This tentative schedule (subject to minor revisions) provides an overview of the topics addressed in each day of the week-long institute and the general flow of activities associated with each day. Each day will consist of a combination of lecture and/ field study. Peppered throughout each day will be primary source analysis and teaching strategies. The course reader will be available to download from the institute’s website upon acceptance to the workshop. Required readings should be read in advance of the workshop.
Sunday / Day One: Welcome: the Lure of Gold
Guiding Questions: What drew Chinese immigrants to California? How did Chinese immigrants contribute to mining the gold fields?
❖ Meet and greet reception with light refreshments at the International House in Davis, CA
❖ Welcome by Project Director Stacey Greer and Academic Director Robyn Rodriguez
❖ Brief Talk by Robyn Rodriguez, “The Lure of Gold”
Monday / Day Two: Chinese Labor Meets the Landscape
Guiding Questions: How did Chinese immigrants contribute to mining the gold fields and building the Transcontinental Railroad? At what cost? What does it mean to say what the railroad “cost”? Are there ways of figuring the human cost of railroad growth into our histories? How do these stories shape our understanding of the railroad and its meanings? How do landmarks figure in modern memory?
❖ Exploration of exhibit at California History Museum in Sacramento: “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories”
❖ Lecture by Cecilia Tsu, “Immigration, Migration, and the People who Built the Transcontinental Railroad”
❖ Guided drive to the Sierras led by Phil Sexton, “Examining the Topography and Modifications to it”
❖ Field Study: Hike Donner Pass and the Railroad Tunnels led by Phil Sexton
❖ Dinner at The Sierra Club’s Clair Tappan Lodge
Tuesday / Day Three: Chinese Immigrants in Agriculture, and the Beginnings of Exclusion
Guiding Questions: How do the experiences of Chinese laborers change our understanding of California farming? How can we see the physical environment as a landmark? What were the justifications given for Chinese exclusion? What were the consequences of creating the “yellow peril” stereotype?
❖ Introduction to the Curriculum Project & Model Inquiry Lesson
❖ Lecture and discussion by Cecilia Tsu, “Chinese Immigrants in California Agriculture”
❖ Field Study: Trip to Locke, including a tour of the town, and the Locke Boarding House Museum
❖ Lecture and discussion by Beth-Lew Williams, “The Road to Chinese Exclusion”
Wednesday / Day Four: The Chinese Immigrant Experience at Angel Island & Chinatown
Guiding Questions: What does it mean to consider the United States as a gatekeeping nation? How can we compare the experiences of Angel Island and Ellis Island to teach students about the tensions and contradictions of immigration policy? How did the Chinese build community despite considerable limitations?
❖ Field Study: Angel Island Immigration Station Tour led by Wendy Rouse
❖ Exploration of the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum exhibit, “Chinese American Exclusion/Inclusion”
❖ Walking Tour of Chinatown in San Francisco
Thursday / Day Five: Chinese Immigrants and Immigration through the Civil Rights Era
Guiding Questions: How were arguments used against Chinese immigration extended to justify other immigration restrictions in the twentieth century? How did working for civil rights lead to recognition of shared histories and experiences?
❖ Lecture and discussion by Robyn Rodriguez, "Race Relations and Immigration Policy through World War II"
❖ Lecture and discussion by Robyn Rodriguez, “The Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the 1965 Immigration Act”
❖ Lecture by Harvey Dong, “Formation of Asian American Studies”
❖ Discussion and Poetry Reading from Kearny Street Workshop
❖ Evening Viewing of Documentary Film “Chinatown Rising”
Friday / Day Six: Challenging the “Model Minority” Stereotype and the Common Good
Guiding Questions: How did the stereotype of Asians as the “model minority” and the resurfacing of the "yellow peril" impact the experiences of Chinese Americans? How do the experiences of Chinese Americans help inform our understanding of contemporary American life, culture, and politics? How does a study of the Chinese American experience provide perspective for understanding the immigrant experience, and the processes of creating community in the United States? How do we take this learning and apply it to our classrooms?
❖ Lecture and discussion of readings by Robyn Rodriguez, “Transformations in Immigration, and Challenging the ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype”
❖ “Common Good” Debrief of Week’s Learning by Stacey Greer
❖ Share curriculum projects in process & next steps