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Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the educators, students, families, and community members whose stories and experiences continue to shape this work.

We are especially grateful to the teachers and youth who remind us that storytelling is not only a creative act, but also a way of preserving memory, building belonging, and imagining more just futures.

This sample lesson plan was created as a model for classroom and community-based learning. It is intended to support conversations about identity, voice, culture, representation, and the power of Asian American stories in educational spaces.

Dear Educator,

This sample lesson plan was created to support teaching and learning around Asian American identity, storytelling, and education. While stories are often treated as personal or creative expressions, they are also powerful tools for reflection, connection, community building, and social understanding.

This unit is designed to help students think critically about how stories are shaped, whose voices are centered, and how lived experiences influence the ways people see themselves and others. Through discussion, writing, media analysis, and creative projects, students will explore the relationship between identity, memory, language, community, and representation.

The lessons in this sample are designed to work together as a short unit, but they may also be used independently. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the activities based on grade level, classroom context, and the needs of their students.

Thank you for creating space for students to reflect, speak, listen, and tell stories that matter.

Sincerely,

Asian Americans as Storytellers and Educators

asianyoutheducators@gmail.com

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Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lesson 1�04 The Evolution of Asian America

Lesson 2�10 Post 1965 Immigration Act - South Asian

Lesson 3�16 Comparing Immigration Eras

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson will explore immigration from Asia after the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act. Students will explore the different Asian ethnic groups that immigrated to America, noting their similarities and differences from earlier Asian immigration.

Oral Histories Featured In the Lesson: Flora Mei Wei Wa Tan interviewed by Yani Zeng, Dan Heur interviewed by Grace Tie, and Caroline Semerau interviewed by Sennen Querijero

Rationale: These oral histories help represent the wide range of experiences of people immigrating to America after 1965. Flora followed a common path of marriage and immigration. Meanwhile, Dan represents another pathway, a serial immigrant. A serial immigrant immigrates to a third country before coming to America. Lastly, Caroline is a 1.5-generation immigrant, one who came to America at a young age.

MICHIGAN STANDARDS

USHG ERA 8 – POST-WORLD WAR II UNITED STATES (1945-1989)

8.2 Domestic Policies Investigate demographic changes, domestic policies, conflicts, and tensions in post-World War II America.
8.2.1 Demographic Changes – use population data to produce and analyze maps that show the major changes in population distribution and spatial patterns and density, including the Baby Boom, new immigration, suburbanization, reverse migration of African-Americans to the South, the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, and the flow of population to the Sunbelt.

LESSON ONE

The Evolution of Asian

America

5o minutes

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

Asian American Studies K-12 Framework (Link):

Imperialism, War, Migration

When and from where have different groups of Asians migrated to the United States?
What factors impacted how the U.S. designed its immigration and exclusion policies?
How do current economic initiatives continue Asian migration for specific labor?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What were factors that influenced immigration from Asia around the 1900s?
How has the 1965 Immigration Act shaped the demographic, social, and cultural landscape of America?
How did questions of identity influence immigrants from Asia?

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will:

be able to identify the factors that influenced immigration from Asia from 1850-1924.
be able to compare and contrast immigration from Asia around 1900 with Asian immigration after 1965.

LESSON ONE

The Evolution of Asian

America

5o minutes

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

FORM OF ASSESSMENT

Exit slips, multiple choice questions, and short answers.

These can be used throughout the lesson. For example, comparing the responses to “What does it mean to be an American in the United States?” can be used in the beginning of the lesson and at the lesson to reveal how a student’s thinking might have changed over the classroom.

Alternatively, students can be given a series of questions as follows:

What does it mean to be an American?
Describe how early Asian immigrants before 1924 might have answered that question.
Describe how Asian immigrants after 1965 might answer that question.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Oral History Videos
Flora Mei Wei Wa Tan interviewed by Yani Zeng
Dan Heur interviewed by Grace Tie,
Caroline Semerau interviewed by Sennen Querijero
Handouts (found in Appendix)

LESSON ONE

The Evolution of Asian

America

5o minutes

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

VOCABULARY

1964 Civil Rights Act
1965 Immigration Act
2nd Generation
1st Generation
1.5 Generation
H1B Visa

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD

Discussion

LESSON ONE

The Evolution of Asian

America

5o minutes

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

INTRODUCTION�⏲ 5 minutes

Opening Question: What does it mean to be American in the United States?

