Curriculum Corner Archives - 1882 Foundation

Chinese American Experiences in History and Short Films: A Traveling Seminar

Join 1882 Foundation for the first installment of our traveling seminars. Seminars feature short documentary film screenings, expert speakers, discussions of key historical themes, and lesson plans for educators. The first session is geared towards teachers and the second session towards the general public (though all are welcome to attend either). The seminars will shed light on the Chinese American experience, what it means to be American, and why that story and that of all Asian Americans must be told.

FIRST SESSION: Recruited, Excluded, and (sort of) Included: the Asian American Experience seen through short films
Aug. 29, 12:30 to 3:30 PM
Arlington County Teachers Workshop
Arlington Traditional School
855 N. Edison St.
Arlington, VA 22206

Chinese came to America looking for “Gold Mountain” in the 1850s and then to build the Transcontinental Railroad. But in 1882 and for 60 years after, Chinese Americans and later all Asians were not allowed into the U.S. and denied citizenship if already here. Fitting into American life was especially difficult given this legacy of exclusion. Teachers will explore this history and view two contemporary short films. “Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968” is about the Washington, DC riots following Martin Luther King’s assassination and its impact on Chinatown. “Finding Cleveland” follows a young Los Angeles man seeking his Chinese roots and unexpectedly finds himself tracing the path of his father and grandfather to Cleveland, Miss. in the heart of the Jim Crow south. A panel discussion will follow with filmmakers Lisa Mao and Larissa Lim and noted scholars Janelle Wong (University of Maryland) and Krystyn Moon (University of Mary Washington). Teachers will also receive lessons addressing the history of exclusion and issues of identity raised by the films.

Speakers/Panelists: Janelle Wong (U. of Maryland), Krystyn Moon (U. of Mary Washington), Larissa Lam (filmmaker of Finding Cleveland), Lisa Mao (filmmaker of Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968)

SECOND SESSION: Recruited, Excluded, and (sort of) Included: the Asian American Experience seen through short films
Aug. 29, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Open to the Community
Kenmore Middle School
200 S. Carlin Springs Rd.
Arlington, VA 22204

In the evening, we will be showing the same two films but with a different perspective: how do changing communities such as Arlington build on the strengths of their individual communities (Asian, Latino, Black, and White). The idea here is to for people to understand how important it is for all the communities to get to know each other and their history. Panelists include Samir Meghelli, (Curator, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum), Marya McQuirter (DC 1968 Project) and Larissa Lam

Again, the seminars will need to be tailored to each venue, but this may give you a few ideas. The films I would like to use in Norfolk are Finding Samuel Lowe and Finding Cleveland. “Finding Samuel Lowe” is longer – by Paula Madison runs 40 minutes but is excellent. We showed it in DC at our annual 1882 Symposium. It’s about three African American siblings, one of them Paula, who grew up in Harlem with their Chinese/Jamaican mother. They follow a trail to Jamaica, Toronto, and then to China to learn about their Chinese grandfather. At the critical juncture of venturing off to China, Paula’s husband asks her, “What do you expect? You know you’re Black?” She laughs and says, “I know I’m Black! I expect that because I am their family and they are my family, we’ll be family… I know that I am a Lowe, and they will want me as much as I want them.”

Our events are free and open to all. For questions, or to get involved, please contact Ting-Yi Oei at tyoei66@gmail.com.

Click here for flyer!

by Ali Smith

CACA Meeting on Education, July 11, 2016

Curriculum Corner

Meeting in Los Angeles over the course of two days, members of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) Education Committee drafted plans to produce a curriculum in 2017 around five key themes in Chinese American history.

Immigration
Building of the American Nation (Contributions)
- Western expansion
- Imperialism
14^th Amendment (Wong Kim Ark)
Civil rights – Exclusion laws
- Women’s rights
- Asian American movement of the 60’s
Culture and Identity

Recognizing that a lot of material exists already, the committee is setting its task to gather the best and most relevant lesson plans and resources to explain the unique role and contributions of Chinese Americans in American history.

Within each of the themes lie many stories of Chinese Americans. Currently the K-12 curriculum is lacking representation of Chinese American and Asian American experiences. Yet the national and state standards being taught can easily be addressed – and should be addressed – by introducing personal narratives, court cases, photos that shed light on the themes we’ve chosen.

The Chinese Exclusion Acts should be a focal point for making it clear that the U.S. has not always lived up to its ideals as represented in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. One of our goals is to make clear what the Acts were about and the legacy they left.

The Supreme Court case of Wong Kim Ark should be highlighted in any U.S. History curriculum as the landmark case that it is for determining birthright citizenship (14th Amendment) in this country, Similarly, the more complete story of immigration should include the lives of Chinese Americans: not just that they helped build the Transcontinental Railroad, but what did their work entail? How did they live? Could they have any kind of family life? From these kinds of questions one can learn more than just immigration. The discussion can now move forward to related questions about labor, women’s rights, and cultural change.

We are determined to find the places in the curriculum that need attention and give the Chinese American story a proper place in the history of the American nation. Please add your thoughts and ideas to the discussion

.

by Ting-Yi Oei

Virginia Conference for the Social Studies

Curriculum Corner

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

by Ting-Yi Oei

Civil Rights & the 1965 Immigration and Nationalization Act (Hart-Celler)

Curriculum Corner

Teacher Workshop, Oct. 2, 2015

The 1882 Foundation and the Alexandria Black History Museum collaborated on a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of landmark legislative acts that have transformed America over the lat half-century. As part of the week’s activities, teachers from Alexandria City schools participated in a full-day workshop entitled The World Comes To Us: A Fresh Look at What we Teach and the Students We’re Teaching. A variety of sessions were designed to recognize the intersection of the African American experience and civil rights with that of Chinese and Asian Americans, and to better understand how these experiences have enriched our lives.

