Martha Carrillo

Curie High School
English Department
MILara@cps.k12.il.us
773.535.2138

American Born Chinese Unit

Created by Ms. Morales

What are myths? Why are they important in today's society? Why are they significant in our culture?

RESEARCH: Who Was the Monkey King? And Mencius' Mother: the Most Famous Mother in Chinese History

The story of the monkey king is probably foreign to most students. Yang created an in-depth site about the history and variations on the traditional tale, as well as his Christian reinterpretation of a piece of his Chinese heritage. This is a very student-friendly site; they can explore this after reading the first section on the monkey king in the novel.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

Why did the Chinese come to the United States?

What were some of the reactions of Americans to the Chinese immigrants?

Why were Chinese a target of discrimination in the US?

How were pictures/cartoons used to depict Asians, promote stereotypes and encourage discrimination?

KEY VOCABULARY: economic, purge, round-up, discrimination, pogrom, stereotype

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

This activity is designed to make you aware of the challenges early Chinese immigrants faced coming to California during the mid to late 1800's. You will also learn how the Chinese influenced history and terrain--especially in California. You may be surprised to find out how much influence early Chinese immigrants had on California's history.


	In this unit, students will explore themes/ideas in the book, including self acceptance, friendship, rejection of stereotypes and prejudice and appreciation of one’s heritage.

	WHAT ARE YOU? • Fold a paper in half lengthwise. • In one column, list everything about yourself you believe is defining, such as race, religion, height, gender, language, etc. • In the other column, have write if the label is positive, negative, or both. • This exercise should help your awareness of labels, as well as their influence on their own self-imposed labels. • Discuss with your group.