HIST 3500A: Migration and Diaspora in Canada
Winter 2024
Instructor: Professor Laura Madokoro
Introduction: Each year, approximately 200,000 people migrate to Canada. Thousands more become Canadian citizens and many others are resettled or accepted as refugees. Recognizing the significant role that migration plays in our inter-connected world, this course takes an in-depth look at the history of migration, diaspora, and settlement to, from and within Canada. The term diaspora refers to the connections that migrants maintain with their homelands and migrants in other parts of the world. With this concept in mind, the course focuses on the lived experience of migrants themselves. What expectations did people have about migration? Why did they move? What was their experience of arriving and settling in Canada? What did they miss about their homelands? How did they maintain connections to their homelands through food and culture and return visits? In addition to focusing on the multi-generational experience of migration, the course also explores the political, economic, and social structures that have shaped the history of movement, settlement and displacement to, from, and within, Canada. The course considers how migration has informed relations amongst Indigenous peoples, settler citizens and migrants. It explores the politics of migration at multiple scales (individual, household, community, provincial, national, and international) while also emphasizing the importance of food, culture, sports, and art in the history of migration and settlement in Canada.
Class Format: The class meets twice a week (1.5 hour blocks each) with the time split between lectures, discussions and working with primary sources.
Aims and Goals: The aim of this course is to provide an overview of migration, diaspora, and settlement to, from, and within, the place we now call Canada to enhance our understanding of community and connection. Students will learn about keywords used in the study of migration and diaspora (including mobility, displacement, settlement) and about events within and beyond Canada that have shaped the experiences of migration, arrival, integration, and diasporic connections.
Assessment: Assessment for the course is based on a series of reading reflections, media analyses and a final research project.
Text: Readings for the course consist of a variety of essays and academic articles as well as a range of textual, audio, and visual primary sources.
Questions? Please email me at: laura.madokoro@carleton.ca