As a K-8 ESOL teacher in the Philadelphia School District, I serve nearly 65 children and families who speak 15 different languages. The most common languages spoken at our school are Bengali, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish & Kazakh. Our school has a growing population of South & Southeast Asian students, as well as families from the Middle East & North Africa. In the larger school community, about 2 out of every 5 students speaks another language at home, with over 40 different languages represented.

I am constantly thinking of ways to support my students and their families with their language development in and out of the classroom. While the school has a reputation for serving affluent families associated with the University of Pennsylvania, about 40% of our students are economically disadvantaged, especially our immigrant families and students of color. Compared to their native speaker classmates, our English Language Learners are often vulnerable to economic disparities, discrimination by peers and the community, and even religious intolerance.

Our largest group of English Language learners identify as Asian. However, within that large demographic designation, we see diverse subsets of backgrounds with rich histories, unique cultures, and contrasting viewpoints. In one of our first few classes, we talked about race and ethnicity and how it can impact the livelihood of individuals and even groups of people. Often times, different ethnic groups can suffer overt or subversive prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, and racism. It brings up a number of questions regarding the choices in content used within public education and how representation & identity work matters.

So I pose the problem statement:  How are the portrayals of Asian Americans in mass media (present and past) shaping consumer beliefs? Some other specific questions this curriculum seeks to explore include: What Asian American stereotypes are developed through restrictive portrayals?  What cultural information or misinformation is featured? How has the portrayal of Asian Americans changed over time? What are students’ own experiences with media that shape their perceptions of themselves and peers? As an educator, how can I be more conscious and selective of the text and media I use in the portrayal of Asian Americans and other races and/or ethnic groups? What are the impacts of misrepresentation of Asian Americans on my students?

During our studies in the seminar “Asian Americans in U.S. Schools,” with Professor Kimberly A. Goyette, we spoke about how race is a construct that is developed over time and place. Through the use of historical texts, interviews with students, videos, census data, and educational research, we explored the history of Asian immigration in the United States, the development of “Asian” as a race on the census, and the impacts of policy and laws on Asian culture, representation, and identity. There are many nuanced similarities and differences between Asian Ethnic groups, whether it be religious or cultural. At one point, the U.S. census did not lump Asian Americans under one racial or ethnic group, but rather labeled individual origin groups.  Professor Goyette (2022) explained that the use of collecting census and demographic data can have both positive and negative consequences, “We need to know where racial disparities exist” so that governments can use information to make sure voters are not being disenfranchised based on race. In fact, Goyette (2022) further shared that “Asian Americans were motivated to gain national recognition, acceptance, and get civil liberties with racial designation” almost as a means of legal protection in 1968. However, we also learned that over time, this designation was racialized and led to discrimation.

As educators, it is vital we have an understanding of Asian immigration history to look critically at how Asian identity has been influenced by U.S. policy and social constructs. Erika Lee (2007) in her article “The “Yellow Peril” and Asian Exclusion in the Americas” explore how “Restrictive immigration laws targeting Asians – passed first in the United States – were key elements in redirecting Asian migration around the region” (452) and this was the first of many restrictive practices that targeted immigrants not only in the United States but around the world, especially impacting Chinese laborers and later the Japanese in the early 1900s (550). While immigration grew from other Asian countries, such as India & the Philippines, it became apparent that they too “faced the same racial stereotypes and discrimination” (550). There are a multitude of literature that explore the targeted, historical discrimination faced by different Asian ethnic groups, as seen in some texts as “Farewell to Manzanar,” “They Called Us Enemy,” “Stealing Home,” etc. that can be used by educators as mentor texts to foster discussion.

Many of our Asian students who are immigrating to the U.S. and joining schools today may not truly grasp the historical context into which they are moving and may have very different life experiences.  As Lee (2004) shared, “Unlike earlier immigrants from Asia or Europe who were mostly low-skilled laborers, today’s immigrants from Asia include those who come to join their families, invest their capital in the U.S. economy, fill the labor market demands for high-skilled labor, and escape war, political, or religious persecution, and economic hardships” (37).  We owe it to our students, their families, and our school communities to learn more about the complex histories and present challenges faced by Asian immigrants. As educators, we can help them explore issues of assimilation and acculturation, while also helping them succeed as students and language learners.

