ETST 301: Ethnic Studies and Society (Professor Frank Perez) [Spring 2021]

*Always consult Cougar Courses for full research assignment guidelines.

Policy Project Prompt

For Professor Perez's final assignment, your group will develop an original legislative resolution aimed at addressing a particular issue afflicting Marginalized Communities (ie fair housing, police violence, education funding/curriculum/staffing, voting rights) or other Social Justice issue that you find most salient. Professor Perez expects you to develop your model legislative proposal after those set forth by local and statewide offices.

Your proposal should provide directive (financial/programmatic) solutions to the problem: i.e. undocumented immigrants have issues buying vehicles and insurance due to their status, we apportion $$$ to develop special licenses for undocumented residents that pass the CA Driver’s Test. Professor Perez emphasizes dealing with your issue with a practical solution (major issue is student to counselor access disparities, dedicated funding to specifically hire counselors) rather than something broad (ending racism/sexism/homophobia/systematic oppression).  Do not feel as though you need to save the world with this legislation. Rather, find one important issue within a broader issue (immigration reform: family separation).

Assignment Parameters

To develop your proposal, your group will:

• Have to reference relevant research/scholarship/publications covered in the course and from outside sources. You are required to reference a minimum of 10 sources for this project
  • (2-4 from assigned readings
  • 4-6 from outside academic sources [journal articles/books]), and
  • 2-4 from news sources (LA Times/Sacramento Bee/San Francisco Chronicle).
• In text citations and a bibliography are required for this assignment, please use the appropriate academic style as it pertains to your major (MLA/APA/ASA/Chicago). The actual resolution should between 10 double-spaced pages.