Students will brainstorm their answer. Then discuss as a class. Answers can range from values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors.

MAIN ACTIVITY�⏲ 20 - 25 minutes

Students will:

Read Eric Liu’s Notes of Native Speaker
Read descriptions of early Japanese and South Asian immigration
Listen to oral histories of Asian immigrants

Students should take notes on all of the different activities.

ASSESSMENT�⏲ 10 minutes

Answer the following questions:

What similarities and differences are there between the immigrant communities across time periods?
What historical developments might explain those similarities and differences?
Whose story is told? Think of the different identities that were discussed previously.
Whose story is not told? Think of the different identities that were discussed previously.
How might the current debates about immigration (see Changes in Trump’s immigration policy handout) affect the Asian American community?

Class discussion and then write responses to the questions.

LESSON SEQUENCE

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LESSON 1 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

CLOSURE�⏲ 10 minutes

How has immigration from Asia influenced America?

Answers might include celebrities, politicians, tech leaders, culture, and food.

APPENDIX

Handouts and Learning Materials:

Notes of a Native Speaker

Trump Policy Changes to Immigration in 2025

Early Japanese immigration

Early South Asian immigration

Resources:

1965 Immigration Act: https://asianamericanedu.org/immigration-and-nationality-act-of-1965.html

Asian American Identity: https://www.vox.com/identities/22380197/asian-american-pacific-islander-aapi-heritage-anti-asian-hate-attacks

LESSON SEQUENCE

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson will explore the immigration from South Asia after the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act. Students will compare and contrast the people from different South Asian countries and their experiences in America.

Oral Histories Featured In the Lesson: Jyoti Gupta interviewed by Arjun Gupta and Newarun Nessa interviewed by Sameeha Khan

Rationale: Both interviews help provide context to the South Asian immigration after 1965. Jyoti comes from India, as many immigrants from South Asia. Her story tells of the difficulty adjusting to life in America but also highlights the importance of retaining one’s culture. Newarun immigrated from Bangladesh under different circumstances, yet the challenges to adjusting to America are similar.

MICHIGAN STANDARDS

USHG ERA 8 – POST-WORLD WAR II UNITED STATES (1945-1989)

8.2 Domestic Policies Investigate demographic changes, domestic policies, conflicts, and tensions in post-World War II America.
8.2.1 Demographic Changes – use population data to produce and analyze maps that show the major changes in population distribution and spatial patterns and density, including the Baby Boom, new immigration, suburbanization, reverse migration of African-Americans to the South, the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, and the flow of population to the Sunbelt.

LESSON TWO

Post 1965 Immigration Act

- South Asian

50 minutes

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

Asian American Studies K-12 Framework (Link):

Exploration of Self

What identities do you hold? (Think about race, ethnicity, religion, class, gender, immigration status, etc.)
What does learning about our identities teach me about others? Myself?
What identities are viewed as part of the dominant group (what is considered the norm or “normal”) in the society you live in?
Which of your overlapping identities may be marginalized in the society you live in?
How are some identities expressed more in certain spaces than other identities?
How do the social spaces in which you participate impact how you view your own identity and the identities of others?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How has the 1965 Immigration Act shaped the demographic, social, and cultural landscape of America?
In what ways are the challenges and opportunities described in the videos different than or the same as earlier Asian immigrants? As European immigrants?

LESSON TWO

Post 1965 Immigration Act

- South Asian

50 minutes

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will:

be able to identify the push and pull factors for immigrants from South Asia.
be able to describe immigration from different South Asian countries.
be able to compare and contrast South Asian immigration to the United States with other population movements such as the Great Migration during the 1910s,
or the migration of the population towards the Sunbelt after 1945.

FORM OF ASSESSMENT

Exit Slips - In what ways are Jyoti and Newarun’s story similar? Different?

