Introduction
Off the Road combines the full length PBS series entitled After the Immigrant, a personal narrative serial of published stories by the author, study guides, workshop and discussion starter material focused on Mexican immigration to the Midwest and cultural identity issues.
Our goal is to be a part of the growing efforts to bring this discussion back on the road to reality and off the bumpy left and right shoulders of political division, and to explore methods to create a more realistic immigration and Americanization policy for the future.
Because this site is growing weekly it seems necessary to provide a brief description of the pages listed above. I use different parts of this site when working with students and adult workshops.
* ATI SERIES - documentary program information
* ATI FEEDBACK - educators, broadcasters and
others talk about series.
* ORDER - How to purchase documentaries
* BIO - My background
* THEORY/METHOD - An approach to producing
and teaching.
* STORY INTRO - 1st person narrative approach
* PARTS (1-33) - First person stories about
culture, immigration, and Americanization.
(a new story appears every ten days)
* TITLED STORIES - Perspectives & tools, study
guides and feedback as sample of entire site.
* PRIMARY SOURCES - Sample history of anti- immigrant talk.
* WHY MARCH - Story of attending marches 2006
* WALL DEBATE - Sample of feedback
* OFF THE WALL - Latest work projects (join us)
* MARCHES - Slideshow of 2006 marches
* STUDY GUIDES - Provides classroom material
and video sample from series.
This site contains video samples of the After the Immigrant documentary series you can purchase at
Project Summary
Off the Road is a multi-media immigration history tool to assist teachers and students meet current State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction guidelines for teaching Social Studies at grade levels 4,8, 9-12. It provides teachers and student’s supplemental history, research skills, and stimulating interactive projects to examine and study the history of immigration of Mexicans to the Midwest and the volatile immigration debate which took center stage in 2006. Training workshops are available for teachers who seek to expand their teacher portfolios and upgrade classroom materials and student projects. Tested in 2006-2007 in both teacher workshops and classrooms (see evaluations) Originally designed and still used as a resource for undergrad and graduate work as well as adult education, Off the Road continues to add and share materials to prepare students to better understand US immigration history in the text of a changing global economy.
Off the Road ultimately focuses on how Mexican workers in the United States represent two important research questions that emerged from this debate and represent the realities of our changing global society: 1) how do we define borders? And, 2) how do we define rule-of-law?
Project Objectives
(1) To provide a vehicle for students and instructors to better understand the relationship of Mexican and American history to current events.
(2) To understand how the use of selected facts and opinions by special interest groups affects current debate about immigration and undocumented workers.
(3) To study issues connected with the undocumented workforce in the United States and connect to issues related to the global economy.
(4) To examine the three generational shifts from immigrant to grandchild in relationship with cultural identity and how it shapes current and future family dynamics and national self-image.
(5) To provide historical background and first person oral histories to better understand a point of view from the growing number of people who reject being labeled and stereotyped with any one racial group.
Project Point-of-View and Context
Often selectively described as “illegal” the undocumented worker is seen as crossing a border and breaking US law. Often overlooked in this description is the long history of the recruitment and hiring of undocumented workers and current economic and societal practices that have erased traditional borders, merge national and international law, and do not hold accountable the users of their services, mainly the general public and future generations. Worldwide this has created an annual global migration with estimates of 160-200 million people crossing borders to seek work. Off the Wall endeavors to help student improve their critical thinking and research skills by examining how current “solutions” to the immigration issue including guest worker programs and the building of walls on national and local community borders affect our culture, and understanding of the world and its people, by better understanding the history of Mexican immigration in the 18-20th centuries into the United States and European conquest of the Americas in the 15th and 16th century.
The task of illustrating the contradictory nature of selective “law breaking” and “border protection” begins by looking at the legislation signed into law in 2006 and which started the building of a multi billion-dollar partial wall between Mexico and the United States. “The current undocumented immigration debate must be read in the context of NAFTA and the “free market” agenda pursued by the U.S. In addition, attention will be devoted to the seemingly contradictory history of alternately criminalizing immigrants, and recruiting them. Although the point is rarely if ever acknowledged, especially in the mainstream media, this contradiction is purposeful: it creates a “disposable “ labor force that is frequently too fearful to insist upon human rights protections,” Carl Gutierrez-Jones, Director for the Center of Chicano Studies, University of California-Santa Barbara. Teachers and anyone leading a discussion, go to the website link – Off The Wall, and Theory and Methods, to learn theory behind the production of the videos.
