The main writing assignment for the semester is a critical autobiography composed of three (3) sections. The assignment (including sections 1, 2, and 3) must be double-spaced and 7-10 pages long. In addition, the assignment should have a title page that includes your name, the title of your paper, and the title of the course. The paper is divided into the following sections (use headngs):

Section One: Write a short autobiography that includes the following: (1) your social, political, and economic background, (2) your racial and ethnic background (3) your perception of the significance of race/racism in the United States, (4) whether you have experienced discrimination and on the basis of race and ethnicity, and (5) what you think of the future of race relations in the United States. This narrative/biographical portion should be around three (3) pages long.

Section Two: You are to interview an individual from a different racial/ethnic group; and collect at least the following information: (1) ethnicity/racial background, (2) social class, (3) education, (4) employment, (5) perceived significance of race/racism in the United States, (6) whether they felt discriminated against and on what basis, and (7) what they think of the future of race relations in the United States. You can also go beyond these seven content areas. This section should be around three (3) pages long. NOTE: It is required that the interviewee be someone of a different racial and/or ethnic background. Otherwise, your submission of this section of the assignment will not be accepted.

Section Three: Based on information from the first two sections, write a critical and comparative analysis concerning the historical and socio-demographic experiences that inform the ways in which individuals from different ethnic groups react to and interpret the nature, consequence, and the future direction of race relations in the United States. Here, it may be useful to include a comparison of your perspective and that of the person you interviewed. Talk about similarities and differences, and why these similarities and differences exist. What reasons can you find for the views about race relations in the U.S. that each of you have? Try to be as specific as possible and cite examples, relating your discussion to course topics and material. Discuss how each person’s background helps shape his or her outlook on this topic. Finally, include a thorough conclusion (at least one fully developed paragraph, likely more) that summarizes your discussions and findings from all three sections. This section should be around three (2) pages long.

Submission Guidelines:
The paper sections must be completed in Microsoft Word only. Save your word document with your last name such as Mindes.docx. Please submit your papers via the appropriate dropbox under the “Assignments” tab in Canvas. The entire paper (all three sections) should be between 7 and 10 double space pages long. 

Optional Peer Review Component (for extra credit):
By April 10, two weeks prior to the due date, you can submit a completed draft of your paper for the optional Peer Review component of this assignment. For this, you will be expected to read the draft from two other students and provide feedback. This component of the assignment is worth 5 extra credit points and needs to be completed one week later so that students have a chance to read your feedback and make adjustments. Click here for more details.

Common Mistakes:

• not dividing the paper into three clear sections with headings
• not addressing each of the required content for each section
• not writing a narrative style section on the interviewee (do not just provide a transcript of the interview)
• not connecting the paper to course material — especially in the third section
• not meeting the page requirement of 7-10 double-spaced pages