Over the course of our term together, we further discussed the importance of representation and misrepresentation of Asian Americans in literature and the importance of exploring identity with teachers and students alike. As educators, we must engage in this type of work to not only understand our students, but to evaluate what biases we also bring to our classrooms. Professor Goyette explained that “As a nation, culturally we may have shared or core values, such as free speech or the reverence for the constitution… but other core values can be different… and that is a source of strength” (2022). Our students have the ability to not only identify their own race but also give our children the support to preserve their own ethnic identities while also choosing components of the dominant society in which they want (or do not want) to integrate into their own personal identities. This is crucial, but can also be daunting for some children. Chou (2015) explained in her interview with young Asian Americans that “these young people recount recurring experiences with coercive pressures to assimilate into the prestigious white end of the prevailing U.S. racial status continuum – to white ways of dress speech, goal attainment, thinking, and physical being. Most are torn between the culture of immigrant parents or grandparents, with its substantial respect for Asianness, and the burdensome pressures of a white-controlled society” (3). It is clear that educators can facilitate these conversations in the classroom by drawing attention to societal labels such as “model minorities” or “foreigners” and misrepresentations of Asian Americans, while also engaging in identity work and cultural understanding.

As our course material grew and developed, it has become clear the importance of sharing with students the changing narrative of ethnic demographics, portrayal of immigrants, and discourse around culture and values.  My unit, “Asian Americans in Media: Representation & Identity,” seeks to intertwine modern portrayals of Asian Americans in movies, television, books, and social media, with historical representation of Asian Americans in newspapers, books, and other first hand accounts/artifacts.  This unit aligns with English Language Development Standards for listening, speaking, reading and writing, while also teaching literacy skills related to reading comprehension, narrative elements, and character development. More so, the curriculum aims to develop a safe space where students have the opportunity to express their concerns about the world around them, discuss their own cultural identities, empower others to make change, and share their voices.

The objectives of the unit will include the following:

• explore identity and how our own immigration stories impact our view of the world,
• explain how Asian Americans were marginalized in history,
• analyze how people are represented and/or misrepresented in movies, television, and social media
• express empathy when people are mistreated or excluded because of their identities,
• recognize diversity and understand the history of social justice around the world,
• establish a plan to take action against bias and injustice in the world.

As a K-8 ESOL Program Specialist, I aim to develop students’ English Language Skills as a means to access academic content.  In the 2020 Edition of the new WIDA Standards (2020), it states that teachers must focus on integration of content and language with attention of multimodality they can also promote:

“Understanding the connections between content and language, Making Meaning within and across content areas (disciplines), Interaction of students with each other in challenging content activities, Coordination of design and delivery of curriculum, instruction, and assessment” (p.19).

 As a Teacher of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), it is my responsibility to instruct English Learners based on the WIDA Standards in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking goals, as well as support classroom teachers with content instruction.  The following units are designed primarily to support English Language Learners in grades 5-8, although student resources and content would be best geared for ELP levels 3-5. In many instances ESL teachers use both push-in and pull-out models for instruction during the school day; however, this curriculum would work best in a co-teaching model that could be integrated into already existing units of study.  Collaboration with the classroom literacy and social studies teachers would also be essential to address the specific academic goals for each grade level.