The collaboration allowed us to look at the theme from many perspectives. Katie Orr of the National Park Service, led the group through a lesson plan about the Rosenwald Schools funded by Julius Rosenwald, CEO of Sears Roebuck back in the early 1900s, including one in Alexandria. Kate Reeder had teachers examine artifacts unearthed from Alexandria Black and Freedmen’s sites; Ting-Yi Oei used sources tying the 1965 Immigration Act to the Civil Rights Movement. Krystyn Moon,Director of American Studies at University of May Washington, captivated teachers with a comparative timeline of Civil Rights and immigration history with many connections to local history.

Link to Rosenwald School Lesson: http://1882foundation.orgwww.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/159rosenwald/159rosenwald.htm

Another National Park Service resource is this guidebook entitled Asian Reflections on the American Landscape, a printed copy of which was given to each of the teacher participants: http://1882foundation.orgwww.nps.gov/history/heritageinitiatives/pubs/Asianisms.pdf

by Ting-Yi Oei

Young Historians Project

Curriculum Corner

Nothing works better at getting students interested in history than having them become historians themselves. We all long to feel the excitement of uncovering something new, of getting our hands on a real document proving who we are or where we came from. We learn by seeing something through a different set of eyes, appreciating the work or experiences of someone by reading their stories, studying photos. or touching objects they touched. That’s what the Smithsonian’s Young Historians Project has students do in connection with searching out their heritage.

The students whose media projects are available through the link below explored the subject of being Asian American in a variety of ways. They talked to family members, learned about their communities, sought out stories of the immigrant experience, and worked to understand what it means to be an American. This is a wonderful resource to share with others. It demonstrates ways in which we can encourage young people to learn about the past, preserve stories that need to be remembered, and become fully engaged citizens.

Follow the link: https://1882foundation.orgyounghistorianslivinghistories.wordpress.com

by Ting-Yi Oei

Curriculum Corner News

Curriculum Corner

Back in May, participants at our 3rd 1882 Symposium heard from Social Studies specialists in Alexandria City and Fairfax County, Va. about ways in which we can highlight Asian American stories and make it more likely that teachers will use them as examples within their courses. We have been working on ways to influence state boards of education and legislators to be more inclusive of the role Asian Americans have played in the history of the United States. A key emphasis has been on showing that topics such as civil rights, labor, westward expansion, economics, and more are all full of Asian American experiences that are not just relevant but fundamentally important to understanding this country’s history. We have committed ourselves to building partnerships with other organizations and institutions so that we can create a resource center for teachers and the public that will provide the knowledge, information, and means to make our stories truly a part of the whole American story. Those of you who read about “1882” are encouraged to send along your thoughts as we move forward.

Michael Hussey from the National Archives also spoke about the resources there and mentioned that in July, 16 teachers would be attending a workshop specifically dealing with Chinese immigration. I’m pleased to say that I was able to present information about the Foundation and see some of the work that teachers were doing: uncovering many new documents, digitizing them and creating lessons that will become accessible through the Archives “Docs Teach” online program. Many documents are already available, as you may know, and one lesson on Wong Kim Ark is especially timely given the concerns raised recently about the 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship.

Ted Gong and I also had an opportunity to showcase a lesson and a screening of the film Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968 for teachers in Fairfax County as part of their Teacher In-service program just before schools re-opened this fall. The film captures the tensions in the city that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King and the impact the riots had on the Chinese community here. It is also an important story of a “minority among a minority” and the struggle to find one’s identity during a difficult time.

Coming up soon during the week of Sept. 26 though Oct. 3rd is a commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Nationalization Act (Hart-Celler) that the 1882 Foundation and the Alexandria Black History Museum have organized. Here’s a link to the week’s schedule:

http://1882foundation.orgblackhistorymuseumevents.weebly.com

From the Curriculum Corner’s perspective, the education workshop scheduled for Fri., Oct. 2nd is noteworthy as we will be presenting a full day of activities, lessons, and discussions around the intersection of civil rights and the Asian American immigrant experience. The theme for the day is the World Comes To Us: A Fresh Look at What We Teach and the Students We Teach.” We will be looking at comparative historical timelines of civil rights and immigration, specific stories about the African American and Asian American experiences, and delving into the demographic changes that have transformed the area and the nation since 1965. Another one of our collaborators, Katie Orr of the National Park Service, will be presenting a lesson on the Rosenwald Schools, many of which were built in Virginia.

One of my more immediate goals is to get a number of lessons made available for teachers on this site. So we’re staying busy and on a track to reach out to as many of you as we can. Let us know of ideas and of information you wish to share.

by Ting-Yi Oei

Tag Archive for: Curriculum Corner

Chinese American Experiences in History and Short Films: A Traveling Seminar

CACA Meeting on Education, July 11, 2016

Virginia Conference for the Social Studies

Civil Rights & the 1965 Immigration and Nationalization Act (Hart-Celler)

Young Historians Project

Curriculum Corner News

Tag Archive for: Curriculum Corner

Nothing Found

Menu

Make a Donation

Join Our Mailing List

Contact 1882 Foundation