Inspiring History

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

The presentation by Captain Wells was informative and refreshing. The history of the 19th century Chinese experience in America has been, for the most part, relegated to the gold rush and then exclusion. A great deal was revealed about the interaction and intentions of both Chinese merchants, laborers, craftsmen, etc. and the U.S. government. The information gleaned from the primary sources was remarkable including the delegation that visited President Johnson, and photos of Burlingame and the revelation that he sought to resign his post as Ambassador to China in favor of being Ambassador for China at the request of the Dowager Empress.
There was so much more that I could include that would make this post pages long, however the most important aspect of this is the way in which I can enhance my lessons in my U.S. and World History classes. Students need to know this history as it enhances the reported contributions of Chinese to United States history. It can also be empowering for Chinese and Chinese American students who often hear only of negative Chinese stereotypes and a non-effectual history of helping on the railroad, but not being invited to the inaugural joining of the transcontinental railroad. Very inspirational story!
edited by tkuanda on 4/28/2015

[Anonymous]

I agree, the presentation was informative and refreshing. I wished I wouldn't have missed 30 minutes, but L.A traffic is horrible. I was not familiar with this part of history. If I did learned it in high school, I did not remember it. This part of history is not covered in the 6th grade curriculum, but I am looking forward to using it to built interest or enhance knowledge. It would be perfect for my ELD students who are newcomers to the country. They can share their experiences with groups or partners. They can also compare and contrast their experience with the Chinese emigrants of the 1800's.

The use of pictures in the presentation not only allowed us to see what life would be like at the time, but it target the visual learners in our class. Identifying men's region of origin by the color of their shirt was genius. With a crowd that big, it made it easy for them to identify them without having to go up to each one and asking them individually. As he talked from the red light district and vices that existed at the time, it made me realized that while society has advance in economy and technology, many of those vices are still existent. There were so many details that can be used as a basis for further research. As I looked for information on the shipwreck, I came across this link to the maritime project. The site offers information on most of the ships that arrived in the Port of San Francisco in the 1800s. Some of the ships have links to other pages that provide further information on that ship and its people. I found myself reading about more ships than the SS Japan.

http://www.maritimeheritage.org/log.htm

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