Geography 98/198 paper topics: El Norte - Monday, March 29th, 2004.

Papers should be approximately 1-2 pages in length, double spaced, 12 point times or similar font.

Due in class: Monday, April 5th, 2004.

Option A:

As we saw in the film refugees of political persecution are not always allowed into the United States. What might be some political reasons behind not granting people fleeing Guatemala refugee status? What are some countries from which we might accept refugees, and why them if not Guatemalans? If the enemies of our friends are seeking asylum, should we grant it? Should we prevent persons seeking refuge from enemy countries from receiving asylum because they might pose a threat to national security?

Option B:

In this movie we saw some of the dangers of both the border crossing and working conditions for migrant workers seeking a better life in the US. Is this a sign that we need to beef up security on the boarder and in the US to prevent these immigrants from coming over against our laws? Or should we realize that it is impossible to prevent people from coming into the country in this way and for these reasons and instead make allowances for their presence? Are they harmful to our economy, or could we really not survive without them?