CAAM’s new community and educational outreach program “Who is American?” Immigration, Exclusion, & the American Dream will foster greater public understanding and dialogue about the history and impact of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, a landmark, little known piece of federal legislation that reshaped American law, foreign policy and civic life. Through the program, CAAM will distribute free educational resources and host community screenings to reach thousands of students, teachers, and community members in support of the film THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
CAAM is working with a group of educators in the Bay Area who are developing curriculum around the Chinese Exclusion Act and will use scenes from the documentary as part of the lesson sets. Their curriculum is tentatively titled “Teaching Against Exclusion.” We are happy to announce that curriculum development for the project is underway.
The educators will develop lesson sets that allow students to explore connections between historical and contemporary conditions, from exclusionary immigration policies, disproportionate incarceration rates among people of color, and police violence, to areas in Oakland that are quickly gentrifying, they said. The teachers plan to attend The Chinese Exclusion Act film screening at #CAAMFest35, will continue to delve into the issue by visiting the “Chinese Exclusion/Inclusion” exhibit at the Chinese Historical Society of America, and learn more from historians and academics.
MEET THE EDUCATORS BEHIND THE CURRICULUM
- Young Whan Choi, Manager of Performance Assessments, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
- Elizabeth Humphries, High School History Specialist, Oakland Unified School District
- Rachel B. Reinhard, Ph.D., Director, UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project
Check out our March 2017 blog post for more information about Young Whan Choi, Elizabeth Humphries, and Rachel B. Reinhard and to learn more about the curriculum they are helping CAAM develop.
SCREENINGS & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Please fill out the following form if you are interested in hosting/organizing your own community screening or receiving free educational resources on the documentary. The complete film of THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT is now available for purchase at the PBS Store. At this time, we are not distributing the materials internationally. Feel free to fill out the form and we can hold onto your request.
If you are interested in hosting a screening, please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Promotional resources for screenings are available here.
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