Developed	
  by:	
  

Dr.	
  Monisha	
  Bajaj	
  
Dr.	
  Ameena	
  Ghaffar-­‐Kucher	
  

Karishma	
  Desai	
  
with	
  support	
  from	
  SAALT	
  	
  

Lessons	
  to	
  address	
  bullying	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  youth	
  	
  

IN	
  THE	
  FACE	
  OF	
  
XENOPHOBIA	
  



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

©	
  2013	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  (SAALT)	
  and	
  
Monisha	
  Bajaj,	
  Ameena	
  Ghaffar-­‐Kucher	
  &	
  Karishma	
  Desai	
  

	
  
All	
  Rights	
  Reserved	
  

	
  
These	
  materials	
  may	
  be	
  reproduced	
  for	
  educational	
  use	
  with	
  attribution	
  to	
  the	
  original	
  authors	
  and	
  

source.	
  The	
  materials	
  contained	
  here	
  may	
  not	
  be	
  reproduced	
  for	
  commercial	
  purposes	
  or	
  in	
  ways	
  that	
  
distort	
  the	
  accuracy	
  of	
  the	
  information	
  presented.	
  

	
  
	
  
	
   	
   The	
  full	
  citation	
  information	
  for	
  this	
  document	
  is:	
  
	
  
Bajaj,	
  Monisha,	
  Ameena	
  Ghaffar-­‐Kucher	
  &	
  Karishma	
  Desai.	
  In	
  the	
  Face	
  of	
  Xenophobia:	
  Lessons	
  to	
  address	
  

bullying	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  youth.	
  Takoma	
  Park,	
  MD:	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  
(SAALT),	
  2013.	
  	
   	
  



TABLE	
  OF	
  CONTENTS	
  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	
  

NOTE	
  TO	
  FACILITATORS	
   1	
  

KEY	
  CONCEPTS	
  AND	
  TERMINOLOGY	
   4	
  

SIX-­‐LESSON	
  LEARNING	
  UNIT	
  OVERVIEW	
   5	
  

LESSON	
  ONE:	
  SOUTH	
  ASIAN	
  AMERICANS	
  IN	
  THE	
  UNITED	
  STATES	
   7	
  

GLOSSARY	
   9	
  
GLOSSARY	
  MATCHING	
  FLASHCARDS	
   11	
  
TIMELINE	
  ACTIVITY	
  IMAGES	
   16	
  
SOUTH	
  ASIANS	
  IN	
  THE	
  US	
  TIMELINE	
   28	
  
WHO	
  ARE	
  SOUTH	
  ASIAN	
  AMERICANS?	
  	
   31	
  	
  
MY	
  MIGRATION	
  STORY	
  WORKSHEET	
  	
   32	
  

LESSON	
  TWO:	
  EVERYONE’S	
  MIGRATION	
  STORY	
   33	
  

TIMELINE	
  ACTIVITY	
  EXTENSION	
   36	
  
EMMA	
  LAZARUS	
  POEM	
  	
   50	
  	
  
BULLYING	
  101	
  HANDOUT	
   51	
  

LESSON	
  THREE:	
  BULLYING	
  INTERSECTIONS	
   52	
  

IDENTIFYING	
  ROLES	
   54	
  

LESSON	
  FOUR:	
  BUILDING	
  EMPATHY	
   57	
  

BBC	
  ARTICLE	
   60	
  
BBC	
  ARTICLE	
  GRAPHIC	
  ORGANIZER	
   62	
  
OAK	
  CREEK	
  TESTIMONY	
   63	
  

LESSON	
  FIVE:	
  RACIALIZATION	
  OF	
  SOUTH	
  ASIANS	
  –	
  PAST	
  &	
  PRESENT	
   65	
  

BACKGROUND	
  INFORMATION	
   68	
  
PAST	
  &	
  PRESENT	
  STORY	
  SETS	
   69	
  
PAST	
  &	
  PRESENT	
  GRAPHIC	
  ORGANIZER	
   74	
  

LESSON	
  SIX:	
  FROM	
  BYSTANDER	
  TO	
  ALLY	
   75	
  

CYBER-­‐BULLYING	
  ACTIVITY	
  SHEET	
   77	
  
PLEDGE	
  OF	
  ALLY-­‐GIANCE	
  	
   79	
  
	
  



	
   	
  	
  

ADDITIONAL	
  RESOURCES	
   80	
  

MAP	
  OF	
  ASIA	
   89	
  
MAP	
  OF	
  SOUTH	
  ASIA	
   90	
  
MAP	
  OF	
  THE	
  MIDDLE	
  EAST	
   91	
  
	
  
ABOUT	
  THE	
  AUTHORS	
   	
  	
  
	
  

	
   	
  

	
  



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	
  
	
  
	
  
The	
  curriculum	
  was	
  made	
  possible	
  due	
  to	
  the	
  generous	
  support	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  
Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  (SAALT).	
  We	
  would	
  also	
  like	
  to	
  acknowledge	
  Samip	
  Mallick,	
  
from	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  Digital	
  Archive	
  (SAADA),	
  who	
  gave	
  us	
  permission	
  to	
  use	
  
several	
  of	
  the	
  images	
  in	
  this	
  curriculum,	
  and	
  helped	
  us	
  identify	
  relevant	
  resources	
  and	
  
contacts;	
  and	
  Mathangi	
  Subramanian,	
  for	
  sharing	
  her	
  research	
  and	
  insights	
  that	
  helped	
  
inform	
  the	
  lessons.	
  Finally,	
  we	
  are	
  grateful	
  to	
  the	
  graduate	
  students	
  who	
  assisted	
  with	
  
various	
  parts	
  of	
  this	
  project:	
  From	
  the	
  University	
  of	
  Pennsylvania,	
  Josh	
  Cleveland	
  and	
  
Laura	
  Humphrey	
  assisted	
  in	
  writing	
  lesson	
  2;	
  Ming	
  Cai	
  wrote	
  the	
  annotations	
  for	
  the	
  
resource	
  bibliography.	
  From	
  Teachers	
  College,	
  Columbia	
  University,	
  Anushri	
  Alva	
  
provided	
  copy-­‐editing	
  assistance	
  for	
  our	
  final	
  draft.	
  



IN	
  THE	
  FACE	
  OF	
  XENOPHOBIA:	
  
LESSONS	
  TO	
  ADDRESS	
  BULLYING	
  OF	
  SOUTH	
  ASIAN	
  AMERICAN	
  YOUTH	
  

	
  
	
  

Dear	
  Facilitator,	
  

This	
  curricular	
  unit	
  seeks	
  to	
  provide	
  communities,	
  individuals,	
  and	
  educators	
  with	
  resources	
  for	
  
addressing	
  bullying,	
  harassment	
  and	
  racism	
  directed	
  at	
  youth	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  descent	
  in	
  U.S.	
  
schools.	
  	
  These	
  students	
  hail	
  from	
  diverse	
  religious	
  backgrounds,	
  including:	
  Christian,	
  Hindu,	
  
Jain,	
  Jewish,	
  Muslim,	
  and	
  Sikh.	
  	
  The	
  unit	
  includes	
  six	
  lessons,	
  numerous	
  suggestions	
  for	
  further	
  
course	
  topics,	
  and	
  additional	
  resources	
  to	
  counter	
  ignorance,	
  misunderstanding,	
  and	
  prejudice	
  
directed	
  at	
  students.	
  While	
  the	
  lessons	
  are	
  presented	
  in	
  a	
  way	
  that	
  presumes	
  a	
  formal	
  
classroom	
  setting	
  (using	
  common	
  classroom	
  features	
  and	
  the	
  terms	
  “student”	
  and	
  “teacher”),	
  
they	
  can	
  easily	
  be	
  adapted	
  to	
  after-­‐school	
  or	
  community	
  group	
  settings.	
  We	
  encourage	
  flexible	
  
use	
  of	
  the	
  lessons	
  and	
  resources	
  and	
  adaptation	
  wherever	
  necessary	
  to	
  best	
  meet	
  the	
  needs	
  of	
  
the	
  specific	
  context	
  you	
  may	
  be	
  working	
  in.	
  	
  
	
  

Background	
  

Bullying	
  has	
  been	
  noted	
  as	
  an	
  acute	
  problem	
  within	
  U.S.	
  schools.	
  Bullying	
  manifests	
  as	
  a	
  power	
  
imbalance	
  in	
  schools	
  and	
  the	
  larger	
  society,	
  and	
  can	
  include	
  physical,	
  social,	
  and	
  psychological	
  
intimidation.	
  Harassment	
  is	
  also	
  a	
  form	
  of	
  bullying;	
  like	
  bullying,	
  it	
  is	
  often	
  ongoing	
  and	
  
pervasive	
  and	
  creates	
  discomfort	
  for	
  the	
  victim.	
  A	
  distinguishing	
  feature	
  is	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  often	
  based	
  
on	
  race,	
  gender,	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  and/or	
  religion.	
  In	
  this	
  unit,	
  when	
  we	
  talk	
  about	
  bullying,	
  
we	
  include	
  the	
  definition	
  of	
  harassment	
  within	
  it;	
  hence	
  we	
  refer	
  to	
  this	
  as	
  “bias-­‐based	
  
bullying”.	
  The	
  role	
  of	
  educators,	
  parents,	
  and	
  communities	
  in	
  intervening	
  and	
  preventing	
  bias-­‐
based	
  bullying	
  through	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  safe	
  school	
  and	
  out-­‐of-­‐school	
  environments	
  is	
  essential.	
  	
  	
  

	
  

	
  

BULLYING	
  
Causes	
  harm	
  from	
  
negaUve	
  conduct	
  

(oVen	
  repeated)	
  in	
  a	
  
relaUonship	
  with	
  an	
  
imbalance	
  of	
  power	
  

	
  
HARRASSMENT	
  

Causes	
  harm	
  from	
  
conduct	
  that	
  is	
  severe	
  
and/or	
  pervasive,	
  oVen	
  
based	
  on	
  race,	
  naUonal	
  
origin,	
  gender,	
  religon	
  

etc.	
  

Biased 
based 

bullying 

1



Since	
  the	
  tragic	
  terrorist	
  attacks	
  on	
  September	
  11,	
  2001,	
  students	
  and	
  families	
  who	
  have	
  no	
  
connection	
  to	
  terrorism,	
  have	
  been	
  singled	
  out,	
  harassed,	
  and	
  attacked.	
  Hate	
  crimes	
  and	
  
harassment	
  in	
  schools	
  and	
  communities	
  are	
  on	
  the	
  rise.	
  	
  

According	
  to	
  a	
  2009	
  U.S.	
  Department	
  of	
  Justice	
  and	
  Department	
  of	
  Education	
  Study,	
  over	
  54	
  
percent	
  of	
  Asian	
  American	
  youth	
  reported	
  experiencing	
  bullying,	
  the	
  highest	
  percentage	
  of	
  any	
  
ethnic	
  group	
  surveyed.	
  Additionally,	
  the	
  New	
  York	
  City	
  Department	
  of	
  Education	
  and	
  the	
  Sikh	
  
Coalition’s	
  2007	
  report	
  indicates	
  that	
  in	
  the	
  nation’s	
  most	
  diverse	
  neighborhood	
  of	
  Queens,	
  
77.5	
  percent	
  of	
  young	
  Sikh	
  men	
  reported	
  being	
  harassed,	
  taunted	
  or	
  intimidated	
  because	
  of	
  
wearing	
  a	
  turban.	
  These	
  young	
  men	
  are	
  often	
  mistaken	
  to	
  be	
  Muslim	
  and	
  their	
  harassment	
  
exemplifies	
  the	
  pervasive	
  Islamophobia	
  and	
  xenophobia	
  targeting	
  youth	
  from	
  South	
  Asian	
  
communities	
  (official	
  estimates	
  of	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  population	
  place	
  it	
  at	
  3.4	
  million	
  in	
  
the	
  United	
  States).	
  	