Short Answer Question:

Describe one push or pull factor that influences immigration?
Identify and explain one factor that applies to Jyoti or Newarun’s situation.
Explain how South Asian immigration is similar to or different than other population movements.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Oral History Videos
Jyoti Gupta interviewed by Arjun Gupta
Newarun Nessa interviewed by Sameeha Khan
Handouts (found in Appendix)

LESSON TWO

Post 1965 Immigration Act

- South Asian

50 minutes

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

VOCABULARY

1965 Immigration Act
Green Card
2nd Generation
1st Generation
1.5 Generation

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD

Discussion

LESSON TWO

Post 1965 Immigration Act

- South Asian

50 minutes

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

INTRODUCTION�⏲ 5 minutes

Opening Question: What does it mean to be American?

Students will brainstorm their answer. Then discuss as a class. Answers can range from values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors.

MAIN ACTIVITY�⏲ 20 - 25 minutes

Students will:

Listen to two interviews
Review AAPI Data on the South Asian American community
Read oral histories of other South Asian immigrants

Students should take notes on all of the different activities.

ASSESSMENT�⏲ 10 minutes

Answer the following questions:

What does it mean to be a South Asian American?
Whose story is told?
Whose story is not told?
What influences whose stories are told?
Discuss the immigration patterns of South Asians to the United States. What communities are coming to the United States?
What similarities and differences are there between the communities?
How do these impressions compare to portrayals of the South Asian American community in the news, media, and tv/movies?

Class discussion and then write responses to the questions.

LESSON SEQUENCE

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LESSON 2 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

CLOSURE�⏲ 10 minutes

How has immigration from South Asia influenced America?

Answers might include celebrities, politicians, tech leaders, culture, food.

APPENDIX

Handouts and Learning Materials:

South Asian American Community Data

Bangladeshi History

Bhutan History

H1B Visa

Resources:

South Asian Identity: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/brown-desi-south-asian-diaspora-reflects-terms-represent-erase-rcna1886

Introduction to South Asian American History: https://www.saada.org/resources/learners/introduction

LESSON SEQUENCE

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson will explore the different eras of immigration, the early 1900s and post-1965, through the view of Asian Americans. The lesson will ask students to compare and contrast the individuals’ experiences coming to America, and also the rules and institutions they encountered in the immigration process.

Oral Histories Featured In the Lesson: Henna Begum interviewed by Sameeha Khan and Pei Yee Tang interviewed by Grace Tie

Rationale:

These oral histories provide insight into alternative pathways to immigrating to the United States. Henna was a recipient of the Diversity Lottery that included people from underrepresented countries. Pei Yee Tang immigrated to America after immigrating to Malaysia and spending an early part of her life in Malaysia. Despite these differences, both experienced challenges here in America.

MICHIGAN STANDARDS

USHG ERA 6 – THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDUSTRIAL, URBAN, AND GLOBAL UNITED STATES (1870-1930)

Individually and collaboratively, students will engage in planned inquiries to understand how the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed the American people, how massive immigration after 1870 as well as new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity, and how the rise of the American labor movement and political issues reflected social and economic change.

LESSON THREE

Comparing Immigration

Eras

50 minutes

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

MICHIGAN STANDARDS

6.1 Growth of an Industrial and Urban America

Explain the causes and consequences — both positive and negative — of the Industrial Revolution and America’s growth from a predominantly agricultural, commercial, and rural nation to a more industrial and urban nation between 1870 and 1930.

6.1.1 Factors in the American Second Industrial Revolution – analyze the factors that enabled the United States to become a major industrial power, including:
the organizational revolution.
the economic policies of government and industrial leaders.
the advantages of physical geography.
the increase in labor through immigration and migration.
the growing importance of the automobile industry.

USHG ERA 8 – POST-WORLD WAR II UNITED STATES (1945-1989)

8.2 Domestic Policies Investigate demographic changes, domestic policies, conflicts, and tensions in post-World War II America.
8.2.1 Demographic Changes – use population data to produce and analyze maps that show the major changes in population distribution and spatial patterns and density, including the Baby Boom, new immigration, suburbanization, reverse migration of African-Americans to the South, the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, and the flow of population to the Sunbelt.

