Announcements1. Now Hiring Summer 2021 Interns IHI is now hiring summer 2021 interns for communications and program research & design. Read the full internship descriptions here. 2. NEW LESSON PLANS: Teaching about racism during COVID-19 Fully aligned with Common Core standards, this lesson plan gives teachers an entry point to teaching about racism and xenophobia during public health crises. Using the 1800s smallpox epidemics in San Francisco as a case study, this lesson prompts students to think critically about how racial scapegoating harms communities. Access the lesson here. AP U.S. History We are teaming up with Antiracist APUSH to develop lesson plans that are fully aligned with AP U.S. History Key Concepts & Skills! Our newest lesson is on the 1924 Immigration Act-- regarded as one of the most racist immigration laws of U.S. history. Download all three lessons here. |
building community through knowledge
The Immigrant History Initiative is a non-profit organization founded in 2017. The organization produces curriculum focused on immigrant histories and works with schools and communities to establish courses sharing this knowledge. We also provide teaching and course development support in partnership with other organizations bringing immigrant histories into the mainstream.
Our Work Covers...
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1. Curriculum Design
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This class was incredibly different in the best ways. It is so great and important that we learned about the timeline of Chinese-American identities. --Letter from our students,
December 2016 |
Statement on Atlanta Murders of 6 Asian Women
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We at the Immigrant History Initiative are horrified but unsurprised by the news of the shooting outside Atlanta yesterday and the killing of 8 people. The majority of those killed were Asian women who worked at spas, during a time when working in public spaces has already put their health and safety at risk. We need to reflect on the gendered aspects of this violence.
IHI is a small, start-up nonprofit founded and run by two Asian women. As Asian women, we have lived our whole lives at the intersection of sexism and racism. Asian women have had a long history of vilification in this country. They were one of the first targeted groups in a federal immigration law through the 1875 Page Act. For much of the 19th century, Asian women were excluded from the U.S. based on perceptions of them as sex workers and as reproductive threats to maintaining America's racial landscape. Early twentieth century films fetishized and demonized them, at the same time as white actors played them in yellow-face and won awards for their portrayals. Asian women are frequently the target of sexualized jokes, intended to demean and dehumanize. Reports have found that up to 55% of Asian women in the U.S. have reported domestic violence during their lifetime. It is no accident that Asian women have been targeted disproportionately in hate incidents during COVID. It is no accident still that the perpetrator in Atlanta chose massage spas where Asian women worked as his targets. The shooting in Atlanta is yet another deadly manifestation of ignoring the intersectional needs of Asian women. We won’t repeat what has already been voiced by many other organizations tirelessly working on addressing anti-Asian violence and fighting for the recognition that white supremacy and racism has affected and continues to deeply affect APIA communities. But we felt it essential to reflect on the gendered elements of what has happened, both yesterday and in this pandemic. We are asking our beloved community to speak up and speak out. Stand up for friends, colleagues, loved ones, and strangers. We need your help. Sincerely, Julia & Kathy Co-Founders Immigrant History Initiative |
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