  Similarly	
  high	
  figures	
  emerge	
  from	
  accounts	
  of	
  Muslim	
  American	
  youth	
  
(South	
  Asian	
  and	
  non-­‐South	
  Asian)	
  across	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  	
  This	
  curriculum	
  primarily	
  focuses	
  
on	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans—whose	
  families	
  (perhaps	
  many	
  generations	
  ago)	
  originally	
  hail	
  from	
  
the	
  countries	
  of	
  Afghanistan,	
  Bangladesh,	
  Bhutan,	
  India,	
  the	
  Maldives,	
  Nepal,	
  Pakistan	
  and	
  Sri	
  
Lanka.	
  Examples	
  in	
  our	
  lessons	
  demonstrate	
  how	
  distinct	
  national,	
  ethnic	
  or	
  religious	
  groups	
  
are	
  often	
  confused	
  and	
  conflated.	
  	
  We	
  note	
  that	
  many	
  of	
  the	
  dynamics	
  of	
  bullying,	
  intimidation,	
  
and	
  harassment	
  target	
  individuals	
  who	
  simply	
  look	
  ‘foreign,’	
  regardless	
  of	
  their	
  diverse	
  ethnic	
  
origins.	
  	
  

While	
  xenophobia	
  has	
  always	
  existed	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States,	
  it	
  has	
  become	
  particularly	
  acute	
  for	
  
youth	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  descent	
  in	
  diverse	
  locales	
  in	
  the	
  post-­‐9/11	
  context	
  who	
  are	
  frequently	
  
subject	
  to	
  bullying	
  based	
  on	
  their	
  (assumed)	
  religious	
  and	
  ethnic	
  backgrounds.	
  Considering	
  
racial	
  and	
  religious	
  identity	
  are	
  significant	
  markers	
  of	
  difference	
  in	
  educational	
  contexts,	
  if	
  the	
  
root	
  causes	
  of	
  harassment	
  are	
  not	
  addressed,	
  schools	
  will	
  continue	
  to	
  reproduce	
  exclusion	
  and	
  
marginalization.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

Goals	
  

To	
  counter	
  this	
  bias-­‐based	
  bullying,	
  we	
  provide	
  anti-­‐racist	
  and	
  multicultural	
  educators	
  with	
  
resources,	
  materials,	
  and	
  knowledge	
  of	
  community	
  organizations	
  that	
  can	
  equip	
  them	
  to	
  
educate	
  and	
  prevent	
  instances	
  of	
  bullying,	
  harassment	
  and	
  intimidation—whether	
  from	
  peers,	
  
adults,	
  or	
  law	
  enforcement	
  officials.	
  	
  

The	
  objectives	
  of	
  this	
  resource	
  pack	
  are	
  to:	
  

1) Clarify	
  misconceptions	
  about	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  community,	
  namely:	
  	
   	
  

o [Myth]	
  South	
  Asians	
  have	
  recently	
  arrived	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  
o [Fact]	
  South	
  Asians	
  have,	
  in	
  fact,	
  been	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  since	
  the	
  1800s.	
  

	
  

o [Myth]	
  South	
  Asians	
  are	
  not	
  politically	
  active.	
  
o [Fact]	
  On	
  the	
  contrary,	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  strong	
  tradition	
  of	
  civic	
  engagement.	
  	
  	
  

	
  

o [Myth]	
  Discrimination	
  against	
  South	
  Asians	
  is	
  a	
  post-­‐9/11	
  phenomenon.	
  
o [Fact]	
  Indeed,	
  xenophobia	
  has	
  existed	
  since	
  the	
  1800s,	
  but	
  is	
  more	
  visible	
  now.	
  	
  

2



2) Address	
  roots	
  of	
  xenophobia	
  and	
  place	
  it	
  in	
  historical	
  perspective;	
  	
  

3) Provide	
  information	
  and	
  tools	
  to	
  interrupt	
  xenophobic	
  and	
  racist	
  ideologies	
  in	
  schools	
  
and	
  communities;	
  	
  

4) Teach	
  understanding	
  and	
  skills	
  for	
  engaging	
  with	
  difference;	
  	
  

5) Provide	
  educators,	
  school	
  officials,	
  community	
  members,	
  staff	
  of	
  non-­‐profit	
  agencies,	
  
faith-­‐based	
  communities,	
  and	
  students	
  with	
  strategies	
  to	
  be	
  effective	
  allies;	
  	
  

6) Build	
  empathy	
  among	
  students,	
  staff,	
  administrators,	
  teachers,	
  and	
  community	
  
members.	
  

	
  

Enclosed	
  you	
  will	
  find	
  six	
  comprehensive	
  lessons	
  about	
  the	
  history	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  migration	
  to	
  
the	
  United	
  States,	
  manifestations	
  of	
  exclusion,	
  examples	
  of	
  bullying	
  in	
  and	
  outside	
  of	
  schools,	
  
and	
  tools	
  for	
  countering	
  xenophobia.	
  	
  

We	
  suggest	
  that	
  facilitators	
  of	
  these	
  lessons	
  develop	
  ground	
  rules	
  for	
  discussion,	
  if	
  they	
  have	
  
not	
  already	
  been	
  developed,	
  to	
  ensure	
  that	
  participants	
  feel	
  safe	
  to	
  share	
  about	
  difficult	
  issues	
  
related	
  to	
  bullying	
  and	
  racism.	
  	
  Youth	
  can	
  be	
  asked	
  to	
  brainstorm	
  rules	
  and	
  facilitators	
  should	
  
ensure	
  that	
  all	
  participants	
  are	
  respected	
  and	
  heard.	
  If	
  these	
  lessons	
  will	
  take	
  place	
  in	
  a	
  
classroom	
  or	
  after-­‐school	
  context	
  where	
  students	
  already	
  know	
  each	
  other,	
  the	
  
teacher/facilitator	
  might	
  share	
  some	
  information	
  about	
  the	
  larger	
  goals	
  and	
  suggest	
  norms	
  of	
  
confidentiality.	
  If	
  these	
  take	
  place	
  in	
  a	
  community	
  space	
  where	
  participants	
  do	
  not	
  know	
  each	
  
other,	
  the	
  first	
  few	
  sessions	
  may	
  require	
  ice-­‐breakers	
  or	
  community	
  building	
  exercises	
  in	
  order	
  
to	
  allow	
  for	
  discussions	
  in	
  the	
  lessons/workshops	
  to	
  proceed	
  in	
  the	
  most	
  productive	
  manner.	
  	
  

Finally,	
  we	
  encourage	
  you	
  to	
  contact	
  us	
  with	
  questions,	
  concerns	
  and	
  feedback	
  on	
  this	
  
curricular	
  unit,	
  or	
  if	
  you	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  explore	
  possibilities	
  for	
  further	
  workshops/training.	
  	
  

Sincerely,	
  	
  
	
  
Dr.	
  Monisha	
  Bajaj	
  
Associate	
  Professor,	
  Teachers	
  College,	
  Columbia	
  University	
  
bajaj@tc.columbia.edu	
  
	
  
Dr.	
  Ameena	
  Ghaffar-­‐Kucher	
  
Senior	
  Lecturer,	
  Graduate	
  School	
  of	
  Education,	
  University	
  of	
  Pennsylvania	
  
agk@gse.upenn.edu 
	
  
Karishma	
  Desai	
  
Doctoral	
  Student,	
  Teachers	
  College,	
  Columbia	
  University	
  &	
  Middle	
  School	
  Staff	
  Developer	
  
khd2112@tc.columbia.edu	
  

3



 

KEY	
  CONCEPTS	
  AND	
  TERMINOLOGY	
  

	
  

Throughout	
  these	
  lessons,	
  the	
  following	
  key	
  concepts	
  will	
  be	
  utilized:	
  	
  

Micro-­‐aggressions:	
  contemporary	
  form	
  of	
  racism	
  -­‐	
  invisible,	
  unintentional	
  and	
  subtle	
  in	
  nature;	
  
usually	
  outside	
  the	
  level	
  of	
  conscious	
  awareness	
  but	
  which	
  cumulatively	
  and	
  over	
  time	
  creates	
  
an	
  uncomfortable	
  or	
  hostile	
  environment	
  for	
  the	
  victim	
  

Bullying:	
  verbal,	
  physical,	
  or	
  psychological	
  acts	
  of	
  intimidation	
  where	
  there	
  is	
  an	
  imbalance	
  of	
  
power	
  

Harassment:	
  systemic	
  and/or	
  continued	
  unwanted	
  actions,	
  including	
  threats	
  and	
  demands,	
  
often	
  based	
  upon	
  race,	
  sex,	
  religion,	
  gender	
  etc.	
  	
  

Hate	
  crimes:	
  acts	
  of	
  violence	
  against	
  individuals,	
  groups,	
  places	
  of	
  worship	
  etc.,	
  typically	
  
motivated	
  by	
  some	
  form	
  of	
  prejudice.	
  

Xenophobia:	
  fear	
  of	
  foreigners	
  and	
  things	
  foreign	
  (we	
  use	
  the	
  term	
  xenophobic	
  racism	
  to	
  
emphasize	
  the	
  racist	
  undertones	
  of	
  xenophobia).	
  

While	
  the	
  title	
  of	
  this	
  resource	
  packet	
  focuses	
  on	
  bullying	
  -­‐-­‐and	
  indeed	
  we	
  emphasize	
  those	
  
occurrences	
  that	
  happen	
  in	
  and	
  around	
  schools-­‐-­‐it	
  is	
  important	
  to	
  note	
  that	
  schools	
  are	
  
embedded	
  in	
  larger	
  societies	
  where	
  attitudes	
  towards	
  those	
  considered	
  “foreign”	
  are	
  shaped	
  
by	
  foreign	
  policy,	
  immigration	
  trends	
  and	
  laws,	
  larger	
  cultural	
  and	
  social	
  attitudes,	
  and	
  the	
  
media.	
  	
  

	
  

XENOPHOBIC	
  
RACISM	
  

Micro-­‐aggressions	
  
Invisible,	
  unintenHonal,	
  
subtle,	
  and	
  repeHHve	
  

statements	
  or	
  behaviors	
  
that	
  cumulaHvely	
  create	
  
a	
  hosHle	
  environment	
  

Bullying	
  
Verbal,	
  physical,	
  or	
  
psychological	
  acts	
  of	
  

inHmidaHon	
  where	
  there	
  
is	
  an	
  imbalance	
  of	
  power	
  

Harassment	
  
Systemic	
  and/or	
  

conHnued	
  unwanted	
  
acHons,	
  including	
  threats	
  

and	
  demands,	
  oKen	
  
based	
  upon	
  an	
  

individual's	
  religion,	
  
gender,	
  etc.	
  

