Immigration
Teaching Activity PDFs
Hunger on Trial: An Activity on the Irish Potato Famine and Its Meaning for Today
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
Role play in the form of a trial to determine who was responsible for the death of Irish peasants during the potato famine.
Environment & Food, Immigration, Social Class, World History/Global Studies
The Draft Riot Mystery
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 9 pages.
Students are invited to solve a mystery, using historical clues, about the real story of the Draft Riots.
Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Lewis Hine’s Photographs
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. 4 pages.
Using photographs to spark creative writing and critical thinking about child labor issues and social justice.
Art & Music, Immigration, Labor, Media, Social Class, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Testing, Tracking, and Toeing the Line: A Role Play on the Origins of the Modern High School
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 13 pages.
A role play on the origins of the modern high school.
Democracy & Citizenship, Education, Immigration, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
One Country! One Language! One Flag!
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 3 pages.
Discussion questions and teaching ideas for examining the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the political milieu in which it was written.
The Other Internment: Teaching the Hidden Story of Japanese Latin Americans During WWII
Teaching Activity PDF. By Moé Yonamine. 18 pages.
Poetry, photography, and text are used in this role play to teach about the often untold history of Japanese Latin American internment during WWII.
Asian American, Civil Rights Movements, Criminal Justice, Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Servitude and Rebellion
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olsen-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 3 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the role and dissent of indentured servants in American colonial history.
Socialists and Wobblies
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 13 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the labor movement at the turn of the century.
Teaching Guides
BRIDGE: Popular Education Resources for Immigrant and Refugee Community Organizers
Teaching Guide. By The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. 2004. 320 pages.
Lessons on immigration, labor, and organizing for high school and adult education.
Caribbean Connections: Moving North
Teaching Guide. Edited by Catherine Sunshine and Keith Warner. 2005. 240 pages.
Literature and essays about Caribbean life in the United States.
The Line Between Us: Teaching About the Border and Mexican Immigration
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 2006. 160 pages.
Lessons for teaching about the history of US-Mexico relations and current border and immigration issues.
Books: Fiction
Alligator Bayou
Book – Fiction. By Donna Jo Napoli. 2010. 288 pages.
Historical fiction for young adults based on the true story of the lynching of Italian Americans in late 19th century Louisiana.
Behind the Mountains
Book – Fiction. By Edwidge Danticat. 2004. 166 pages.
A riveting novel detailing the struggles of a young Haitian girl as she adjusts to life in New York.
A Boy from Ireland
Book – Fiction. By Marie Raphael. 2007. 224 pages. Ages 12+.
Historical fiction about the life of the Irish in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century.
Bread and Roses, Too
Book – Fiction. By Katherine Paterson. 2006. 275 pages.
Moving young adult historical-fiction novel based on a major strike in Lawrence, Mass. in 1912.
Journey of Dreams
Book – Fiction. By Marge Pellegrino. 2009. 250 pages.
Historical fiction for young adult readers about the experience of Central American refugees and the long journey north.
Books: Non-Fiction
500 Years of Chicana Women’s History
Book – Non-fiction. By Elizabeth Martinez. 2007. 320 pages, 899 illustrations.
Stories and photos of Chicana/Mexican-American women in politics, labor, art, health, and more.
Civil Rights Movements, Immigration, Latino, Women's History
Brother, I’m Dying
Book – Non-Fiction. By Edwidge Danticat. 2008. 288 pages.
A gripping autobiographical book, about one Haitian woman’s experience as a young immigrant and her family’s struggle to survive in the United States while fearing for those they left behind.
The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Edwidge Danticat. 2001. 280 pages.
Thirty-three essays and poems describing the Haitian Émigré experience.
Caribbean Connections: Overview of Regional History
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Catherine Sunshine and Deborah Menkart. 1991. 180 pages.
Essential background reading to understand the history of the Caribbean.
Caribbean Connections: The Dominican Republic
Book – Non-fiction and Fiction. Edited by Gallin, Glasser, Santana. 2005. 250 pages.
Reader-friendly overview of the history, politics and culture of the fourth largest Latino community in the United States.
Art & Music, Immigration, Latino, Sports, US Foreign Policy, Women's History, World History/Global Studies
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
Book – Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki. 2008. 560 pages.
A multicultural history of America, in the voices of Native Americans, African Americans, Jews, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and others.
African American, Asian American, Immigration, Labor, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, Social Class
Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America
Book – Non-fiction. By Juan Gonzalez. 2011. 416 pages.
An updated and thorough account of the role the United States in the mass migration of Latinos to the U.S.
Immigration, Latino, Laws & Citizen Rights, World History/Global Studies
A People’s History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence
Book – Non-fiction. By Ray Raphael. Series editor: Howard Zinn. 2002. 528 pages.
Using hundreds of primary sources, this book tells the more accurate, populist, complicated, and interesting story of the American Revolution.
Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Individuals in US History, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2005. 702 pages.
Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details the lives and facts that are rarely included in textbooks — an indispensable teacher and student resource.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Economics, Education, Immigration, Imperialism, Individuals in US History, Labor, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2006. 293 pages.
A collection of essays on American history, class, immigration, justice, and ordinary citizens who have made a difference.
Films
Bread and Roses
Film. Ken Loach. 2001. 106 min.
A compelling, fictionalized account of an actual labor campaign in Los Angeles.
Echando Raices/Taking Root
Film. Rachael Kamel/JT Takagi. 2002. 60 min.
The struggles of immigrants through the personal stories of families in communities in California, Texas, and Iowa.
Made in L.A.
Film. By Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. 2007. 70 minutes.
Emmy award-winning feature documentary follows the story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops on an odyssey to win basic labor protections from a clothing retailer.
Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy
Film. Produced by National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. 2001. 28 minutes.
Stories of three immigrants (from Bolivia, Haiti and the Philippines) to the U.S. and how global institutions and multi-national corporations erode people’s capacity to survive in their home countries.
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