Bend 1 – Snapshots of the Past

This bend will explore the portrayal of Asian Americans in photographs, comics, movies, and more, which led to mass perspectives on Asian Americans. During this bend, students will read the mentor text “Farewell to Manzanar,” & engage in critical reading or analysis of photographs from Manzanar by Ansel Adams and other photographers. In addition, (as centers or jigsaw activities) students will learn more about Angel Island, read translated poetry from the walls, analyze comic strips & books from Dr. Seuss, as well as watch short clips from movies. During this unit, English Language Learners should learn key vocabulary about race, ethnicity, and culture, as well as build their language skills in terms of reading critically.  A potential assessment (formal or formative) could be an analysis paper of a student-selected text (photograph, picture book, comic strip, etc) from history whereby students describe how Asian Americans were represented in media and literature.  Students could use platforms like Padlet, Google Slides, or other tools that allow students to easily link digital texts and images. This unit will also lend itself to discussions about human rights, equity, and representation.  During this unit, students may begin to generate ideas for a service-learning project that will develop during each unit of the curriculum.  The key teaching strategies for this unit include:

• Utilizing Visuals – English Language Learners benefit from visual scaffolds to help them understand complex concepts. For this particular unit, there are a number of mentor texts with rich graphics and photographs that can help learners understand how Asian Americans were represented and treated during major time periods in history.  Educators could also utilize videos and highly visual websites for research. Students need to be able to not only look at a picture but read one.  Using critical reading strategies, students should be able to answer questions like “Whose voice is represented?” or “Whose is missing?”
• Build Background Knowledge & Vocabulary – One key strategy that many teachers overlook when working with English Language Learners is to deepen their background knowledge of the content and vocabulary through explicit or implicit instruction. In this unit, students will target historical terminology.
• Storytelling – Analogies and personal connections go a long way to get students to engage in content. Instead of simply learning factual information, I would suggest that educators find narratives of children and young adults that share their experiences at Manzanar, Angel Island, and other first-hand anecdotes that allow for students to make connections to content.
• Scaffolding – English Language Development (ELD) teachers should use a variety of sentence frames, vocabulary, and modeling to support students in accessing the material. Lessons could use the QSSSA (Question – Signal – Share – Stems – Assess) structure to encourage a release of accountability for students, especially when planning for meaningful conversations.

Bend Two – Do You See Me Now?

This bend will explore the misrepresentation of Asian Americans in today’s media. We will explore stereotyping that exacerbates the idea of model minority, as well as looks at restrictive portrayals, underrepresentation & invisibility. The mentor text will most likely be TIME’s cover story, “Those Asian-American Whiz Kids.” but will also include tv & film clips for discussion and analysis. This may also be a point in the unit to include news clips & stories surrounding Asian discrimination surrounding COVID-19.  During this unit, students may begin to narrow down and choose an idea for a service-learning project based on their generalizations based on the data.

• Questioning – While questions are often developed by teachers for students, one highly effective teaching strategy would be to have students develop an essential question(s) for study. They will conduct their own investigation of media clips and news articles to find evidence to answer their claims.
• Build Background Knowledge & Vocabulary – One key strategy that many teachers overlook when working with English Language Learners is to deepen their background knowledge of the content and vocabulary through explicit or implicit instruction. In this unit, students will language around identity.
• Think, pair, share – Students will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with partners. Then, partners will group with another partnership to share their ideas and collaborate on their research.
• Jigsaw – Students will work collaboratively to analyze different parts of the same text and analyze them for different purposes.
• Socratic Seminar – Students will work to prepare questions, statements, and background information to discuss the key ideas of the unit in a Socratic Seminar. There will be circles of students. In the first round, the inner circle will discuss and debate the unit.  The outer circle will observe and take notes about the discussion.  On the second day, the roles will be reversed. The culminating task will reflect on the experience.  The reflection could be an essay, video, or audio clip.

Bend Three – Lend Me Your Voice

This bend will explore the more inclusive and progressive ways that Asian Americans are advocating to be seen and heard across all forms of media. This may occur after bend two; however, there may be some activities that overlap or preview. We will take a look at positive portrayals in TV & movies, news articles about advocacy behind the scenes, and learn more about influencers trying to change the way we think about race.  This unit will include commentary in popular TV shows or movies, interviews of performers (K-POP), news articles, and students’ own experiences. I hope this bend will inspire some form of service-learning project.

 Film Critics – Students will have the opportunity to reflect on how Asian Americans are portrayed in the media. Students will watch video clips and develop a rating scale to critique the directors and writers efforts. From there, these could be developed into reviews. Students will study sample reviews and develop their own writing or videos that include key tenants of the unit.