Hate	
  crimes	
  
Acts	
  of	
  violence	
  against	
  
individuals,	
  groups,	
  
places	
  of	
  worship	
  

4



	
  IN	
  THE	
  FACE	
  OF	
  XENOPHOBIA:	
  	
  
LESSONS	
  TO	
  ADDRESS	
  BULLYING	
  OF	
  SOUTH	
  ASIAN	
  AMERICAN	
  YOUTH	
  

SIX-­‐LESSON	
  LEARNING	
  UNIT	
  	
  
	
  

	
  
Common	
  Core	
  Standards	
  

	
  
Reading	
  Standards	
  for	
  Informational	
  Texts	
  	
  	
  
Integrate	
  and	
  evaluate	
  multiple	
  sources	
  of	
  information	
  presented	
  in	
  different	
  media	
  or	
  formats	
  
(e.g.,	
  visually,	
  quantitatively)	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  in	
  words	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  address	
  a	
  question	
  or	
  solve	
  a	
  
problem.	
  
	
  
Reading	
  Standards	
  for	
  Literacy	
  in	
  History/Social	
  Studies	
  (6-­‐12)	
  	
  

• Key	
  Ideas	
  and	
  Details	
  	
  
o Cite	
  specific	
  textual	
  evidence	
  to	
  support	
  analysis	
  of	
  primary	
  and	
  secondary	
  

sources,	
  attending	
  to	
  such	
  features	
  as	
  the	
  date	
  and	
  origin	
  of	
  information.	
  	
  
o Determine	
  the	
  central	
  ideas	
  or	
  information	
  of	
  a	
  primary	
  or	
  secondary	
  source.	
  

• Integration	
  of	
  Knowledge	
  and	
  Ideas	
  	
  
o Compare	
  and	
  contrast	
  treatments	
  of	
  the	
  same	
  topics	
  in	
  several	
  primary	
  and	
  

secondary	
  sources.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  

Essential	
  Questions	
  
	
  

• How	
  does	
  understanding	
  historical	
  narratives	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  history	
  lead	
  us	
  to	
  
comprehend,	
  unpack,	
  and	
  undo	
  current	
  views	
  and	
  forms	
  of	
  xenophobic	
  racism?	
  

• How	
  do	
  deeper	
  understandings	
  of	
  complex	
  and	
  diverse	
  community	
  and	
  individual	
  
histories	
  help	
  us	
  build	
  empathy	
  and	
  act	
  as	
  allies?	
  	
  	
  

• How	
  do	
  we	
  build	
  more	
  inclusive	
  schools	
  and	
  communities?	
  	
  
	
  
	
  

Enduring	
  Understandings	
  
	
  

• Bias-­‐based	
  bullying	
  takes	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  forms	
  and	
  is	
  due	
  to	
  an	
  array	
  and	
  combination	
  of	
  
factors.	
  	
  	
  

• Xenophobic	
  racism	
  against	
  South	
  Asians	
  Americans	
  has	
  a	
  long	
  history	
  that	
  manifests	
  in	
  
micro-­‐aggressions,	
  bullying,	
  harassment,	
  and	
  hate	
  crimes.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

• Our	
  migration	
  stories	
  have	
  common	
  themes	
  and	
  struggles,	
  and	
  when	
  we	
  are	
  aware	
  of	
  
these	
  commonalities,	
  we	
  can	
  develop	
  greater	
  empathy	
  and	
  the	
  capacity	
  to	
  become	
  
allies.	
  

• Deep	
  and	
  complex	
  understandings	
  of	
  people’s	
  histories,	
  religions,	
  cultures,	
  and	
  present	
  
realities	
  can	
  disrupt	
  xenophobic	
  sentiments	
  and	
  lead	
  individuals	
  and	
  groups	
  to	
  stand	
  as	
  
allies.	
  	
  

5



	
  
Overview	
  of	
  Lesson	
  Objectives	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  1	
  

o Define	
  key	
  terms	
  related	
  to	
  bullying,	
  harassment	
  and	
  xenophobia.	
  
o Understand	
  the	
  historical	
  migration	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  to	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  
o Explore	
  instances	
  of	
  discrimination	
  and	
  xenophobia	
  at	
  the	
  individual,	
  community	
  and	
  

policy-­‐level.	
  	
  
	
  
Lesson	
  2	
  

o Address	
  the	
  roots	
  of	
  xenophobia.	
  
o Build	
  empathy.	
  
o Leave	
  the	
  classroom	
  with	
  a	
  better	
  understanding	
  of	
  the	
  commonly	
  used	
  phrase	
  	
  

“everyone	
  comes	
  from	
  somewhere.”	
  
	
  
Lesson	
  3	
  	
  

o Understand	
  specific	
  instances	
  of	
  xenophobic	
  bullying.	
  
o Build	
  awareness	
  and	
  the	
  capacity	
  to	
  serve	
  as	
  an	
  ally.	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  4	
  

o Understand	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  tragedy	
  in	
  historical	
  context.	
  
o Build	
  empathy.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  5	
  

o Examine	
  historical	
  roots	
  of	
  xenophobia	
  against	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  America.	
  	
  
o Compare	
  past	
  occurrences	
  with	
  modern	
  day	
  forms	
  of	
  harassment	
  and	
  bullying.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  6	
  

o Practice	
  taking	
  action	
  when	
  students	
  see	
  someone	
  being	
  bullied.	
  
o Explore	
  common	
  forms	
  of	
  discrimination	
  and	
  consider	
  ways	
  to	
  intervene	
  effectively.	
  
o Understand	
  what	
  being	
  an	
  ally	
  means	
  and	
  how	
  to	
  cultivate	
  behaviors	
  that	
  promote	
  

respect	
  for	
  differences	
  and	
  pluralism.	
  	
  
	
  

6



	
   LESSON	
  1:	
  SOUTH	
  ASIAN	
  AMERICANS	
  IN	
  THE	
  UNITED	
  STATES	
  	
  
	
  
Time:	
  60	
  Minutes	
  	
  
	
  
Essential	
  Questions	
  

• How	
  does	
  history	
  shape	
  present-­‐day	
  attitudes	
  towards	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans?	
  	
  
• What	
  are	
  the	
  challenges	
  faced	
  by	
  immigrants	
  (and	
  their	
  children	
  and	
  grandchildren)?	
  
• How	
  do	
  we	
  make	
  our	
  society	
  more	
  inclusive?	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  Objectives	
  
Learners	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to:	
  	
  

o Define	
  key	
  terms	
  related	
  to	
  bullying	
  and	
  xenophobia;	
  
o Understand	
  the	
  historical	
  migration	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  to	
  the	
  United	
  States;	
  
o Explore	
  instances	
  of	
  discrimination	
  and	
  xenophobia	
  at	
  the	
  individual,	
  community	
  and	
  

policy-­‐level.	
  	
  
	
  
Materials	
  

1. Keyword	
  Cards	
  (cut	
  up	
  and	
  shuffled	
  so	
  that	
  half	
  the	
  class	
  receives	
  keywords	
  and	
  the	
  
other	
  half	
  definitions)	
  

2. Handout	
  on	
  “Who	
  are	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans?”	
  (one	
  page,	
  one	
  copy	
  per	
  student)	
  
3. Glossary	
  Handout	
  (one	
  page,	
  one	
  copy	
  per	
  student)	
  
4. Printouts	
  of	
  Images	
  (11	
  pages,	
  1	
  image	
  per	
  group)	
  
5. Short	
  Timeline	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  handout	
  (2	
  pages,	
  one	
  copy	
  for	
  each	
  

student)	
  
6. Chart	
  Paper	
  with	
  a	
  timeline	
  from	
  1870-­‐the	
  present	
  (this	
  can	
  also	
  be	
  written	
  on	
  a	
  

blackboard	
  or	
  white	
  board	
  as	
  long	
  as	
  it’s	
  large	
  enough	
  for	
  the	
  images	
  to	
  be	
  posted).	
  	
  	
  
7. Post-­‐its	
  and	
  pens/markers	
  

	
  
	
  

Performance	
  Tasks	
  
Glossary	
  Activity,	
  Timeline	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  to	
  the	
  US	
  &	
  Discussion	
  

	
  
Opening	
  Activity	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Prior	
  to	
  the	
  class	
  meeting,	
  print	
  and	
  cut	
  up	
  the	
  Glossary	
  Activity	
  Keyword	
  Cards	
  (see	
  
attached	
  handout).	
  	
  Shuffle	
  the	
  words	
  and	
  definitions	
  (there	
  are	
  16	
  of	
  each	
  so	
  32	
  total	
  
cards	
  and	
  you	
  may	
  need	
  to	
  adjust	
  for	
  the	
  amount	
  of	
  students.	
  Remove	
  words	
  and	
  
definitions	
  for	
  less	
  participants	
  so	
  that	
  all	
  words	
  have	
  a	
  matching	
  definition).	
  

2. Once	
  students	
  find	
  their	
  matching	
  pair	
  (words	
  with	
  definitions),	
  have	
  students	
  read	
  and	
  
understand	
  their	
  keyword.	
  	
  Once	
  everyone	
  has	
  found	
  their	
  match,	
  have	
  all	
  the	
  students	
  
read	
  out	
  the	
  terms	
  and	
  definitions.	
  	
  	
  

3. Once	
  all	
  terms	
  and	
  definitions	
  have	
  been	
  read,	
  distribute	
  copies	
  of	
  the	
  glossary	
  to	
  each	
  
student	
  and	
  have	
  them	
  briefly	
  review	
  it,	
  marking	
  any	
  terms	
  that	
  they	
  don’t	
  understand.	
  	
  

4. Explain	
  to	
  students	
  that	
  they	
  will	
  use	
  these	
  keywords	
  in	
  the	
  next	
  activity	
  and	
  over	
  the	
  
course	
  of	
  the	
  following	
  5	
  class	
  sessions.	
  

7



	
  
Main	
  Activity	
  	
  (30	
  minutes)	
  

1. Make	
  sure	
  that	
  a	
  timeline	
  from	
  the	
  1850s	
  to	
  the	
  present	
  is	
  drawn	
  (or	
  a	
  clothesline	
  can	
  
be	
  hung	
  with	
  dates	
  dangling	
  and	
  clothespins	
  for	
  students	
  to	
  attach	
  their	
  images)	
  
somewhere	
  in	
  the	
  room	
  with	
  room	
  for	
  students	
  to	
  hang/stick	
  their	
  images	
  on.	
  	
  	
  

2. Divide	
  students	
  into	
  11	
  groups	
  (ideally	
  of	
  no	
  more	
  than	
  2-­‐3	
  students	
  per	
  group).	
  
3. Distribute	
  the	
  Timeline	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  (one	
  per	
  student)	
  and	
  the	
  

images	
  (one	
  per	
  group).	
  
4. Ask	
  students	
  to	
  discuss	
  their	
  image	
  and	
  utilize	
  any	
  terms	
  from	
  the	
  glossary	
  that	
  apply	
  to	
  

the	
  example	
  and	
  situation	
  given.	
  Students	
  can	
  apply	
  post-­‐its	
  with	
  keywords	
  that	
  apply	
  
to	
  their	
  historical	
  image	
  on	
  the	
  bottom	
  of	
  the	
  page	
  or	
  if	
  using	
  a	
  clothesline,	
  on	
  the	
  back	
  
of	
  the	
  printed	
  image.	
  

5. After	
  students	
  have	
  discussed	
  their	
  image,	
  have	
  them	
  look	
  at	
  the	
  timeline	
  of	
  South	
  
Asian	
  Americans	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  and	
  decide	
  where	
  on	
  the	
  timeline	
  their	
  image	
  goes.	
  	
