Reaction to the Presentation by Robert Wells

[Anonymous]

I agree with you--Mr Wells' depth of knowledge on this subject is definitely bar none. He offered so much details and information that shed meaningful light into my general understanding of this subject. I can't wait to share the same information with my students and see how the fascination on their faces.

I'm also going to do a little research into this subject for my lesson plan. I want to know more about Chinese immigration to America than just Angel Island. I didn't realize how much of a melting pot San Francisco was due to the influx of these Chinese immigrants.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

This week's class was enlightening on many levels. First, I appreciate the way the discussion was organized. Each teacher was asked to announce their particular area of interest, then guest shared his research, and then we wrapped up the class with a review of Chinese history. Everything was connected to something else which makes learning engaging and fun for me.

So, what did I learn? Abraham Lincoln authorized four steamships to go to China. The names of the steamships were the China, Japan, the American, and the Great Republic. The ships carried passengers and cargo back to the United States during the time period between 1868 and 1874. Unfortunately, the SS Japan left San Francisco with 400 Chinese passengers and never returned to the United States. Until now, the story of what happened to the passengers and cargo has been untold.

Mr. Wells presented a wealth of information that connected to what we have been learning in this Seminar. The most compelling part of his presentation was when he showed graphs, charts, maps and pictures. One picture showed Chinese workers who had ponytail hair styles. Before taking this seminar I would have brushed over that. However, I remember from the previous session that when the Manchus took over China in the 1600's, they forced Chinese men to shave their heads as a form of submission. That part of the picture stood out to me because the Manchus were fresh on my mind.

I also learned about the connection between San Diego, San Francisco, and South East Asia. As trade cities these spots were places that Chinese workers went to work. I have visited these places many times and never even thought about how the "China towns" came about. Now I think about that.

Finally, the discussion helped me focus on my interests. I am in the process of doing research to uncover the things that fascinate me as a teacher and learner. My goal is to write a history book that tells great stories in a way that appeals to young people. The hard part of this is narrowing down a topic. At least now I have a sense of what resources are available and where to begin. Thanks!
edited by ljimerson on 4/29/2015
edited by ljimerson on 4/29/2015
edited by ljimerson on 4/29/2015

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