Field Week Lesson - Cultural Impacts

Debatable Question

How can the impact of migration on a society be classified as something to celebrate as well as fear?

Key Terminology

• Diaspora
• Homogenisation

Define the words above using the links.

Activity One - Watch

• As you watch the YouClip below write down what you perceive Americans think of Mexican migrants? Why do you think this may be?

Activity Two - Perceptions versus Reality

There are always going to be positives and negatives surrounding the impact of migration for the host nation. Many of us have experienced the impact that we have on people in Geneva:

• Language
• Food
• Dress

It is now your task to investigate the impact that diaspora has had on a specific city. There are many examples that you could study but the list below should give you a good start. You will be working in teams of four.

1. Mexican migrants into the USA - LA or Atlanta
2. Chinese migrants into the USA - San Francisco or New York, or the UK - London
3. Caribbean migrants into the UK - London
4. North Africans in France - Paris

Activity Two - Presentation

You will collate your findings on an A3 paper as a mind map - one side will describe the positives and the other the negatives. We will discuss the findings towards the end of the lesson.

You will need to explore the following points:

• language
• food
• dress
• music and dance
• religion
• medicine and health
• education
• ethnic media
• social organisations - clubs
• government legislation
• zones where they live
• conflict

Further Reading

To aid your research to explore the points above click on the links below. Do remember that you can also search for information yourself and use your own knowledge and experiences.