HNRS-200: Displaced lives in the dmv (4 Credits)
This course approaches cities and transnational migration in the context of the history and culture of the Washington DC region and its immigrant communities. The first weeks introduce Washington, DC; questions about race, gentrification and displacement in the DMV; key issues in migration studies and in the study of cities; and basic field and library research skills. The following weeks feature units devoted to drivers of transnational migration and migrant experiences in the DC area, focused on excursions and assignments related to Salvadoran and Ethiopian American communities in Mount Pleasant and Silver Spring, respectively. During the final third of the course, we turn our focus to student projects and videos building on student research.
This class is taught in Fall 2019
To Contact Professor Pike
Email: dpike@american.edu
Office phone: (202) 885-2996
Office Hours: Tuesdays 3-5pm and Wednesdays 4-5pm in Battelle 237. Sign up for office hours here.
WHY I WANTED TO TEACH THIS CLASS
This class is focused on helping students gain a holistic understanding of cities and the people who inhabit them. Although trained in the humanities, I equally appreciate the perspectives and insight on urban life that the social sciences have to offer. I enjoy teaching courses from this multidisciplinary perspective. HNRS-200 is an opportunity to share my passion for urban scholarship with the incoming Honors cohort.
Fun fact
Cities: I grew up in Louisville, KY; I spend summers with family in Bogota, Colombia; I live in Manhattan; and I have worked in Washington for more than 20 years. Random: for the past 5 years I have been learning (slowly, having arthritic fingers and scant musical aptitude) to play the accordion.