This course offers a comparative history of immigration to the United States from colonial times to the present. It explores changing causes and patterns of immigration, the development of nativism and immigration restrictions, and the impact of immigration on the life of the nation. Above all, it focuses on the effects of race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, and region of settlement in shaping the experiences and identities of immigrants themselves. During the semester, participants will also examine and evaluate conflicting theories of immigration forwarded by historian and other scholars.