Immigration Issues in the United States and (Central) Europe

Syllabus

This course is organized during the first three weeks of June! A final decision whether the course is organized in a given year is made until the end of February (when we know how many students from the USA are to participate).

The goal of this program to compare immigration issues in Czechia and the United States as well as provide culturally rich learning experience to students from UMass Lowell. Topics that will be covered include transformation of Czechia from emigration to immigration country, health issues and health insurance for immigrants in Czechia, integration of immigrants and refugees in Czechia as well as similar topics in the US. Part of this program are field trips to Karlovy Vary, Terezin, and Cesky Krumlov.  

Schedule (subject to change): the first lecture takes place from 10 to 11:30 and the second lecture is from 13 to 14:30. Students are encouraged to eat lunch in between the two periods.   

All classes will be conducted in English.  

Date

Topic/Instructor

Assignment and Reading Due

Extra-curriculum activities

Week 1 6/6

Getting to know Charles U. lunch Potrefena Husa     6/7 10:00         13:00  

Introduction to Czech Republic, very brief geographical and historical orientation - Prof. Sladkova  

International migration in Czechia in a broader European context– Prof. Drbohlav      

The Czech Republic: on its way from emigration to immigration country: Drbohlav, Dzurova, Janska, Cermakova, Lachmanova-Medova, Cermak     6/8   10:00         13:00

International migration and migrants´ integration in Czechia - selected results of Geomigrace research  – Prof. Drbohlav                                                                                                                 

Characteristics of migration to the United States past – Prof. Sladkova    

Reading TBD      

K. Deaux     6/9 10:00       13:00

Characteristics of migration to the United States present –Prof. Sladkova  

Current Migration Issues in the U.S. –Prof. Sladkova       6/10  

Excursion to Cesky Krumlov   6/11

Free Day     6/12

Free Day    

Week 2 6/13 10:00     13:00

Social determinants of migrant health– Prof. Dzurova    

Immigrant Health in the US – Prof Sladkova

The self-reported health of legal and illegal /irregular immigrants in the Czech Republic: Pikhart, Drbohlav, Dzurova

Immigrant Health in the United States: A Trajectory Toward Change

Short paper on Dr. Drbohlav’s or Dr. Sladkova’s topics due via email at 10 am – [e-mail]   6/14 10:00         13:00

Health Insurance for immigrants in the Czech Republic – Prof. Hnilicová  

Immigrant Access to benefits in the United States – Prof. Sladkova  

Migrants' health and access to healthcare in the Czech Republic: Hnilicova & Dobiasova   https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/health-coverage-of-immigrants/

Reading TBD   6/15 10:00     13:00

Czech Diaspora Abroad – Prof. Janska  

Immigrant, Refugee, Expatriot – why semantics matter, immigration politic of power – Prof. Sladkova

Janská, E., & Janurová, K. (2020). Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Czech Citizens Abroad. In Migration and Social Protection in Europe and Beyond (Volume 2) (pp. 123-141). Springer, Cham.    

Reading TBD     6/16 10:00       13:00  

Interation of Immigrants in Czechia (case of Vietnamese,Russians,Moldovans and Ukrainians) – Prof. Janská, PhD Candidate Klsák  

Sladkova – significant migrant groups in Lowell - Prof. Sladkova         6/17  

Excursion to Karlovy Vary,  Adam Klsák   6/18

Free Day     6/19

Free Day

Possible excursion to Kutna Hora  

Week 3 6/20 10:00   13:00

Refugee Movements in Europe, Czechia    

Refugee/asylum seekers in the U.S.- Prof. Sladkova    

Performing refugeeness in the Czech Republic: gendered depoliticisation through NGO assistance: Szczepanikova  

Video  

Short paper on any topic covered by Dr. Hnilicova, Janska, or Dzurova due via email – [e-mail]   6/21 10:00       13:00

Non-profit Organizations Serving Refugees and Immigrants in Czechia  

Non-profit Organizations Serving Refugees and Immigrants in the US/Lowell, MA – Prof. Sladkova + guest speaker over zoom       6/22 10:00       13:00

Panel of immigrants in Czechia (from Pakistan, Russian/Ukraine, Vietnam)  

Forces Migration during and post WWII – Jewish Deportations, Sudeten Land – Prof. Sladkova       6/23  

Excursion to Terezin   6/24

Course Conclusion – potential lunch together     6/25

Free Day

Short Paper on Excursions due via email – [e-mail]   6/26

Flight back to the US     7/3  

Reflection due via email – [e-mail]   7/10  

Final exam due via email – [e-mail]  

Annotation

The goal of this program to introduce immigration issues in Czechia and the United States as well as provide culturally rich learning experience to students from UMass Lowell. Topics that will be covered include transformation of Czechia from emigration to immigration country, health issues and health insurance for immigrants in Czechia, integration of immigrants in Czechia and the U.S., refugees in Czechia and the US, undocumented migration in the US, etc.

Part of this program are field trips to Karlovy Vary, Terezin and Cesky Krumlov.