  

6. Once	
  all	
  images	
  are	
  lined	
  up,	
  have	
  students	
  read	
  out	
  chronologically	
  the	
  historical	
  
timeline	
  of	
  events	
  and	
  examine	
  the	
  images.	
  [Variations:	
  students	
  can	
  line	
  up	
  with	
  their	
  
images	
  and	
  read	
  out	
  chronologically.	
  Students	
  can	
  do	
  a	
  silent	
  gallery	
  walk	
  to	
  read	
  about	
  
the	
  images	
  and	
  look	
  at	
  the	
  historical	
  timeline.]	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Discussion/Closing	
  	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Pose	
  the	
  question:	
  What	
  did	
  you	
  learn	
  in	
  today’s	
  lesson	
  that	
  you	
  didn’t	
  know	
  before?	
  
2. What	
  things	
  can	
  lead	
  to	
  a	
  rise	
  in	
  xenophobia	
  (historically	
  or	
  in	
  the	
  present)?	
  	
  	
  
3. How	
  can	
  tolerance	
  be	
  promoted?	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
Homework:	
  	
  
Ask	
  students	
  to	
  investigate	
  their	
  migration	
  stories	
  using	
  the	
  worksheet	
  enclosed.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

8



	
  

Glossary	
  
	
  
Ally:	
  Someone	
  who	
  acts	
  to	
  help	
  an	
  individual	
  of	
  a	
  group	
  targeted	
  by	
  bullying	
  or	
  discrimination.	
  
Allies	
  can	
  help	
  by	
  standing	
  up	
  on	
  behalf	
  of	
  (and	
  together	
  with)	
  the	
  victim,	
  or	
  advocating	
  for	
  
changes	
  in	
  attitudes	
  or	
  policies.	
  
	
  
Bigotry:	
  Intolerance	
  or	
  inability	
  to	
  stand	
  those	
  people	
  who	
  have	
  different	
  opinions	
  or	
  
backgrounds.	
  	
  
	
  
Bullying:	
  Intentional	
  acts	
  that	
  physically,	
  emotionally	
  or	
  mentally	
  hurt	
  another	
  person.	
  Bullying	
  
usually	
  involves	
  a	
  difference	
  in	
  power	
  and	
  when	
  repeated	
  over	
  time	
  creates	
  a	
  pattern	
  of	
  
aggression.	
  	
  
	
  
Bystander:	
  Someone	
  who	
  witnesses	
  an	
  act	
  of	
  bullying	
  and	
  does	
  not	
  intervene.	
  Bullies	
  often	
  
“play	
  to	
  the	
  audience”	
  and	
  bystanders	
  can	
  make	
  the	
  bully	
  feel	
  powerful.	
  	
  
	
  
Cyberbullying:	
  	
  Hurtful	
  and	
  repeated	
  harassing	
  and	
  intimidation	
  of	
  another	
  person	
  through	
  
computers,	
  online	
  social	
  networks,	
  cell	
  phones,	
  and	
  other	
  electronic	
  forms	
  of	
  communication.	
  
	
  
Empathy:	
  The	
  ability	
  to	
  understand	
  someone	
  else’s	
  feelings,	
  challenges,	
  or	
  problems.	
  Empathy	
  
for	
  another’s	
  difficult	
  situation	
  should	
  ideally	
  lead	
  to	
  some	
  action	
  to	
  help	
  address	
  that	
  situation	
  
or	
  its	
  causes.	
  	
  
	
  
Harassment:	
  Any	
  type	
  of	
  repeated	
  or	
  persistent	
  behavior	
  that	
  is	
  unwanted,	
  unwelcome	
  and	
  
causes	
  emotional	
  distress	
  in	
  the	
  person	
  it	
  is	
  directed	
  at.	
  It	
  is	
  typically	
  motivated	
  by	
  gender,	
  race,	
  
religion,	
  national	
  origin	
  etc.	
  
	
  
Institutionalized	
  racism:	
  A	
  system,	
  policy,	
  or	
  agency	
  that	
  discriminates	
  based	
  on	
  race	
  or	
  ethnic	
  
origin	
  through	
  its	
  policies	
  or	
  practices.	
  	
  
	
  
Islamophobia:	
  Irrational	
  fear	
  and	
  strong	
  dislike	
  of	
  anyone	
  who	
  is,	
  or	
  appears	
  to	
  be,	
  Muslim.	
  	
  
	
  
Micro-­‐aggressions:	
  Interactions	
  between	
  people	
  of	
  different	
  races,	
  genders,	
  cultures,	
  or	
  sexual	
  
orientations	
  where	
  one	
  person	
  exhibits	
  non-­‐physical	
  aggression.	
  Micro-­‐aggressions	
  can	
  be	
  
intentional	
  or	
  unintentional	
  but	
  they	
  convey	
  hostility,	
  discrimination,	
  and	
  attitudes	
  of	
  
superiority.	
  	
  
	
  
Nativism:	
  Literally	
  refers	
  to	
  the	
  practice	
  of	
  favoring	
  the	
  interests	
  of	
  those	
  of	
  a	
  particular	
  place	
  
over	
  immigrants.	
  In	
  the	
  1900s,	
  nativist	
  policies	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  made	
  immigration	
  policies	
  
restrictive	
  to	
  non-­‐European	
  countries.	
  	
  
	
  
Naturalized	
  Citizen:	
  Someone	
  born	
  in	
  one	
  country	
  that	
  becomes	
  a	
  citizen	
  of	
  another	
  country.	
  In	
  
the	
  U.S.,	
  there	
  are	
  three	
  ways	
  people	
  become	
  citizens:	
  (1)	
  Jus	
  Sanguinis	
  (Right	
  of	
  Blood)	
  in	
  
which	
  case	
  if	
  one	
  parent	
  is	
  a	
  U.S.	
  citizen,	
  then	
  the	
  child	
  is	
  also	
  entitled	
  to	
  U.S.	
  citizenship,	
  even	
  

9



	
  

if	
  s/he	
  is	
  born	
  outside	
  the	
  U.S.;	
  (2)	
  Jus	
  Soli	
  (right	
  of	
  birthplace)	
  in	
  which	
  case	
  if	
  a	
  person	
  is	
  born	
  
in	
  the	
  U.S.,	
  they	
  are	
  granted	
  citizenship;	
  (3)	
  through	
  naturalization	
  in	
  which	
  case,	
  after	
  living	
  in	
  
the	
  U.S.	
  for	
  multiple	
  years,	
  a	
  person	
  must	
  apply	
  for	
  citizenship	
  and	
  complete	
  a	
  citizenship	
  test.	
  	
  
	
  
Prejudice:	
  Negative	
  feelings	
  and	
  stereotyped	
  attitudes	
  towards	
  members	
  of	
  a	
  different	
  group.	
  
Prejudice	
  or	
  negative	
  prejudgments	
  can	
  be	
  based	
  on	
  race,	
  religion,	
  nationality,	
  economic	
  
status,	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  gender,	
  age,	
  or	
  other	
  factors.	
  	
  
	
  
Refugee:	
  Someone	
  who	
  is	
  outside	
  of	
  the	
  country	
  where	
  they	
  are	
  from	
  or	
  have	
  lived	
  because	
  
s/he	
  has	
  been	
  targeted,	
  harassed	
  or	
  persecuted	
  because	
  of	
  her/his	
  race,	
  religion,	
  sexual	
  
orientation,	
  political	
  beliefs,	
  etc.	
  Refugees	
  are	
  often	
  seeking	
  asylum	
  in	
  other	
  countries.	
  
	
  
Second	
  Generation:	
  	
  This	
  term	
  refers	
  to	
  the	
  U.S.-­‐born	
  children	
  of	
  immigrant	
  parents.	
  Second-­‐
generation	
  children	
  and	
  youth	
  sometimes	
  face	
  discrimination	
  because	
  of	
  their	
  appearances	
  or	
  
religion	
  even	
  though	
  they	
  are	
  Americans.	
  	
  
	
  
Solidarity:	
  Demonstrating	
  unity	
  or	
  cooperation	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  others	
  who	
  may	
  or	
  may	
  not	
  share	
  
the	
  same	
  interests	
  or	
  challenges.	
  	
  Being	
  an	
  ally	
  and	
  working	
  in	
  solidarity	
  go	
  hand	
  in	
  hand	
  
together.	
  	
  
	
  
Tolerance:	
  	
  The	
  ability	
  to	
  be	
  fair	
  and	
  open	
  to	
  people	
  or	
  beliefs	
  that	
  are	
  different	
  than	
  oneself.	
  
Being	
  tolerant	
  means	
  being	
  free	
  from	
  prejudice	
  and	
  bigotry.	
  	
  
	
  
Upstander:	
  A	
  person	
  or	
  group	
  of	
  people	
  who	
  stand	
  up	
  when	
  they	
  see	
  an	
  injustice.	
  Upstander	
  is	
  
a	
  term	
  that	
  is	
  the	
  opposite	
  of	
  a	
  ‘bystander’	
  who	
  takes	
  no	
  positive	
  action	
  when	
  they	
  see	
  
something	
  wrong	
  happening.	
  
	
  
Xenophobia:	
  A	
  strong	
  and	
  unreasonable	
  hatred	
  of	
  people	
  who	
  are	
  from	
  other	
  countries,	
  or	
  
ideas	
  and	
  things	
  that	
  are	
  foreign.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Definitions	
  were	
  drawn	
  from	
  the	
  following	
  sources:	
  
	
  

Derald	
  Wing	
  Sue	
  &	
  David	
  Rivera.	
  “Microagressions	
  in	
  Everyday	
  Life.”	
  Accessed	
  November	
  16,	
  2012	
  from	
  
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/microaggressions-­‐in-­‐everyday-­‐life/201011/microaggressions-­‐more-­‐just-­‐race	
  
	
  

Facing	
  History	
  &	
  Ourselves.	
  “Upstanders	
  Alliance.”	
  Accessed	
  November	
  16,	
  2012	
  from	
  
http://www.choosingtoparticipate.org/explore/upstanders	
  
	
  

Hinduja,	
  S.	
  	
  Cyberbulling	
  Glossary.	
  Accessed	
  November	
  16,	
  2012	
  from	
  
http://www.cyberbullyingbook.com/Cyberbullying_Glossary.pdf	
  
	
  

Olweus	
  Bullying	
  Prevention	
  Program.	
  Accessed	
  November	
  16,	
  2012	
  from	
  
http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying.page	
  
	
  

The	
  Bullying	
  Effect	
  Glossary.	
  Accessed	
  November	
  16,	
  2012	
  from	
  http://thebullyingeffect.weebly.com/glossary.html	
  
	
  
Three	
  Legal	
  Ways	
  to	
  Become	
  an	
  American	
  Citizen.	
  Accessed	
  December	
  19,	
  2012	
  from	
  	
  
http://voices.yahoo.com/three-­‐legal-­‐ways-­‐become-­‐american-­‐citizen-­‐27127.html	
  

10



Lesson	
  1	
  Glossary	
  Opening	
  Activity	
  
	
  

Please	
  cut	
  up	
  the	
  terms	
  and	
  definitions	
  from	
  the	
  following	
  four	
  pages	
  and	
  distribute	
  them	
  
randomly	
  to	
  students.	
  The	
  correct	
  pairings	
  of	
  terms	
  and	
  definitions	
  are	
  in	
  the	
  glossary,	
  which	
  
should	
  be	
  distributed	
  to	
  students	
  after	
  the	
  activity	
  is	
  over.	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

11



A L L Y  B I G O T R Y  

B U L L Y I N G  B Y S T A N D E R  

C Y B E R B U L L Y I N G  E M P A T H Y  

I N S T I T U T I O N A L I Z E D  R A C I S M  M I C R O - A G G R E S S I O N S  

TERMS	
  

12



N A T U R A L I Z E D  C I T I Z E N  P R E J U D I C E  

R E F U G E E  H A R A S S M E N T  

S O L I D A R I T Y  T O L E R A N C E  

U P S T A N D E R  X E N O P H O B I A  

	
  
	
  
	
  

TERMS	
  

13



Someone who acts to help an individual of a 
group targeted by bullying or 

discrimination 

Intolerance or inability to stand those 
people who have different opinions or 

backgrounds 

Intentional acts that physically, 
emotionally or mentally hurt another 

person. It usually involves a difference in 
power and when repeated over time 

creates a pattern of aggression. 

