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    News & Events

    April Workshop: Teaching Chinese American History in the South

    Arkansas NCTA presents Teaching Chinese American History in the South, a workshop focusing extensively on the history of Chinese Americans in the South, designed for grades 5 - 12.

    When: 9:30 - 3:30pm on Saturday, April 20, 2024

    Where: University of Central Arkansas’ Integrated Health Sciences Building Rm 227 / 228

    This Spring, Arkansas NCTA presents an exciting full-day workshop on Chinese American History in the South. Though often overlooked in history textbooks, Chinese communities have called the South home for over 150 years, as farm workers, as grocery store owners, and sometimes as political leaders. Exploring this history in the classroom not only introduces students to the rich diversity of our state, but also provides opportunities to engage local archives, oral history databases, and GIS StoryMaps. This six hour, in-person workshop brings together scholars and community leaders to share Chinese culture and empower teachers to tell the untold story of Chinese in the South alongside their students.

     Registration: https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=523942

     This workshop is FREE for up to 20 teachers and includes the following benefits:
    - 6 hours PD Credit
    - Catered lunch
    - Two free books from the ARNCTA library
    - Access to digital tools for teaching Chinese American History in the South
    - Priority registration for future ARNCTA workshops
    Complementary registration for UCA's 2-day workshop on Chinese American histories of the South, April 19 - 20 (a $30 value)

    FULL SCHEDULE

    9:30: Welcome from Dr. Zach Smith, Director of Arkansas ARNCTA

    9:45: Bluff City Chinese: 150 Years of Chinese in Memphis with Filmmaker Anna Thandi Cai

    10:15: “My Chinese American Story” with Mr. Gilroy Chow, President of the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum

    11:00: Introducing the Arkansas Chinese Heritage Project: A Digital Oral History Archive

    12:00: Free Luncheon Honoring the Chinese Association of Arkansas

    1:00: Strategies for Teaching Chinese American History in Arkansas

    - Dr. Zach Smith (University of Central Arkansas): “Newspapers, Directories, and Oral History: Engaging Local Chinese American History”

    - Drs. Stephen O’Connel and Ling Zhangl (University of Central Arkansas): “Teaching with GIS StoryMaps”

    2:00: New Approaches to Teaching Chinese Culture

    - Dr. Di Luo (University of Alabama): “The Evolving Role of Women in Imperial China”

    - Dr. Susan Brownell (University of Missouri at St. Louis): “Olympic Games and China’s Rise”

    - Dr. Melody Li (University of Houston): “Cultural Mapping of American and Chinese Dreams through Chinese Diasporic Narratives”

    3:00: Reflection and Debrief

    If you have any questions or inquiries please contact us for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

    Who We Are

    Housed within the Asian Studies Program at the University of Central Arkansas, the Arkansas NCTA aims to empower elementary and secondary school teachers to center East Asian art, literature, history, and culture in their classrooms.

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