Essential question
What struggles might immigrants face when first coming to America?
Introductory Activity - Phase 1: Brainstorm
Imagine you are a Hungarian refugee who has escaped the communist regime in 1957. As a result of the Refugee Relief Act, you are 1 of 214,000 refugees admitted to the United States to escape communist oppression. You settle in Montclair, N.J with your family and look to start a new life.
What struggles do you think you and your family might face as newcomers in your community? Categorize these struggles as social, economic, logistical and psychological. For this brainstorming exercise, print and use the graphic organizer on page 1 of the assignment packet provided. Note: Print the entire assignment packet as you will need the other documents as continue navigating this learning module.
Introductory Activity - Phase 2: Comparative Analysis
Using a series of interviews, questionnaires and observations, researchers from Rutgers University's Department of Sociology coupled with the Institute of Management and Labor Relations produced a study that chronicled the struggles facing displaced persons in a new country. This 1954 report used workers from a central New Jersey needlework factory as their case study.
Examine the document and use the questions from p2 of the assignment packet to determine the moments of intersection and divergence between your brainstorm and the study's findings. Report of an Exploratory Study on the Adjustment Problems of Displaced Persons