LESSON THREE

Comparing Immigration

Eras

50 minutes

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

Asian American Studies K-12 Framework (Link):

Stereotypes & Discrimination

When you imagine “Asian American”, who do you imagine (which groups/communities) and who is left out of your imagination?
How are certain identities stereotyped and represented/misrepresented?
How could such stereotypes become reinforced in various aspects of society (law, education, media, health care, prison system, sports, entertainment)?
How have stereotypes impacted the ways Asian Americans have been discriminated against in U.S. society?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What criteria might make it easier to immigrate to America? Why?
How are the values and beliefs of those who make immigration rules reflected in the immigration process?
How and why has the immigration process changed over the years?

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will:

be able to describe the immigration experience for individuals who came through Angel Island between 1910 and 1940.
be able to describe the immigration experience of individuals who immigrated to America after the 1965 Immigration Act.
compare and contrast the two experiences and speculate why the differences and similarities exist.

LESSON THREE

Comparing Immigration

Eras

50 minutes

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

FORM OF ASSESSMENT

Exit slips - Students consider how immigration has impacted our nation today.

Short Answer Question:

Describe one aspect of the immigration process between 1910 and 1940.
Describe one aspect of the immigration experience after 1965.
Explain one reason why your answer in A and B are similar OR why they are different.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Oral History Videos
Henna Begum interviewed by Sameeha Khan
Pei Yee Tang interviewed by Grace Tie
Handouts (found in Appendix)

VOCABULARY

Chinese Exclusion Act: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, signed by President Chester A. Arthur, was the first major U.S. federal law to prohibit all immigration of a specific ethnic group, namely Chinese laborers, for 10 years. Driven by anti-Chinese sentiment and economic anxiety on the West Coast, it barred Chinese residents from citizenship, required reentry certifications, and was extended until its repeal in 1943.
Paper Sons: A Chinese merchant or an American-born Chinese would create fictitious children, or 'paper sons' and 'paper daughters,' whom they claimed were born in China.

LESSON THREE

Comparing Immigration

Eras

50 minutes

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

VOCABULARY

Angel Island: Angel Island Immigration Station served as the largest immigration port on the West Coast between 1910 and 1940.
1965 Immigration Act: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Celler Act) abolished the national-origins quota system that favored Northern Europeans, replacing it with a preference system focusing on skilled labor and family reunification. Signed by President Johnson on October 3, 1965, it aimed to eliminate discrimination against non-white immigrants, fundamentally shifting U.S. immigration from Europe toward Asia and Latin America.
Diversity Green Card Lottery: The Diversity Visa (DV) Program (Green Card Lottery) is a U.S. government initiative awarding up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually via a free, random lottery to people from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD

Discussion

LESSON THREE

Comparing Immigration

Eras

50 minutes

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LESSON 3 Asian American as Storytellers and Educators

INTRODUCTION�⏲ 5 minutes

Opening Question: Who should be allowed to come to America?

Students will brainstorm their answer. Considerations include regions of the world (for purposes of representation), skills, wealth, education levels, limits of American resources, American economic needs.

MAIN ACTIVITY�⏲ 20 - 25 minutes

Students will:

Listen to oral history of Robert Fon Yee
Skim I.M. Pei’s immigration paperwork
Skim Bhagat Singh’s immigration paperwork
Listen to oral histories of Henna Begum and Pei Yee Tang

Students should take notes on all of the different activities.

ASSESSMENT�⏲ 20 minutes

Answer the following questions:

Why was the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882?
How did immigration officials determine whether immigrants had the proper authorization to come to America? How did some immigrants evade the rules?
Based on the amount of paperwork, what are immigration authorities’ concerns about potential immigrants?
Why did the immigration rules change in 1965?
What is the experience of individuals that came after 1965?
Compare and contrast the experiences from the two different eras of immigration.
What is the modern day immigration process? Does it reflect the values of our society?

Class discussion and then write responses to the questions.

LESSON SEQUENCE

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