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empathy during covid-19

ADDRESSING ANTI-ASIAN RACISM THROUGH RESTORATIVE DIALOGUE

a guide for educators in unprecedented times

Curriculum developers at the Immigrant History Initiative (IHI) have created historically informed resources to help educators counter the harmful rhetoric and foster empathy and allyship in the classroom.

                                                                        --Usable Knowledge, Harvard Graduate School of Education (full article here)
PictureClick to download
This free resource utilizes restorative justice dialogue circles to reflect on and discuss the causes of anti-Asian racism, which has sharply increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools prepare to reopen, students will likely be exposed to toxic anti-Asian racism, which can create harmful learning environments. This facilitation guide, developed in partnership with guest contributor and educator Sarah Appelbaum, uses restorative justice principles to foster empathy among students and other community members during difficult times.

Restorative Justice (RJ) is a philosophy and practice that centers relationship-building, repairing harm, and non-hierarchical communication. In contrast to more traditional, punitive methods of correcting student behavior, we believe that RJ can be an important tool for communities to come together and reflect collectively on the harms created by problematic behavior and ways to move forward in healing.  
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A big thank you to the educators who reviewed our guide and provided feedback: Kate Lee, Iris Jong, Kori Zorina, Iris Zhang, Maddie Alvendia, Karina Ochoa Vich, Sheena Iwamoto, and Emily Brotman

Download Now

the guide contains the following materials:

  • A comprehensive facilitation agenda with tips on how to adapt the dialogue circle to remote learning settings
  • Student worksheets to guide engagement before and after the dialogue circle
  • A vocabulary word bank
  • Reading materials at different lexile levels to accommodate a wide range of student ability
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Copyright 2025, Immigrant History Initiative Incorporated. View our Terms of Use here.
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Terms of Use
  • Our Work
    • Programs & Impact
    • Asian American Leadership Program
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Grade Level
      • Time Period
      • Topic
      • Curriculum
    • Guide on Talking about Race with Kids >
      • English
      • Chinese
      • Hindi
      • Korean
      • Nepali
      • Tagalog
      • Vietnamese
    • COVID-19 Anti-Asian Racism >
      • Restorative Justice
      • Bystander Intervention
      • COVID-19 Lessons
    • Animated AAPI History Series
    • Outside Resources >
      • Asian American Studies
  • News & Events
    • Get Newsletter
  • Donate