quantifying the U.S. Latino population, legal frameworks for residence status of migrants, and Latinos in the context of social institutions of family, education, and government. In the future, the changing Latino population is expected to contribute to a U.S. population profile different from the U.S. population of the past century. Thus, the course is relevant in contemporary discussions of immigration policy, globalization, and environment. The course is offered as two credits in conjunction with ILS 403B/SOC403B Latino Economic Development: Research and Policy (March 18-April 3, Professor Rochin) and ILS 404/SOC404 International Migration: Mexico and the U.S. II (April 8-April 24, Professor Bustamante))
TEXTBOOKS:
* John Weeks, 2002, Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues with InfoTrac 8th edition, Wadsworth
REQUIREMENTS:
Class Meetings:
This course meets February 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, and 20 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) beginning at 3:30 p.m. and concluding at 6:00 p.m. All written work should be submitted by February 24. Excellent attendance will be important for our scholarly exchange. There are regular submissions of short written work (2-8 double-spaced typed pages) as you are preparing your course paper.
Readings:
The primary textbook is Population. Additional reports and articles are assigned or suggested as indicated. These are generally available electronically.
Internet Resources:
We will utilize Internet resources for the latest statistics and special focus on Latinos in the United States.
GRADES:
Written assignments 50% (10%; 10%; 10%; 20%)
Participation 50%
Final Examination:
There will not be a final examination (officially scheduled for 10:30 – 12:30 pm, May 6, 2003).
Guidelines for paper and writing assignments:
Professional and publishable quality of writing is important for content and meaning. The purpose of writing assignments is to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the demography of the U.S. Latino population. Citation of course material is recommended. Use appropriate reference in the text to your sources and include a list of references. You may follow any standard formatting style, and you certainly may choose that of one of the reading assignments, such as Population Research and Policy Review. If you use statistics, do so correctly.
Advisory:
Honest and honorable behavior is expected at all times in the classroom, in performance of assignments, and in examinations. Your assignments should be your own writing, and words of others should be quoted appropriately.
COURSE CALENDAR: LECTURES, DISCUSSION TOPICS, AND READINGS
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February 4 (Tu) The Latino Population in the United States, 1950-2000
Items:
· New Census Counts 281.4 Million Americans, The Associated Press, December 28, 2000.
· Cohn, D’Vera. 2001. “Illegal Residents Exceed Estimate,” The Washington Post, March 18.
· Cohn, D’Vera. 2001. “Shifting Portrait of U.S. Hispanics,” The Washington Post, May 10.
· Schmitt, Eric. 2001. “Whites in Minority in Largest Cities, the Census Shows,” The Washington Post, April 30.
· Grieco, Elizabeth M. and Rachel C. Cassidy. 2001. Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin. Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-1. March. http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-1.pdf
· Guzmán, Betsy. 2001. The Hispanic Population, Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-3. May. http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf
· U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1993. We the American . . . Hispanics. September. WE-2R. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. http://www.census.gov/apsd/wepeople/we-2r.pdf
· U.S. Census Bureau, press release, Demographic Trends in the 20th Century.
Assigned readings:
· http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0167-5923/contents
· Guzmán, Betsy and Eileen O’Connell. 2002. “Hispanic Population 1990-2000: Growth and Change,” Population Research and Policy Review 21 (1-2): 109-128.
· Woodrow-Lafield, Karen A. 2002. Invited Comment on “Hispanic Population 1990-2000: Growth and Change,” Population Research and Policy Review 21 (1-2): 129-134.
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February 6 (Th) First: Appreciating the Demographic Perspective
· Weeks, Chapter 1, Introduction to the World's Population
· Americans Lack Knowledge – But Not Concern – About World Population Issues, March 23, 2000, http://www.rand.org/hot/Press/survey.3.23.html
· Weeks, Chapter 2, Demographic Data
· Kent, Mary M., Kelvin M. Pollard, John Haaga, and Mark Mather. 2001. “First Glimpses from the 2000 U.S. Census,” Population Bulletin, Vol. 56, No. 2, June. Population Reference Bureau. June.
