Asian Americans

Five black-and-white illustrations of stilt houses and boats in a flooded or watery landscape evoke the spirit of St. Malo, reflecting the Philippine legacy and Filipino Louisiana History in The Lowland Villages of Lake Liba, Liberia.

St. Malo, Manila Men, and Filipino Louisiana History | Filipino La

In 1763, a group of Filipino men escaped from a Spanish trade vessel and formed the beginnings of the first permanent Asian-American settlement in the United States, St. Malo, a fishing village thirty miles east of New Orleans in present-day St. Bernard Parish. The above link is to “Filipino La,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to archiving resources on the history of Filipinos in Louisiana. These archives include resources and information on St. Malo, as well as generations of Filipino community well-established in this southern state.

Teacher Resource
A group of Japanese American people, including men, women, and children, stand in line outside a building under guard by an armed soldier during WWII—a poignant moment of Japanese American incarceration. Courtesy of the National Archives.

Japanese American Incarceration During WWII | National Archives

This page connects to DocsTeach, providing primary resources on Japanese internment during World War II. It includes documents that explore the impact of the order and its historical context, such as President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066–the order that led to the internment of Japanese Americans in relocation centers, postings of Exclusion Orders, and pictures of Japanese American families.

Primary Source Teacher Resource
A group of Hmong people in traditional attire and suits pose together outdoors near columns, with one person holding a framed photograph—an image reminiscent of scenes documented in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Hmong | Encyclopedia of Arkansas

The Central Arkansas Library System: Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of the Arkansas state. Text and media galleries as well as links to external historical resources on Arkansas are available to you through this website. Linked above is an encyclopedia entry on the Hmong ethnic group that contains a summary of their migration to the state as well as links to additional information on the subject. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas also offers information on Chinese, Hindu, and Marshallese communities in the state, as well as biographies of Asian Americans who were relocated to Arkansas during the Japanese American internment program of World War II.

Teacher Resource
A red and white graphic of Arkansas’s outline features bamboo stalks and a dogwood flower, bordered by a rough red square—an emblem reflecting the Arkansas Chinese Heritage.

The 1869 Southern Planters Convention on Chinese Labor | ARNCTA

This lesson plan examines post–Civil War debates in the South over the recruitment of Chinese laborers to replace enslaved workers. Using primary source articles and editorials from Arkansas newspapers, students analyze competing perspectives on race, labor, and immigration in the Reconstruction-era South.

Lesson Plan
A green gravy boat icon sits next to the blue text Southern Foodways Alliance on a white background, reflecting stories of Chinese Grocers and their impact on Southern cuisine.

Chinese Grocers | Southern Foodways Alliance

The Southern Foodways Alliance site is home to a collection of oral histories recorded by Jung Min (Kevin) Kim centered around Chinese grocers in the South. Through interviewing grocery store owners in the Mississippi Delta, Kevin uncovers stories of Chinese immigrants, family legacies, and well-established Chinese-owned grocery stores that have served their communities for decades. Kevin Kim also wrote the “Chinese” entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas which can be referenced for further information on Chinese Arkansans. 

Teacher Resource
A teacher stands with six students in front of a chalkboard, each holding a sign with their name in English and Chinese—an image reflecting the spirit of Lau v. Nichols (1974) explored in iCivics resources.

Lau v. Nichols (1974) | iCivics

This lesson plan from iCivics offers an engaging mini-lesson on the Supreme Court decision that mandated public schools provide language supports to English and multilingual learners. Initiated because students of Chinese ancestry who did not speak English were receiving inadequate instruction, this case underscores the importance of educational equity. Designed for students in grades 6-12, the lesson also connects Lau’s arguments to Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case and explores how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects students from discrimination. 

Lesson Plan
Low-angle view of the Statue of Liberty against a blue sky with scattered clouds, symbolizing America’s rich immigration history, including waves of Asian immigration.

Asian Immigration | Immigration History

The “Asian Immigration” lesson plan from Immigration History, designed for students in grades 6-12, provides an in-depth look at how severe immigration restrictions from 1790 to 1952 have shaped U.S. society’s attitudes toward Asian immigrants. This lesson explores both the harmful stereotypes that dehumanized Asian Americans and the modern ideal of the highly educated and wealthy “model minority.

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plans / Cirriculum | The Asian American Education Project

The Asian American Education Project offers a collection of K-12 curriculum and lesson plans focused on the rich history of Asian Americans in the United States. By exploring the struggles and triumphs of Asian Americans from the first settlements to the present day, these resources highlight their contributions to major historical achievements, aiming to amplify their importance in American history and inspire a deeper understanding among students.

Teacher Resource
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