Someone who witnesses an act of bullying 
and does not intervene. 

Hurtful and repeated harassing and 
intimidation of another person through 
computers, online social networks, cell 
phones, and other electronic forms of 

communication 

The ability to understand someone else’s 
feelings, challenges, or problems 

A system, policy, or agency that 
discriminates based on race or ethnic 
origin through its policies or practices 

 
 
 

Interactions between people of different 
races, genders, cultures, or sexual 

orientations where one person exhibits 
non-physical aggression. 

	
  
	
  
	
  

DEFINITONS	
  

14



Someone born in one country that 
becomes a citizen of another country. In 

the U.S., there are three ways people 
become citizens: (1) by being born to an 

American parent; (2) by being born in the 
U.S., and (2) through naturalization after 

living in the U.S. for multiple years and 
completing a citizenship test 

Negative feelings and stereotyped 
attitudes towards members of a different 
group. Prejudice or negative prejudgments 
can be based on race, religion, nationality, 

economic status, sexual orientation, 
gender, age, or other factors. 

 

Someone who is outside of the country 
where they are from or have lived because 

s/he has been targeted, harassed or 
persecuted because of her/his race, 
religion, sexual orientation, political 

beliefs, etc 

Any type of repeated or persistent 
behavior that is unwanted, unwelcome and 
causes emotional distress in the person it 
is directed at. It is typically motivated by 
gender, race, religion, national origin etc. 

Demonstrating unity or cooperation to 
work with others who may or may not 

share the same interests or challenges. 
Being an ally to someone else or another 

group of people. 

The ability to be fair and open to people or 
beliefs that are different than oneself. 
Being free from prejudice and bigotry 

A person or group of people who stand up 
when they see an injustice. Opposite of 

‘bystander’ 

A strong and unreasonable hatred of 
people who are from other countries or 

ideas and things that are foreign 

	
  
	
  

DEFINITIONS	
  

15



 

 
Lesson 1 - Timeline Activity 

  

16



 

 

1885 
 

 
 
 

A memento of the Dean's reception, held October 10, 1885 -- Photograph of 
Anandabai Joshee, Kei Okami, and Tabat M. Islambooly, students from the 
Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania taken in 1885 (left).  Gurubai 
Karmarker (from India) graduated from Women's Medical College of 
Pennsylvania in 1892 (right). (1885-1892) From Drexel University College of 
Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. 
 
With international ships and missionary societies, people from India began 
visiting the United States as early as the late 1700s.  In the late 1800s, 
international students from India attended the Women’s Medical College of 
Pennsylvania, such as the women pictured above.   
 
Image #1 courtesy of the Legacy Center Archives, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia. 
“Students posing for photo,” photo# ahc1_003 
 

Image #2 courtesy of the Legacy Center Archives, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia. 
“Gurubai Karmarker,” photo# ahc_1520 

17



 

1912 
 

 
 
The first Gurdwara (Sikh House of worship) in the United States was 
established in 1912 in Stockton, California.  Immigrants from India, usually men 
and generally from the region of Punjab, came to the United States to study, 
work on the Pacific & Eastern Railroad as construction workers, in lumberyards, 
or in agriculture.  By 1910, 5,000 men had migrated to the West Coast of the 
United States from colonial India.  
 
Many early immigrants were not able to bring family members to the United 
States with them, and few women were allowed to migrate, so many migrants 
inter-married with other groups, such as European Americans, Mexican 
Americans, or other Asian Americans.   The PBS film, Roots in the Sand, 
documents the history of this community.   
 

“Exterior photograph of the Stockton Gurdwara." January 1916. The Hindusthanee Student. Courtesy of South 
Asian American Digital Archive.  (http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/item/20121224-1186). 

18

http://www.pbs.org/rootsinthesand/
http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/item/20121224-1186


 

1917 
 

 
 

In February 1917, during World War I, the U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act 

of 1917 (also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act).  Although President Woodrow 

Wilson previously vetoed it in 1916, the congressional majority overrode the 

President’s veto.  The act added people originating from the Asiatic Barred Zone (see 

above) to the list of people who were considered “undesirable” for immigration to 

the U.S.; the list also included: “homosexuals”, “idiots”, “feeble-minded persons”, 

"criminals", “epileptics”, “insane persons”, “alcoholics,” “professional beggars”, all 

persons “mentally or physically defective”, “polygamists,” and “anarchists.”  

 

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had barred Chinese from entering the U.S. and the 

1917 legislation expanded the categories to the entire Asian region. The rising 

“nativism” and “xenophobia” in the U.S. led to the passage of the Act in prohibiting 

immigration of certain groups. Congress repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 

and the Luce-Cellar Act of 1946 ended discrimination against Asian Indians and 

Filipinos, who were accorded the right to naturalization, allowed a quota of 100 

immigrants per year. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, known as the 

McCarran-Walter Act allowed other Asian groups (Japanese, Korean, and others) to 

become naturalized U.S. citizens.  

Accessed from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asiatic_Barred_Zone.png 

19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epileptic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act_(United_States)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luce-Celler_Act_of_1946
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1952
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asiatic_Barred_Zone.png


 

 

1918 
 

 
 
Bhagat Singh Thind at Camp Lewis. Photograph dated November 18, 1918 of 
Bhagat Singh Thind with his battalion at Camp Lewis, Washington. His unit was 
called Washington Company No. 2, Development Battalion No. 1, 166th Depot 
Brigade.  From the South Asian American Digital Archive, donated by David 
Thind 
 
Bhagat Singh Thind (who lived from 1892-1967) was born in Punjab, India and 
came to the U.S. to study in 1913. He was enlisted to join the U.S. military during 
World War I (in 1918). He was first granted U.S. citizenship because his military 
service in 1918, but it was revoked four days later because citizenship was only 
available at the time for “free white men.”  Later, Thind brought a case to the 
Supreme Court (in 1923) arguing the immigrants from India to the U.S. should 
be allowed to be naturalized citizens.  The Supreme Court disagreed since only 
commonly understood “Caucasian” immigrants were eligible to become 
citizens. Thind finally became a citizen in 1936.  He went on to study spirituality 
and lecture extensively in the U.S.   

 
“Bhagat Singh at Camp Lewis” November 18, 1918. Courtesy of South Asian American Digital Archive.  

20

http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/donor/david-thind
http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/donor/david-thind


 
With Permission from Donor David Thind. (http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/item/20110802-264) 

1937 

 
 

 “East India Store Section,” Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii (1937), From South 

Asian American Digital Archive, from the collection of the Watumull Family, 

donated by Indru Watumull 

 

Description: This four-page advertisement insert from the June 3, 1937 edition 

of the Honolulu Advertiser, marking the opening of the Watumull Building on 

1162 Fort Street. Includes several short articles about G.J. Watumull and J. 

Watumull, advertisements for the stores, products, and boutiques housed in 

the building, as well as photographs of the East India Store interior and its 

employees. 

 

 
“East India Store Section,” Honolulu Advertiser (1937). Courtesy of South Asian American Digital Archive.  

With Permission from Watamull Family. (http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/item/20110722-249) 

 
 

21

http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/item/20110802-264
http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/collection/watumull-family
http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/donor/indru-watumull
http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/sites/default/files/objects/watumull-family/item-honolulu-advertiser-001.jpg


 

1961 
 

 
 

Congressional Coffee Hour at the White House with President John F. 
Kennedy, May 18, 1961.  
From Left to Right:  Congressmen Dilip Singh Saund (California), Congressman Harold C. Ostertag 
(New York); Congressman James A. Haley (Florida); President John F. Kennedy; Congressman Frank 
W. Boykin (Alabama); Congressman Harold T. Johnson (California); Congressman John W. Byrnes 
(Wisconsin).  Photographer Robert Knudsen.  From J.F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.  

 

Dalip Singh Saund (who lived from 1899-1973) was the first Asian-American member 

of the U.S. House of Representatives (Congress).  He served as the Congressman 

from the 29
th

 District of California from 1957-1963.  He was born in Punjab, India while 

it was under British rule and migrated to the United States (via Ellis Island) in 1920 

and pursued his Masters and Doctoral degrees at the University of California, 

Berkeley. He campaigned for the rights of South Asian immigrants in the United 

States. After the Luce-Celler Act was signed into law by then-President Harry Truman 

in 1946 (allowing for people from India and the Philippines to become naturalized 

U.S. citizens), Saund could become a U.S. citizen, and later, successfully ran for 

national office.  
 

 Photograph No. KN-17834, “President John F. Kennedy at Congressional Coffee Hour,”  
May 18, 1961.John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.  

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-KN-17834.aspx 

22



 

1965 
 

 
 
President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1965 Immigration Act with Vice 
President Hubert Humphrey and Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy greeting the 
President. Source: LBJ Library and Museum, Photo credit: Yoichi Okamoto. 
 

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 
1965, which changed U.S. immigration policy.  Previously, immigrants from Asia 
and Africa were allowed into the United States in very small numbers (even if 
they were highly educated or had family living in the U.S.).  The Act of 1965 was 
signed in from of the Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island, and reflected the Civil 
Rights movement’s gains for racial equality.   U.S. immigration policies had 
been severely discriminatory given decades of exclusion of non-European 
immigrants.  

Departing from the previous system of country-based quotas, U.S. 
immigration after 1965 has focused on the skills that immigrants bring and 
reunification of families (immigrants sponsoring their families to join them in 
the United States).      

 
Image from: http://www.lbjlibrary.net/collections/photo-archive.html 

23

http://www.lbjlibrary.net/collections/photo-archive.html


 

 

1987 
 
 

In 1987, a 30-year old immigrant 
from India who worked in a bank, 
Navroze Mody, was brutally 
beaten to death by a group of 
teenagers who called themselves 
“Dotbusters.” This group was 
active in New Jersey, where a 
large South Asian immigrant 
community is concentrated, and 
they had been harassing 
immigrants from South Asia for 
months.  A month before Mody’s 
killing, Dotbusters (referring to 
the bindi that Hindu women 
where on their foreheads for 

religious purposes), sent a letter to a local newspaper.  Part of their letter read:  
 
"I'm writing about your article during July about the abuse of Indian People. 
Well I'm here to state the other side. I hate them, if you had to live near them 
you would also. We are an organization called dot busters. We have been 
around for 2 years. We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of 
Jersey City. If I'm walking down the street and I see a Hindu and the setting is 
right, I will hit him or her. We plan some of our most extreme attacks such as 
breaking windows, breaking car windows, and crashing family parties. …  They 
are a week race physically and mentally. We are going to continue our way. We 
will never be stopped."   
 
