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Project Ideas for “The Tortilla Curtain”1
- Think of the economic issues surrounding
illegal immigration. What are the
monetary reasons for Mexicans crossing
the border to California? How does
their standard of living change when
they get to the United States? What
are the advantages and disadvantages
for employers who hire undocumented
workers? What effect does the hiring
of these workers have on the labor
force?
- Explore the living conditions
and demographics of illegal immigrants
in California. Where do they live?
In what housing situations? Is health
care provided? By whom? What is the
effect of illegal immigration on
family life?
- Investigate information on border
patrol issues. How is the border
patrolled? Is there a physical border?
Where are the checkpoints? Is border
patrol a successful method of stopping
the flow of immigrants? What are
some of the problems in maintaining
control of the border?
- What are the laws and policies
currently in effect regarding illegal
immigrants? How does one become a
legal immigrant? Explain Proposition
187 and report on its current status.
- Do illegal immigrants harm the
United States? In what way? How should
the United States respond to illegal
immigration? Are illegal immigrants
being victimized? If so, by whom?
- How does globalization help or
hinder solving the problem of illegal
immigration?
- Does the “free market” increase
the exploitation of low wage workers?
- Measure the physical differences from the top of Topanga Canyon to the bottom of it. Is there a difference in physical surrounding? (In plants? Animals? Are there weather/temperature/humidity differences?)
- Explore the physical needs for cross country walking, in terms of water consumption, physical exhaustion and chemical changes in the body during starvation.
1 Brody,
Jane. The Tortilla Curtain: English
111 WebQuest. 26 September 2002
