This course traces the history of immigration to the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. In the nineteenth century waves of immigrants arrived in the U.S., building communities and sparking outrage among "native" Americans. Today many descendants of these immigrants call for tighter border control. This course will examine immigrant characteristics and motivations, as well as legislation that has defined what it means to be "American" and changed patterns of migration. Throughout, we will ask: What does it mean to be an immigrant in this nation, and what does it mean to be a "nation of immigrants"? Alternate years.