• Graphic Organizers – Teacher-made worksheets using visual representations will help students organize their thinking, plan for their experiment, and assess their understanding.
• Build Background Knowledge & Vocabulary – One key strategy that many teachers overlook when working with English Language Learners is to deepen their background knowledge of the content and vocabulary through explicit or implicit instruction. In this unit, students will target media jargon.

Optional Bend Four- Advocacy

This fourth, optional unit will be a service-learning project that is led and developed by the students. The topic of the unit should be inspired by what students learned about in the previous units.  The object of the unit should be to advocate for others, especially in regards to representation and identity.  The final project(s) will be selected by the student. Possible projects could be (but not limited to) pamphlets or fliers, skits to be presented to classrooms, a website or slideshow, an infographic, or a fundraiser for a community organization. There are also a number of local agencies, such as Need in Deed, that specialize in Service Learning and support classrooms in connecting with outside organizations for their projects.

• Use of native language – By allowing students to access a variety of diverse texts, including those in other languages, allows students to lower their affective filter, while also engaging the content. Students will also have the chance to write and create material for community members who speak the same language.
• Small-Group Instruction – Besides working with students 1:1, small group instruction is a key strategy to target specific skills that students need to work with. For this unit, students can develop their service-learning project while also targeting key ELD skills in reading and writing.
• Shared & Independent Work – Students will have the opportunity to complete tasks working with partners, in small groups, and independently. This helps students have more accountability, but also offers support to peers.

Bend 1 – Snapshots of the Past

Bend 2 – Do You See Me Now:

Bend 3 – Lend Me Your Voice

 Bend 4 – Advocacy for English Language Learners

Here you will find lists of works cited, as well as an annotated list of materials to be used by teachers and students in the classroom.

Works Cited

Chou, Rosalind S., and Joe R. Feagin. 2015. Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism. New York: Routledge. Chapter 1 & 3.

Goyette, Kimberly. Seminar Lectures.  Teachers Institute of Philadelphia: Asian Americans in U.S. Schools.  January-May 2022.

Lee, Erika. 2007. “The “Yellow Peril” and Asian Exclusion in the Americas.” Pacific Historical Review 76(4): 537-562.

Lee, Jennifer, and Min Zhou, eds. 2004. Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity, and Ethnicity. Psychology Press.

Student Reading List

This is simply a sampling of the rich, diverse texts that you could include in the curriculum or your own classroom library that feature Asian authors and/or characters.

Ahuja, Nandini, and Anoosha Syed. “Rise Up and Write IT: With Real Mail, Posters, and More!” 2021.

Bahk, Jane. “Juna’s Jar.” 2018.

Bausum, Ann. “Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration.” 2009.

Blackburne, Livia, and Julia Juo. “I Dream of Popo.” 2021.

Chokshi, Roshani. “Aru Shah and the End of Time.” 2019.

Craft, Jerry. “New Kid.” 2019.

Do, Anh. “Weirdo.” 2019.

Faruqi, Saadia. “Meet Yasmin!” 2018.

Faruqi, Saadia. “A Place at the Table.” 2022.

Garland, Sarah. “Azzi in Between.” 2013.

Guidroz, Rukhsanna. “Mina vs. the Monsoon.” 2018.

Ha, Robin. “Almost American Girl.” 2020.

Ho, Joanna, and Dung Ho. “Eyes That Kiss in the Corners.” 2021.

Kelker, Supriya. “American as Paneer Pie.” 2021.

Khan, Rukhsana. “Big Red Lollipop.” 2010.

Kibuishi, Kazu. Amulet Series. 2008-2018.

Liu, Katrina. “Mina’s First Day of School: A Dual Language Children’s Book.” 2018.

Look, Lenore. “Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things.” 2009.

Maddox, Jake.  “Running Overload.” 2020.

Mak, Kam. “My Chinatown: One Year in Poems.” 2018.

Miao, Melissa. “Bobo Loves Dumplings.” 2020.

Michiko Florence, Debbi. “Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen.” 2017.

Nam, Vickie. Yell-Oh Girls! Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American. Harper, 2001.

