- Zinn Education Project

A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America

Book — Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki, with a foreword by Clint Smith. 2023. 576 pages.
A multicultural history of the United States, in the voices of Indigenous people, African Americans, Jews, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and others.

Dear Educators, It Is Time to Fight for Asian America

An open letter to educators with resources to "learn or unlearn Asian American history, to teach about the oppression from white supremacy, and to teach about the movements, activists, and solidarity across movements."

May 23, 1914: Indian Migrants on the Komagata Maru Denied Entry Into Canada

Nearly 400 South Asian immigrants — many of whom were Sikh — steamed into Vancouver’s harbor on the Japanese ship Komagata Maru in search of a new home, but were blocked from docking and disembarking due to racist immigration policies.

Rock Springs Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 2, 1885: Rock Springs Massacre

White coal miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming, brutally attacked Chinese workers.

Martha Lum's class photo | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 21, 1927: Lum v. Rice Supreme Court Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, in the case of nine-year old Chinese-American Martha Lum, her exclusion on account of race from school was justified.

Wong Kim Ark | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

March 28, 1898: Wong Kim Ark Wins Citizenship Case

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

May 10, 1886: Lee Yick Wins Equal Protection Under the Law Case

Lee Yick won a Supreme Court case that said that all people — citizens and non-citizens alike — had equal protection under the law.

Peter Yew/Police Brutality Protests, 1975 | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

May 19, 1975: Peter Yew/Police Brutality Protests

Virtually every shop and factory in Chinatown was closed, with signs posted windows and on doors reading “Closed to Protest Police Brutality” to protest the beating of Peter Yew.

Portrait of Yuri Kochiyama with raised fist.

May 19, 1921: Yuri Kochiyama Born

Political activist Yuri Kochiyama was born in San Pedro, California.

Teaching Untold Stories During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

By Moé Yonamine

“They’re Latinos . . . I think they’re some kind of farm workers.”

“No, they’re Asians with name tags.”

And then a student in a quiet voice walked by me slowly and muttered, “I think something really bad is happening to them.”

My students at Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon — one of the state’s most racially diverse schools — studied each black and white photo posted around the room, inspecting the background and the facial expressions; confused, anxious, frustrated. They began a journey to uncover the hidden story of the Japanese Latin American removal, internment, and deportation during World War II.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up

Book — Non-fiction. By Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi. Illustrated by Yutaka Houlette. 2017. 112 pages.
Story of Fred Koretmatsu, jailed for resisting internment by the U.S. government during WWII. He took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.

Dec. 18, 1944: U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Fred Korematsu; Declares Denial of Civil Liberties Legal

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that the denial of civil liberties based on race and national origin was legal.

June 19, 1982: Vincent Chin Beaten to Death in Hate Crime

In Detroit, Michigan Chinese American man Vincent Chin was beaten to death in a hate crime by two white auto workers who blamed Chin for the massive lay-offs occurring in the auto industry. The judge gave the murderers three year’s probation.

Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Online Archive

Digital collection. Firsthand accounts and primary sources of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain

Book — Non-fiction. By Russell Freedman. 2014. 96 pages.
An account of Angel Island, California, the entry point for one million Asian immigrants in the early 20th century.

Teaching About Asian Pacific Americans: Effective Activities, Strategies, and Assignments for Classrooms and Communities

Teaching Guide. Edited by Edith Wen-Chu Chen and Glenn Omatsu. 2006.
Comprehensive collection of articles and lessons on Asian Pacific American history.

101 Changemakers: Rebels and Radicals Who Changed US History

Book — Non-fiction. By Michele Bollinger and Dao Tran. 2012.
A collection of 101 brief and accessible profiles of rebels, radicals, and fighters for social justice.

A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America

Book — Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff. 2012. 368 pages.
An adaptation for young readers of the classic multicultural history of the United States, A Different Mirror.

Ronald Takaki

Profile. Ronald Takaki (April 12, 1939 - May 26, 2009) was an academic, historian, ethnographer, author, and activist who is credited with founding ethnic studies.

Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act

Website. Primary documents, historical background, and more on the Chinese Exclusion Act and the history of Chinese American struggles for civil rights.

Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America

Book — Non-fiction. By David H. T. Wong. 2012. 240 pages.
A graphic novel that gives a panoramic but also an intimate look at the Chinese experience in North America.

Sylvia & Aki

Book — Historical fiction. By Winifred Conkling. 2011. 160 pages.
Based on the true story of two girls who meet in 1940s California and a landmark lawsuit on education.

Teaching the Hidden Story of Japanese Latin Americans During WWII

Teaching Activity. By Moé Yonamine. Rethinking Schools. 18 pages.
Poetry, photography, and text are used in this role play to teach about the seldom told history of Japanese Latin American internment during WWII.

Learning About the Unfairgrounds: A 4th-Grade Teacher Introduces Her Students to Executive Order 9066

Teaching Activity. By Katie Baydo-Reed. Rethinking Schools. 10 pages.
Students hold a mixer and a mock trial in preparation for reading literature about internment.

Yuri Kochiyama | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Yuri Kochiyama: “Then Came the War”

Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Dramatic reading of Yuri Kochiyama's "Then Came the War" (1991) by Deepa Fernandes.

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