The annual Virginia Conference for the Social Studies was held on Oct. 16-17 in Norfolk, Va., and for a 3rd consecutive year, the 1882 Foundation presented a workshop — this time on the 50th Anniversary of the Immigration and Nationalization Act (Hart-Celler). Our recognition of this legislative milestone dovetailed well with the major theme of the Conference: looking at history from multiple perspectives. A key component of the workshop was to connect the Hart-Celler Act to the civil rights movement and, in particular, the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964-65. The workshop focused on three goals:
1. To understand that Asian Americans, indeed all Americans, learned and benefitted from the activism of the civil rights movement — that freedom for one is freedom for all.
2. To learn how identity is shaped by one’s past heritage and coming to experience a multicultural America.
3. To add historical perspective to the meaning of citizenship: how the nation has changed and evolved since its beginnings.
A very receptive audience of 16 teachers from across the Old Dominion engaged in several activities emphasizing the significance of the Act from an Asian American perspective. Teachers were provided with the lesson plans and resources associated with the activities.
One of the 1882 Foundation’s goals is to use this website as a means to access these plans as well and expanding our capacity to reach out to as many teachers as possible. We would appreciate feedback, information, and suggestions on how to do this, so please let us know of ways to use this site.
Ting-Yi