In Jersey City, after Mody’s death, another person of South Asian descent was 
assaulted by three men with baseball bats.  Laws against hate crimes have 
been in existence in New Jersey though incidents still continue.  
 

Information sourced from http://pluralism.org/ocg/CDROM_files/hinduism/dot_busters.php, and from the FBI 
hate crimes statistics: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/hatecrimes_111411 

24

http://pluralism.org/ocg/CDROM_files/hinduism/dot_busters.php
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/hatecrimes_111411


 

2011 

 
 

The federal government has ordered 
Hamtramck to print election ballots and 
other materials in the Bangla language 

By Charles Sercombe 
 
Here’s more proof that Hamtramck’s 
Bengali community is a major voting 
bloc. The federal government is now 
requiring the city to print all election 
material, including ballots and 
candidate nominating petitions, in 
the Bangla language as well as in 
English. 

That’s because, according to 
the U.S. Census, the Bangladeshi 
community is sizeable enough to warrant separate ballots. The agency said it used a variety of 
data to determine this mandate, but just what exactly the decision was based on was not 
immediately known. 

Hamtramck is not alone in being ordered to print separate ballots. Some 248 voting 
districts across the country have been told to print up separate ballots for their dominant ethnic 
group. City Clerk Ed Norris said the mandate will mean an additional cost to the city, but he did 
not know how much more elections will now run. 

He said there is not enough time to ready ballots for the Bengali community for the Nov. 
8 General Election. The next election after the November election is the Republican Primary on 
Feb. 28. Norris said he’s not sure if the additional ballots will be ready by then, either. 
“We’re going to try to comply the best we can, as soon as we can,” he said. 
Part of the problem in getting ballots ready is finding both a reliable translation service, and a 
printer that has the proper font for the Bangla language. Another issue to figure out is who is 
responsible for preparing and paying for the separate ballots when elections are under the 
jurisdiction of the county or state. 

Not all elections are solely city elections. Norris said trying to coordinate this mandate 
with county and state officials is another hurdle to jump. In the online social network site 
Facebook, there has been criticism of this mandate. There are some who believe that if you are a 
citizen and are eligible to vote, you should be able to understand the English language. But the 
Voting Rights Act of 2006 mandates special language ballots for there is a significant ethnic 
presence in a community. Norris said that there is no appeal option to challenge the mandate. 
Norris added that the city has already provided some election material in Polish, Arabic and 
Bangla. 
                                   2011 Article Accessed and Reprinted with Permission from: 

http://www.hamtramckreview.com/2011/10/feds-order-city-to-print-bengali-ballots/ 

25

http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.hamtramckreview.com/2011/10/feds-order-city-to-print-bengali-ballots/&title=Feds%20order%20city%20to%20print%20Bengali%20ballots
http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.hamtramckreview.com/2011/10/feds-order-city-to-print-bengali-ballots/&title=Feds%20order%20city%20to%20print%20Bengali%20ballots
http://www.hamtramckreview.com/2011/10/feds-order-city-to-print-bengali-ballots/
http://www.hamtramckreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bengalivoterlr.jpg


 

Post-2001 
 

 
 

New York Neighbors is an inter-faith organization that uses the 
symbols of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to show how people of 

different backgrounds can get along. 
 

In the post-9/11 period, many groups have come together to unite against extremism, 

and to understand individuals from different backgrounds in order to make sure that 

unfair laws and practices don’t result in discriminatory treatment.  Thousands of 

individuals with no links to any terrorists networks or organizations have been 

detained, jailed, or spied upon since 9/11; many human rights groups and civil rights 

agencies have protested the U.S. government’s actions.  New York Neighbors is a 

coalition of over 130 groups in New York City that strives to “defend the 

constitutional and American values of religious freedom, diversity and equality while 

fighting against anti-Muslim bigotry and discrimination against our neighbors no 

matter what their national origin or religion.”  

 
 

Information accessed from: http://nyneighbors.org/ 

26

http://nyneighbors.org/


 

2012 
 

 
 
On Sunday August 5, 2012 an armed gunman entered a Sikh Gurudwara (Sikh house 
of worship)  in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and opened fire on innocent people praying in 
their house of worship. Six people were killed (Seeta Singh, a congregational leader ; 
Parkash Singh, a congregational leader ; Ranjit Singh; Satwant Singh Kaleka, 
president of the Gurdwara; and Subegh Singh and Parmjit Kaur,  members of the 
congregation).  Two other worshippers were injured.  A police officer fatally shot the 
gunman, Wade Michael Page, aged 40.   Wade Michael Page is reported to have been 
affiliated with white supremacist and hate groups and was on the watchlist of 
organizations that track hate crimes like the Southern Poverty Law Center.  
 
After the shooting, President Obama released a statement that, “At this difficult 
time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our 
thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who 
were killed and wounded. My Administration will provide whatever support is 
necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving 
forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of 
worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who 
are a part of our broader American family.”   

 
White House Statement from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/08/14/honoring-victims-oak-creek-tragedy 

& Map from Panth.org: http://www.panthic.org/data/pics/articles/2012b/5449_AttackMap.jpg 
 

27

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/08/14/honoring-victims-oak-creek-tragedy
http://www.panthic.org/data/pics/articles/2012b/5449_AttackMap.jpg


Short	
  Timeline	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  in	
  The	
  United	
  States	
  
	
   	
   **Key	
  moments	
  in	
  U.S.	
  &	
  world	
  history	
  are	
  also	
  presented	
  in	
  brackets	
  	
  
	
  
1845:	
  	
  	
  
More	
  than	
  500,000	
  Asian	
  Indians	
  are	
  brought	
  to	
  British	
  Guyana,	
  the	
  West	
  Indies,	
  and	
  various	
  
French	
  colonies,	
  marking	
  the	
  beginning	
  of	
  the	
  global	
  trend	
  toward	
  “coolie”	
  labor	
  (similar	
  to	
  in-­‐
dentured	
  servitude).	
  [Slavery	
  was	
  abolished	
  in	
  the	
  British	
  Caribbean	
  islands	
  in	
  1834	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  
U.S.	
  in	
  1863)	
  
	
  
1880s	
  &	
  1890s:	
  	
  	
  
2,000	
  South	
  Asians	
  residing	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Many	
  are	
  from	
  the	
  Punjab	
  region	
  and	
  are	
  of	
  the	
  Sikh	
  re-­‐
ligion	
  working	
  on	
  farms	
  in	
  California.	
  Others	
  are	
  studying	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  [The	
  countries	
  of	
  India,	
  
Bangladesh,	
  Pakistan,	
  Sri	
  Lanka,	
  Nepal	
  and	
  Burma	
  were	
  ruled	
  by	
  the	
  British	
  Empire	
  from	
  1858-­‐
1947]	
  
	
  
1907-­‐1908:	
  	
  	
  
The	
  ‘Asian	
  Exclusion	
  League,’	
  an	
  anti-­‐immigrant	
  group,	
  opposes	
  immigration	
  from	
  Asia	
  and	
  
leads	
  to	
  often	
  violent	
  “Anti-­‐Hindu”	
  riots	
  in	
  Washington,	
  California,	
  and	
  Oregon	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  “help	
  
drive	
  out	
  the	
  cheap	
  labor.”	
  	
  Chief	
  of	
  bureau	
  of	
  naturalization	
  actively	
  opposes	
  the	
  granting	
  of	
  
naturalization	
  to	
  “Hindoos”	
  (a	
  derogatory	
  and	
  incorrect	
  term	
  then	
  used	
  for	
  all	
  people	
  from	
  In-­‐
dia;	
  of	
  those	
  in	
  this	
  early	
  migration,	
  85%	
  were	
  Sikh,	
  about	
  13%	
  Muslim,	
  and	
  only	
  2%	
  Hindus)	
  
	
  
1912:	
  	
  	
  
Sikhs	
  build	
  the	
  first	
  Gurdwara	
  (Sikh	
  House	
  of	
  worship)	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  in	
  Stockton,	
  California	
  	
  
	
  
1917:	
  	
  	
  
Immigration	
  Act	
  of	
  1917	
  defines	
  a	
  geographic	
  “barred	
  zone”	
  (including	
  what	
  is	
  now	
  South	
  Asia)	
  
from	
  which	
  no	
  immigrants	
  can	
  come	
  to	
  the	
  U.S.	
  [World	
  War	
  I	
  lasts	
  from	
  1914-­‐1918]	
  
	
  
1920:	
  	
  	
  
Alien	
  land	
  laws	
  in	
  the	
  states	
  prohibit	
  the	
  transfer	
  and	
  ownership	
  of	
  land	
  to	
  non-­‐citizens;	
  Indians	
  
owned	
  over	
  120,000	
  acres	
  in	
  California	
  which	
  was	
  taken	
  away.	
  	
  In	
  the	
  following	
  years,	
  over	
  
3,000	
  Indians	
  return	
  to	
  their	
  homeland	
  due	
  to	
  xenophobic	
  pressures.	
  Research	
  shows	
  that	
  
some	
  immigrants	
  still	
  come	
  to	
  the	
  U.S.	
  as	
  traders	
  or	
  merchants	
  through	
  port	
  cities,	
  such	
  as	
  New	
  
Orleans	
  or	
  New	
  York,	
  and	
  settle	
  in	
  African	
  American	
  or	
  Puerto	
  Rican	
  communities.	
  [Women	
  in	
  
the	
  U.S.	
  are	
  granted	
  the	
  right	
  to	
  vote	
  in	
  1920]	
  
	
  
1923:	
  	
  	
  
U.S.	
  v.	
  Bhagat	
  Singh	
  Thind.	
  U.S.	
  Supreme	
  Court	
  declared	
  Asian	
  Indians	
  could	
  not	
  become	
  U.S.	
  
citizens	
  because	
  they	
  are	
  not	
  “white”	
  immigrants.	
  	
  [In	
  1924,	
  U.S.	
  President	
  Calvin	
  Coolidge	
  signs	
  
the	
  Snyder	
  Act	
  giving	
  Native	
  Americans	
  U.S.	
  citizenship,	
  but	
  many	
  states	
  still	
  denied	
  them	
  the	
  
right	
  to	
  vote	
  until	
  1948]	
  
	
  
	
  

28



1946:	
  	
  	
  
Luce-­‐Celler	
  Bill	
  grants	
  right	
  of	
  naturalization	
  and	
  small	
  immigration	
  quotas	
  to	
  Asian	
  Indians	
  and	
  
Filipinos,	
  including	
  a	
  national	
  quota	
  of	
  100	
  per	
  year	
  for	
  immigrants	
  from	
  India.	
  [World	
  War	
  II	
  
lasts	
  from	
  1939-­‐1945]	
  
	
  
1957:	
  	
  
Dalip	
  Singh	
  Saund,	
  an	
  Indian-­‐American	
  from	
  Imperial	
  Valley,	
  California,	
  is	
  elected	
  to	
  United	
  
States	
  Congress	
  and	
  serves	
  from	
  1957-­‐1963.	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  numbered	
  more	
  than	
  
12,000.	
  	
  [In	
  1955,	
  the	
  Montgomery	
  Bus	
  Boycott	
  starts	
  in	
  Alabama.	
  In	
  1956,	
  the	
  Supreme	
  Court	
  
declared	
  segregation	
  on	
  buses	
  to	
  be	
  illegal].	
  