Patel, Meenal. “Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala.” 2019.

Saeed, Aisha, and Anoosha Syed. “Bilal Cooks Daal.” 2019.

Takei, George. “They Called Us Enemy.” 2019.

Torres, J. “Stealing Home.” 2021.

Wakatsuki Houston, Jeanne, and James D. Houston. “Farewell to Manzanar.” 2013.

Wilson, G. Willow. “Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal.” 2014.

Yang, Gene Luen. “American Born Chinese.” 2006.

Teacher Resources

Here are additional teacher resources, as well as a number of links to popular articles and videos that could be used to foster discussion in the classroom.

Chua, Peter, and Dune C. Fujino. “Negotiating new Asian-American masculinities: Attitudes and gender expectations.” The Journal of Men’s Studies 7, no. 3 (1999): 391-413.

Kuo, Linda, Simone Perez-Garcia, Lindsey Burke, Vic Yamasaki, and Thomas Le. “Performance, fantasy, or Narrative: LGBTQ+ Asian American identity Through Kpop media and fandom.” Journal of Homosexuality 69, no. 1 (2022): 145-168.

Lee, Wonseok, and Grace Kao. ““Make It Right”: Why# BlackLivesMatter (s) to K-pop, BTS, and BTS ARMYs.” IASPM Journal 11, no. 1 (2021): 70-87.

Oh, Chuyun. “The politics of the dancing body: Racialized and gendered femininity in Korean pop.” In The Korean Wave, pp. 53-81. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2014.

Ono, Kent A., and Vincent N. Pham. Asian Americans and the media. Vol. 2. Polity, 2009.

Song, Kirsten Younghee, and Victoria Velding. “Transnational masculinity in the eyes of local beholders? Young Americans’ perception of K-pop masculinities.” The Journal of Men’s Studies 28, no. 1 (2020): 3-21.

https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/timeline-of-systemic-racism-against-aapi

https://libguides.ithaca.edu/asianfilm

https://www.nps.gov/places/u-s-immigration-station-angel-island.htm

https://camd.andover.edu/2020/04/24/the-effects-of-misrepresentation-in-visual-media-on-asian-american-youth/

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/media-asian-american-stereotypes-1234949658/

http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/AAPIcourse/downloads/pdf/readings/AsianAmericaStereotypes.pdf

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/asians-pacific-islanders-battle-invisibility-media-hollywood/story?id=77753812

https://www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/blog-main/diversity-in-hollywood-how-to-write-asian-characters-more-effectively

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/avatar-london-tipton-asian-americans-look-back-characters-shaped-their-n1273579

https://time.com/3475962/asian-american-diversity/

https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/timeline-of-systemic-racism-against-aapi

https://www.lennyletter.com/story/hello-my-name-is 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=180360033400005

This unit was designed to implement local and national academic standards. The Core Curriculum of the School District of Philadelphia is aligned to the Pennsylvania Academic Standards English Language Arts Standards, as well as the Anchor Standards and Domains for Social Justice, as created by Teaching Tolerance.

Standards

The objectives of the unit will include the following key skills as outlined in the WIDA English Language Development Standards and grade-appropriate Common Core Standards.

• Standard 1 – Language for Social and Instructional Purposes
  English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.
• Standard 2 – Language for Language Arts
  English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of language arts.
• Standard 3 – Language for Mathematics
  English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of mathematics.
• Standard 4 – Language for Science
  English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of science.
• Standard 5 – Language for Social Studies
  English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of social studies.

PA Common Core Standards

PRE-K to 5 Standard 1.3 Reading Literature: Students read and respond to works of literature—with emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

Pre-K to 5 Standard 1.4 Writing: Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

Pre-K to 5 Standard 1.5 Speaking and Listening: Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.

Common Core Standards – College & Career Readiness Anchor Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

CCRA.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Classroom Materials

The following resources are intended solely to be guides for classroom instruction and may be adjusted to support different grade levels or Language Proficiency Levels.

Literature Circle Participation Rubric:

Play the Post-It:

See PDF for photos.