[HIST W3514] Immigrants in American History and Life

I thought this class was really good. Professor Ngai is a really interesting and insightful lecturer, and her book "Impossible Subjects" is an absolute must-read. The lectures are fast-paced and she doesn't post her slides online so take good notes. I thought the course was really well planned-out in terms of readings and subject matter; it starts with transatlantic migrations (including slaves) in the 17th century and ends with contemporary immigrant labor regimes under globalization. The course focuses especially on legal regulations and their effects on race relations, labor regimes, gender and family dynamics, etcetera. Most of the readings are secondary literature (books, articles, etc) but we also read immigrant diaries and court decisions, and watched three films (Gangs of NY, Gentleman's Agreement, El Norte). Reading load was heavy but manageable.

I disagree with the previous reviewer about her being condescending. She's a bit brusque and no-nonsense but honestly, the class is well worth-it; she's also pretty funny, though definitely sarcastic. I would say that she's not engaged (as in she doesn't care about you as an individual student) but she's engaging (she wants you to learn). The hardest part of the class was the midterm, which was 2 essays and 10 IDs in just over an hour; final is the same format but most people learned the hard way how to manage your time. Also, readings and lecture topics are not the same so you should do both if you want to do well.

If you have any interest in U.S. or immigration history, take this class. Professor Ngai will challenge your preconceptions about both. And if you don't take it, read her book!!

When I read the reviews that said that Mae Ngai is cold, I thought it wouldn't matter in a lecture class. Her aloofness, however, affects the way that she runs the class and relates to her students. She is unwilling to hear the views of others, does not respond to emails, and has such a clear agenda in class that it makes it hard to listen to her seriously. This is immigration history taught with a huge bias, which became clearer as the semester progressed.

Besides this, Ngai's class is certainly the most poorely run class that I have ever been in. The TAs did not send out guidelines for the papers--for which they encouraged us to send in drafts--even when it was due the next week. They, and Ngai, did not respond to emails, and when they did, it was not in a timely fashion at all. One week, they assigned over two hundred pages of reading, plus a two hour-long movie--with a paper due the following Monday. The midterm assignment consisted of 2 essays and 10 IDs, all in 75 minutes. Despite the insanity of this assignment, Ngai had the gall to tell our class that our midterms were "not too hot."

The second half of this class can hardly be called a history class. It's just a platform for Ngai to talk about current events and the present status of foreign countries. Last time I checked, this wasn't a class in the polisci/econ/sociology department. At the end of the semester, Ngai launched into a description of the role of Univision and Televisia, and how they demonstrate a transnational culture. This was more a topic in current events/media than it was American history.

Ngai is not interested in any opinions that do not align with her own, and she regularly veered off topic to discuss matters that were not part of the course syllabus. I have taken a ton of history classes at Columbia, and despite receiving a perfectly fine grade at the end of the semester, this class was just not worth it. It was one of the least enjoyable courses I have taken during my time here, and certainly my most disappointing experience with the otherwise excellent history department.