· http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7502
· McDonnell, Patrick J. 2002. “A Latino Census Recount,” Los Angeles Times, May 9.
· Scott, Janny. 2002. “A Census Query Is Said to Skew Data on Latinos,” The New York Times, July 6.
· Weeks, Chapter 3, Demographic Perspectives, page 79 and pages 109-111
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February 11 (Tu) Second: Demographic Processes
A Brief Look at Mortality and a Longer Look at Fertility
First writing assignment due, an introductory section to your paper (2-4 pages), based on readings to date
Weeks, Chapter 4, Mortality, and Chapter 5, Fertility Concepts and Measurement
Items:
* Population Reference Bureau. 1997. New Measure Identifies More U.S. Babies Facing Health Risks. Research on Today’s Issues, Issue No. 7, December. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/cpr/dbs/pubs/ti7.pdf
* AmeriStat. 2003. U.S. Fertility Rates Higher Among Minorities. Population Reference Bureau. http://www.prb.org/template.cfm?template=InterestDisplay.cfm&InterestCategoryID=234
* Dillon, Sam. 1999. Smaller Families to Bring Big Change in Mexico. The New York Times, June 7.
Assigned reading:
* Sandefur, Gary D., Molly Martin, Jennifer Eggerling-Boeck, Susan E. Mannon, and Ann M. Meier. 2001. An Overview of Racial and Ethnic Demographic Trends, pp. 40-102 in America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, Volume I, by Neil J. Smelser, William Julius Wilson, and Faith Mitchell (eds.), National Research Council, Washington, D.C. http://books.nap.edu/books/030906838X/html/40.html#pagetop
* Kent, Mary M. and Mark Mather. 2002. What Drives U.S. Population Growth? Population Bulletin, Vol. 57, No. 4. December. http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7634
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February 13 (Th) Migration, Especially Latin American Migration to the United States
Second writing assignment due, a section on demographic processes and change (2 – 6 pages), based on readings to date
Weeks, Chapter 7, Migration
Items:
* U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2002. Coming from the Americas: A Profile of the Nation’s Foreign-Born Population from Latin America (2000 Update), Census Brief: Current Population Survey, CENBR01-2. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/cenbr01-2.pdf
* Passel, Jeffrey S., and Karen A. Woodrow. 1984. "Geographic Distribution of Undocumented Immigrants: Estimates of Undocumented Aliens Counted in the 1980 Census by State," International Migration Review 18: 642‑671. (part)
* Passel, Jeffrey S. 2002. New Estimates of the Undocumented Population in the United States. Migration Information Source, May 22. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=19
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February 18 (Tu) Third: Population Structure and Characteristics, U.S. Latino Population, Social Institutions
Third writing assignment due, main section on the general topic of the Latino population in the U.S. in the present and in the future (4 to 8 pages)
Weeks, Chapter 8, Age and Sex, pages 294-302
Weeks, Chapter 10, Family Demography and Life Chances
Items:
* Spain, Daphne. 1999. America’s Diversity: On the Edge of Two Centuries, Reports on America, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May), Population Reference Bureau, Washington, D.C.
* America Becoming: The Growing Complexity of America’s Racial Mosaic, Population Matters Policy Brief RB-5050, RAND. http://www.rand.org/publications/RB/RB5050/
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February 20
Weeks, Chapter 13, Population Policy, pages 513-526
U.S. Population Estimates and Projections
Assigned readings:
* Kent and Mather, What Drives U.S. Population Growth?
* Clemetson, Lynette. 2003. “Hispanics Now Largest Minority, Census Shows,” The New York Times, January 22.
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February 24, 2003 Your complete paper (10-20 pages) is due on this date.
February 28, 2003 Deadline for submission.