	
  
1965:	
  	
  
The	
  Immigration	
  and	
  Nationality	
  Act,	
  which	
  removed	
  quotas	
  for	
  Asian	
  immigrants,	
  triggers	
  the	
  
second	
  wave	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  immigration,	
  which	
  primarily	
  includes	
  scientists,	
  engineers,	
  and	
  
doctors.	
  [1965:	
  President	
  Lyndon	
  B.	
  Johnson	
  signs	
  the	
  Voting	
  Rights	
  Act].	
  	
  
	
  
1966-­‐1977:	
  	
  
83%	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  enter	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  under	
  employment	
  visas,	
  including	
  20,000	
  scien-­‐
tists,	
  40,000	
  engineers,	
  and	
  25,000	
  medical	
  doctors.	
  
	
  
1987:	
  	
  
Navroze	
  Mody	
  murdered	
  in	
  hate	
  crime	
  by	
  “Dotbusters”	
  –	
  a	
  violent	
  spree	
  in	
  parts	
  of	
  New	
  Jersey.	
  	
  
South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  number	
  more	
  than	
  200,000	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  	
  [1989	
  marks	
  the	
  be-­‐
ginning	
  of	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  the	
  Cold	
  War].	
  
	
  
1990:	
  	
  	
  
Third	
  wave	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  immigrants	
  begins,	
  including	
  H1-­‐B	
  visa	
  holders	
  (many	
  working	
  in	
  Sili-­‐
con	
  Valley),	
  students,	
  and	
  working	
  class	
  families.	
  	
  
	
  
2000:	
  	
  	
  
Hamtramck,	
  Michigan	
  is	
  the	
  first	
  jurisdiction	
  to	
  provide	
  language	
  assistance	
  in	
  a	
  South	
  Asian	
  
language	
  –	
  Bengali	
  –	
  to	
  voters	
  following	
  a	
  lawsuit	
  by	
  the	
  Department	
  of	
  Justice.	
  	
  
	
  
September	
  11,	
  2001:	
  	
  	
  
Attacks	
  against	
  the	
  World	
  Trade	
  Center	
  and	
  the	
  Pentagon.	
  [None	
  of	
  the	
  hijackers	
  were	
  of	
  South	
  
Asian	
  origin].	
  	
  
	
  
September	
  11-­‐17,	
  2001:	
  	
  	
  
In	
  the	
  week	
  following	
  9/11,	
  there	
  were	
  645	
  reports	
  of	
  bias	
  incidents	
  perceived	
  to	
  be	
  aimed	
  at	
  
persons	
  of	
  Middle	
  Eastern	
  and	
  South	
  Asian	
  descent.	
  South	
  Asians	
  Balbir	
  Singh	
  Sodhi	
  of	
  Arizona,	
  
Waqar	
  Hasan	
  of	
  Texas,	
  and	
  Vasudev	
  Patel	
  of	
  Texas	
  were	
  all	
  killed	
  in	
  post-­‐9/11	
  hate	
  crimes.	
  Har-­‐
assment	
  and	
  threats	
  are	
  most	
  common,	
  making	
  up	
  more	
  than	
  two-­‐thirds	
  of	
  all	
  reported	
  inci-­‐
dents.	
  	
  
	
  

29



September	
  2001-­‐February	
  2002:	
  	
  	
  
The	
  U.S.	
  government	
  detains	
  without	
  charges	
  about	
  1,100	
  individuals	
  (many	
  from	
  India	
  &	
  Paki-­‐
stan).	
  Many	
  are	
  denied	
  access	
  to	
  counsel	
  and	
  undergo	
  secret	
  hearings.	
  Many	
  are	
  detained	
  for	
  
months	
  on	
  end,	
  other	
  are	
  deported	
  with	
  no	
  evidence	
  ever	
  presented	
  of	
  terrorist	
  activity.	
  
	
  
2002:	
  	
  	
  
FBI	
  reports	
  that	
  after	
  9/11,	
  reports	
  of	
  violence	
  against	
  Muslims	
  rose	
  by	
  1600%.	
  Nineteen	
  peo-­‐
ple	
  are	
  murdered	
  in	
  hate	
  violence	
  in	
  the	
  US	
  related	
  to	
  9/11.	
  
	
  
2002:	
  	
  
Special	
  Registration	
  program	
  requires	
  men	
  and	
  boys	
  –	
  ages	
  16	
  and	
  older	
  –	
  from	
  25	
  countries	
  
(24	
  of	
  which	
  are	
  predominantly	
  Muslim	
  countries,	
  including	
  Pakistan	
  and	
  Bangladesh),	
  to	
  report	
  
to	
  their	
  local	
  immigration	
  office	
  for	
  fingerprinting	
  and	
  interrogation.	
  Over	
  83,000	
  people	
  regis-­‐
tered	
  throughout	
  the	
  country,	
  none	
  of	
  whom	
  were	
  charged	
  with	
  any	
  terrorist-­‐related	
  activity.	
  
Thousands	
  of	
  people	
  are	
  deported.	
  
	
  
2005:	
  	
  
Piyush	
  Bobby	
  Jindal	
  becomes	
  second	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  member	
  of	
  Congress.	
  Many	
  South	
  
Asians	
  are	
  elected	
  to	
  state	
  office.	
  [In	
  2007,	
  Bobby	
  Jindal	
  became	
  the	
  first	
  Indian-­‐American	
  gov-­‐
ernor	
  in	
  U.S.	
  history	
  (of	
  Louisiana),	
  and	
  Nikki	
  Haley	
  became	
  the	
  second	
  in	
  2011	
  (South	
  Caroli-­‐
na).]	
  	
  
	
  
2012:	
  	
  
Wade	
  Michael	
  Page,	
  associated	
  with	
  white	
  supremacist	
  groups,	
  walked	
  in	
  and	
  opened	
  fire	
  dur-­‐
ing	
  services	
  at	
  a	
  Sikh	
  Gurdwara	
  (Sikh	
  House	
  of	
  worship)	
  in	
  Wisconsin,	
  killing	
  six	
  people.	
  Page	
  
was	
  killed	
  by	
  a	
  police	
  officer	
  who	
  arrived	
  at	
  the	
  scene.	
  The	
  shooting	
  was	
  labeled	
  an	
  act	
  of	
  “do-­‐
mestic	
  terrorism.”	
  	
  
	
  
2012/2013:	
  	
  
According	
  to	
  the	
  2010	
  U.S.	
  Census,	
  there	
  are	
  3.4	
  million	
  people	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  descent	
  in	
  the	
  
United	
  States.	
  In	
  2012,	
  Ami	
  Bera	
  from	
  California	
  becomes	
  the	
  third	
  Indian-­‐American	
  to	
  be	
  
elected	
  to	
  the	
  U.S.	
  House	
  of	
  Representatives.	
  

	
  
	
  

Adapted	
  from	
  “South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.:	
  A	
  Social	
  Justice	
  Timeline,”	
  developed	
  by	
  SAALT.	
  
	
  

30



Who	
  are	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans?	
  
	
  

Population	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  (density)	
  	
  
	
  

According	
  to	
  the	
  2010	
  
Census,	
  approximately	
  
3.4	
  million	
  South	
  Asians	
  
live	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  
States.	
  	
  South	
  Asian	
  
Americans	
  are	
  originally	
  
from	
  the	
  countries	
  of	
  
Afghanistan,	
  Bangladesh,	
  
Bhutan,	
  India,	
  Nepal,	
  
Pakistan,	
  Sri	
  Lanka,	
  and	
  
the	
  Maldives.	
  They	
  may	
  
have	
  been	
  born	
  in	
  those	
  
countries,	
  or	
  their	
  
parents	
  or	
  grandparents	
  
originally	
  came	
  to	
  the	
  
U.S.	
  from	
  there.	
  The	
  

community	
  also	
  includes	
  members	
  of	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  diaspora	
  –	
  past	
  generations	
  of	
  South	
  
Asians	
  who	
  originally	
  settled	
  in	
  many	
  areas	
  around	
  the	
  world,	
  including	
  the	
  Caribbean	
  
(Guyana,	
  Jamaica,	
  Suriname,	
  and	
  Trinidad	
  &	
  Tobago),	
  Africa	
  (Kenya,	
  Nigeria,	
  South	
  Africa,	
  
Tanzania,	
  Uganda,	
  Zambia),	
  Canada,	
  Europe,	
  the	
  Middle	
  East,	
  and	
  other	
  parts	
  of	
  Asia	
  and	
  
the	
  Pacific	
  Islands	
  (Fiji,	
  Indonesia,	
  Malaysia,	
  and	
  Singapore).	
  	
  

The	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  community	
  is	
  very	
  diverse	
  not	
  only	
  in	
  terms	
  of	
  national	
  origin,	
  
but	
  also	
  by	
  virtue	
  of	
  possessing	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  ethnic,	
  religious,	
  and	
  linguistic	
  characteristics.	
  
There	
  are	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  who	
  practice	
  Buddhism,	
  Christianity,	
  Hinduism,	
  Jainism,	
  
Judaism,	
  Islam,	
  Sikhism,	
  and	
  Zoroastrianism.	
  The	
  most	
  common	
  languages	
  other	
  than	
  
English	
  spoken	
  by	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  include	
  Bengali,	
  Gujarati,	
  Hindi,	
  Punjabi,	
  
and	
  Urdu.	
  
	
  
South	
  Asians	
  are	
  also	
  diverse	
  in	
  terms	
  immigration	
  and	
  socio-­‐economic	
  status.	
  With	
  respect	
  
to	
  employment,	
  many	
  South	
  Asians	
  have	
  careers	
  in	
  the	
  technology	
  and	
  medical	
  fields;	
  there	
  
are	
  many	
  teachers;	
  and	
  many	
  within	
  the	
  community	
  are	
  also	
  employed	
  in	
  lower-­‐wage	
  jobs	
  
as	
  cashiers,	
  taxi	
  workers,	
  domestic	
  workers,	
  and	
  restaurant	
  workers.	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  
U.S.	
  are	
  also	
  on	
  TV,	
  in	
  government,	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  military.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
	
  

Adapted	
  from	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  (SAALT)’s	
  factsheets	
  and	
  website	
  
	
  

31



	
  

	
  

Migration	
  Worksheet	
  

Use	
  this	
  worksheet	
  to	
  find	
  out	
  as	
  much	
  information	
  as	
  possible	
  about	
  how	
  your	
  family	
  came	
  to	
  the	
  
United	
  States.	
  If	
  your	
  ancestors	
  are	
  Native	
  American,	
  find	
  out	
  any	
  stories	
  of	
  migration	
  within	
  the	
  U.S.	
  
over	
  the	
  past	
  few	
  centuries.	
  It	
  is	
  hard	
  to	
  pinpoint	
  many	
  historical	
  dates,	
  but	
  just	
  get	
  as	
  much	
  information	
  
as	
  you	
  can	
  to	
  share	
  with	
  classmates.	
  

What	
  can	
  you	
  find	
  out	
  about	
  the	
  first	
  person	
  in	
  your	
  family	
  (on	
  either	
  or	
  both	
  sides)	
  who	
  migrated	
  to	
  the	
  
U.S.?	
  	
  Around	
  what	
  year	
  did	
  that	
  migration	
  take	
  place?	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

	
  

Any	
  additional	
  details?	
  	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

_____________________________________________________________________________________	
  

	
  

Feel	
  free	
  to	
  affix	
  copies	
  of	
  any	
  photos	
  or	
  documents	
  you	
  can	
  find	
  to	
  the	
  back	
  of	
  this	
  sheet.	
  