Multi-Media Materials
The video and written materials for Off the Wall uses a first-person narrative approach, following the author (Dan Banda) as he travels between Mexico and the United States examining different research questions related to the history and cross cultural experience which has shaped the immigration issue over the centuries. We believe by using this approach we invite and show students: how to begin the research and project development process; investigate issues in a manner that directly relates to their lives; add critical thinking skills needed to more fully participate in a democratic society, create sense of ownership of their own history in relationship to the broad history of the United States.
Off the Wall also affords students the opportunity to explore how it is
understandable why many choose not to connect the Mexican
undocumented worker with the undocumented workers worldwide that
produce our clothing, food, toys and shelter. But, by including this larger
accountability issue and the personal and national challenges to our own
consumer driven culture it represents, these materials allow students to
better form role modeling behavior and problem solving skills related to
civic duty and responsibility outlined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights,
and international relations.
Learning Targets
Combined, The After the Immigrant DVD series and Off the Road Website meet the following targets for high school age students. All three DVDs and the website offer material to meet the standards listed below. An outline of the documentaries can be found after this list of DPI standards met by the series.
9th grade geography - Analyze the nature, distribution and migration patterns of human populations.
9th grade history
– Understand the concepts and process skills related to the study of time, continuity, and societal change throughout history and develop historical perspective and analysis.
– Explain both the position in history and the historical influences of various kinship groups and family ancestors.
– Investigate the effects that specific human decisions have had on history
– Understand and explain the contingency of history; that is, events depend on human ideas and actions and those things have been different in the absence of those ideas and actions.
– Demonstrate the ability to perceive past events with historical empathy
– Consider the influences that specific ideas and beliefs had on a period of history and how events may have been different in the absence of those ideas and beliefs.
– Evaluate the credibility and authenticity of historical sources
– Recognize different historical interpretations
– Describe how the social economic and political climates of significant periods in history shaped those who lived at that time.
– Interpret important events and social, religious and political movements as well as major historical figures that influence such movements. (World history and geography)
10th Grade Political Science and Citizenship
- Compare and contrast the nature and source of various types of political authority
- Understand the importance of individual rights and responsibilities as identified in the content and context of documents and evaluate methods available for citizens to participate in the political process at all levels locally, nationally and globally.
11th Grade US History
- Summarize significant periods and events in United States history.
- Interpret important events, social movements, political processes and major historical figures that have shaped United States history.
11th Grade World History and Geography
- Summarize significant periods and events in world history and social, religious and political movements as well as major historical figures that influence such movements.
12th grade Economics
- Describe the basic economic concepts of scarcity, opportunity costs, trade-offs, factors of production, and supply and demand
WHAT’S IN THE SERIES?
Along with the three complete documentaries you will receive a second disc which combines the programs into themes to explore and teach a larger story.
* History - oral history, primary sources, locations
* Cultural Identity - formation of ethnic identities
* Family Dynamics - 3 generational cultural shifts
* National Ethnic Identity - Mexican and US cultures
* Mixed Race Perspectives - The overlooked history & reality
* Storytime - folklore and selling cultural image
Go to the LEFSE & TORTILLA SHOW, ROOTS, or WAR SERVICE page to learn more how you can use these discs for the classroom and workshops.
Reviews:
"Powerful and compelling" PBS (Mountain's Mist and Mexico)
"A fascinating and often beautiful cultural and historical journey" Chicago Tribune (Indigenous Always)
"Smart program pick of the day." LA Times
"Unconventional, freewheeling... teases probing questions about ethnic identity, migration, and assimilation." Wisconsin State Journal (Redlining)
ORDER
Off the Road ... a docu-essay multi-media series
