Waves of Immigrants
Journey through the treacherous and brave path of the Asian Americans who came to the U.S. before us. At times, arriving freely and by choice. At times, arriving forcibly, coerced, or out of necessity. And for decades, excluded and barred from entry. Sometimes with a choice to stay, sometimes with no choice but to stay. Through the lens of the earliest surviving films and the eyes and pens of historical illustrators and photographers, see how, together as a community, they endured politics, imperialism, capitalistic development, and xenophobia. How their tenacity helped shape immigrant rights – not just for Asian Americans – but for many who are citizens of America today.
Produced by 1990 Institute.
Unfortunately, America has a long and complex history with race, and this includes racial discrimination and profiling people of Asian ethnicity. From the “Red Scare” after World War II to the modern-day U.S. Department of Justice “China Initiative,” Chinese American scientists, scholars, and students pose “whole-of-society” threats to fellow Americans. Today, the “China Initiative” has racially targeted Chinese Americans in overzealous prosecutions which have resulted in numerous dismissals. This history is important not only to law enforcement but for young future leaders of America that Maryland educates. Without an understanding of the history and contributions of groups such as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, our country is bound to make the same mistakes that have roots in racial discrimination.
While the United States is not a perfect nation, through our representative government we have the capacity to learn and improve from successes and mistakes. Our continuing success starts by educating our young people. We must ensure that like our government and our society, our history books are representative. They should represent the rich experiences of all Americans. We hope that as students learn this history, they create a kinder and more understanding classroom. We hope they see just how special it is that their classmates look different and have different backgrounds and are able to put this into historical context. This is where our better future lies.
The APA Justice statement concludes by quoting President Reagan in his last presidential speech, “[y]ou can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.” Let us go forth and teach the history of all Americans and understand the richness of all of our American histories.
Illinois and New Jersey are the first two states to require teaching of Asian American history in public schools.
On February 16, 2022, APA Justice submitted a statement to the Maryland Senate in strong support of SB 462 to develop and implement an expanded American history curriculum in Maryland public schools. In the statement, APA Justice expressed firm belief that studying history allows us to learn from the past and understand the present, from which we can strive to build a better future. Other than Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, we are a nation of immigrants. We came and continue to come from all corners of the world with different cultures and backgrounds. Some came earlier than others, and some came more willing than others. While some may seek to divide us, we must understand that our diversity is our strength, not our weakness. In fact, unique among the world’s nations, America’s strength comes from our diversity. While other countries are bound by ethnicity, Americans are bound together by a shared set of principles and ideals. In each of our own ways, we have contributed to the creation and the growth of this nation, fresh with purpose and ideals, as well as with fear and sacrifice. In order to empower our young people to be leaders in tomorrow's world, they must understand the history of all Americans.