32



LESSON	
  2:	
  EVERYONE’S	
  MIGRATION	
  STORY	
  
	
  
Time:	
  40-­‐60	
  minutes	
  	
  
	
  
Essential	
  questions	
  	
  

• How	
  do	
  different	
  interpretations	
  of	
  history	
  impact	
  our	
  current	
  views	
  of	
  xenophobia?	
  
• How	
  can	
  an	
  increasing	
  realisation	
  of	
  immigration	
  stories	
  build	
  levels	
  of	
  empathy?	
  
• How	
  can	
  looking	
  back,	
  help	
  us	
  to	
  move	
  forwards	
  as	
  a	
  cohesive	
  society?	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  Objectives	
  	
  
Learners	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to:	
  

• Address	
  the	
  roots	
  of	
  xenophobia	
  
• Build	
  empathy	
  
• Leave	
  the	
  classroom	
  with	
  a	
  better	
  understanding	
  of	
  the	
  commonly	
  used	
  phrase	
  	
  

“everyone	
  comes	
  from	
  somewhere”	
  
	
  
Materials	
  

1. Timeline	
  
2. Pens,	
  markers	
  etc.	
  
3. Tape	
  
4. Post-­‐its	
  
5. Bullying	
  101	
  hand-­‐out	
  (one	
  page,	
  one	
  copy	
  per	
  student)	
  
6. Emma	
  Lazarus	
  poem	
  (optional)	
  

	
  
	
  

Performance	
  Tasks	
  
Timeline	
  Activity	
  &	
  Discussion	
  	
  

	
  
Opening	
  Activity	
  (10	
  minutes)	
  

1. Directions	
  for	
  students:	
  Based	
  on	
  your	
  interviews	
  with	
  a	
  family	
  member,	
  you	
  have	
  5	
  
minutes	
  to	
  draw	
  3	
  symbols	
  (or	
  words)	
  that	
  represent	
  your	
  migration	
  story.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Aim:	
  5	
  mins	
  /	
  Allow:	
  8	
  mins	
  
Note:	
  If	
  facilitator	
  was	
  not	
  able	
  to	
  put	
  up	
  time	
  line,	
  now	
  is	
  the	
  opportunity.	
  Facilitator	
  is	
  
also	
  encouraged	
  to	
  include	
  their	
  own	
  symbols.	
  	
  

2. (As	
  students	
  are	
  finishing)	
  Invite	
  students	
  to	
  come	
  up	
  in	
  groups	
  of	
  5	
  to	
  add	
  their	
  
migration	
  story	
  to	
  the	
  timeline.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Aim:	
  5	
  mins	
  /	
  Allow:	
  5	
  mins	
  

	
  
Main	
  Activity	
  (20	
  minutes)	
  

3. Silent	
  gallery	
  walk	
  and	
  reaction:	
  Encourage	
  students	
  to	
  absorb	
  fellow	
  classmates’	
  
stories	
  and	
  reflect	
  on	
  their	
  own.	
  	
  We	
  encourage	
  the	
  facilitator	
  to	
  also	
  participate.	
  	
  
Students	
  should	
  be	
  provided	
  with	
  post	
  its	
  for	
  use	
  during	
  this	
  exercise	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  write	
  
and	
  stick	
  any	
  reactions	
  they	
  may	
  have	
  to	
  the	
  time	
  line.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

33



Invite	
  students	
  to	
  share	
  their	
  own	
  thoughts	
  and	
  reactions	
  to	
  having	
  read	
  their	
  
classmates’	
  stories/reactions.	
  	
  	
  

o Prompts:	
  If	
  there	
  is	
  little	
  response,	
  the	
  facilitator	
  may	
  choose	
  to	
  read	
  aloud	
  some	
  
examples	
  from	
  the	
  students’	
  post	
  its/symbols	
  in	
  an	
  attempt	
  to	
  show	
  the	
  
variation	
  of	
  backgrounds	
  that	
  have	
  led	
  all	
  students	
  to	
  be	
  in	
  this	
  same	
  classroom.	
  	
  
The	
  aim	
  is	
  to	
  illustrate	
  that	
  we	
  all	
  come	
  from	
  somewhere	
  and	
  have	
  a	
  place	
  in	
  the	
  
larger	
  American	
  story.	
  	
  	
  

o Questions	
  to	
  help	
  facilitate	
  further	
  discussion:	
  
§ How	
  does	
  it	
  make	
  you	
  feel	
  to	
  read	
  these	
  stories	
  of	
  your	
  classmates’	
  

histories?	
  
§ What	
  surprised	
  you	
  about	
  this	
  exercise?	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
[Insert	
  extension	
  activity	
  here	
  if	
  time	
  permits	
  or	
  if	
  the	
  conversation	
  is	
  not	
  taking	
  off.]	
  

	
  
Discussion/Closing	
  	
  (Aim:	
  10	
  minutes;	
  allow	
  15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Discussion	
  questions:	
  Where	
  do	
  I	
  come	
  from?	
  
a. Who	
  do	
  I	
  consider	
  to	
  be	
  American?	
  
b. What	
  does	
  an	
  American	
  look	
  like?	
  

i. Our	
  goal	
  is	
  for	
  students	
  to	
  recognize	
  their	
  own	
  migration	
  histories	
  and	
  
the	
  episodic	
  nature	
  of	
  xenophobia.	
  

ii. Closing	
  from	
  facilitator:	
  Talk	
  about	
  recent	
  acts	
  of	
  xenophobia,	
  for	
  
example,	
  the	
  Oakcreek	
  shooting	
  or	
  attacks	
  on	
  mosques	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  

	
  
	
  
Homework:	
  

• Background	
  research	
  on	
  bias-­‐related	
  crimes.	
  Ask	
  students	
  to	
  find	
  news	
  articles	
  on	
  
instances	
  where	
  people	
  have	
  been	
  attacked	
  for	
  their	
  religious	
  beliefs	
  or	
  racial	
  identity	
  
(sample	
  article	
  on	
  the	
  Oakcreek	
  shootings	
  provided	
  in	
  the	
  next	
  lesson).	
  	
  

o Invite	
  students	
  to	
  make	
  bullet	
  pointed	
  notes	
  on	
  the	
  background	
  of	
  a	
  particular	
  
bias-­‐related	
  crime/event	
  involving	
  South	
  Asians	
  or	
  Muslims	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  	
  

• Read	
  “Bullying	
  101”	
  handout	
  and	
  jot	
  down	
  reactions	
  on	
  the	
  worksheet.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Optional	
  activity	
  (for	
  classes	
  between	
  40-­‐60	
  minutes	
  long):	
  	
  

• Use	
  the	
  poem	
  provided	
  in	
  the	
  pack	
  entitled	
  ‘The	
  New	
  Colossus’	
  to	
  encourage	
  students	
  
to	
  reflect	
  on	
  what	
  it	
  means	
  to	
  be	
  American.	
  	
  Explain	
  first,	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  displayed	
  on	
  the	
  
statue	
  of	
  liberty.	
  
	
  

o Ask	
  for	
  a	
  volunteer	
  to	
  read	
  the	
  poem	
  out	
  loud.	
  
o Discussion	
  of	
  the	
  meaning	
  of	
  the	
  poem	
  should	
  occur	
  firstly	
  in	
  their	
  groups	
  (5	
  

mins)	
  and	
  then	
  as	
  a	
  class	
  (10	
  mins).	
  	
  If	
  class	
  discussion	
  is	
  limited,	
  the	
  following	
  
questions	
  could	
  be	
  used	
  to	
  encourage	
  that	
  discussion:	
  

34



§ What	
  is	
  the	
  message	
  of	
  this	
  poem?	
  
§ 	
  Do	
  you	
  feel	
  that	
  todays’	
  America	
  reflects	
  the	
  ideals	
  expressed	
  in	
  this	
  

poem?	
  	
  Do	
  you	
  have	
  any	
  examples	
  (positive	
  or	
  negative?)	
  
	
  

o Prompt	
  for	
  facilitator:	
  The	
  goal	
  of	
  sharing	
  this	
  poem	
  with	
  the	
  class	
  is	
  to	
  evoke	
  the	
  
US’s	
  ideals	
  of	
  welcoming	
  all	
  –	
  irrespective	
  of	
  where	
  they	
  come	
  from	
  and	
  what	
  
their	
  background	
  is.	
  Facilitator	
  should	
  try	
  to	
  stimulate	
  discussion	
  and	
  reflection	
  
as	
  to	
  whether	
  we	
  (Americans)	
  are	
  living	
  up	
  to	
  this	
  standard.	
  	
  

35



Lesson	
  2	
  –	
  Timeline	
  	
  

(Extension	
  of	
  Lesson	
  1	
  Timeline) 

	
  

36



W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 84

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

1619

Slavery begins. First shipload of enslaved Africans to 
the American colonies arrives in Jamestown, Virginia.

A detailed drawing of the slave ship Brookes, 
showing how 482 people were to be packed onto the decks. 1 

1 Library of Congress, (http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/rbpe/rbpe28/rbpe282/28204300/001dr.jpg)

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 86

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

1857

Many states place residency restrictions on African Americans 
and other non-white immigrants, preventing them from living 

or owning property in the state.

For example, the Oregon State Constitution banned any “free negro, 
or mulatto, not residing in this State at the time” from living, holding 
real estate and making any contracts within the state. This allowed 

Blacks to travel through the state, but banned them from living 
within it. The punishment was public whipping.

It was removed from the Constitution by the voters in 2001.

Detroit, MI - February 1942. 3

3 Siegal, Arthur S, 1942. Library of Congress Repository. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/fsa/8d13000/8d13500/8d13572r.jpg 

 Long, Bill. 8/21/05 http://www.drbilllong.com/LegalEssays/OregonBlacks.html

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 87

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

Congress passes the Page Act which e!ectively ends the 
entry of unmarried Asian women into the country 

as a way of limiting family development.

“A Chinese Invasion” by illustrated by J. Keppler in 1880 depicts the sentiment towards 
Chinese Immigrants at the time. 4

1875

4 Keppler, Jospeh. “A Chinese Invasion,” 1880. The National Archives (http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c00000/3c03000/
3c03100/3c03143r.jpg)

39

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Ameena Kucher




W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 88

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

The Great Migration was the movement of 1.3 million 
African-Americans out of the Southern United States to the 

North, Midwest and West from 1915 to 1930. 

African-Americans migrated to escape racism, seek employment 
opportunities in industrial cities and to get better education for their 

children, all of which were widely seen to lead to a better life.

1916-1930

A migrating African-American family. 5

5 www.discoverblackheritage.com

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 89

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

Between 1882 and 1968 the Tuskegee Institute recorded 
3,437 lynchings of African-Americans.

In the south, lynching was one of the terrorist tactics used to control 
and threaten the African-American population.

According to the mythology popular at the time, black men were lynched 
because they had raped white women, yet historians find that in eighty 

percent of the cases there were no sexual charges alleged, let alone proved.

George Meadows was lynched at Pratt Mines, Alabama in 1889 6

1882-1968

6 Photograph by L. Horgan, Jr. (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aapmob.html)

41

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 90

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

In the United States, various state laws prohibit the marriage of 
Whites and Blacks, and in many states also Asians. 

In the US, such laws were called anti-miscegenation laws. 

From 1913 until 1948, 
30 out of the then 48 states enforced such laws. 

1913-1948

42

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Ameena Kucher
American Philosophical Digital Library diglib.amphilsoc.org/fedora/repository/graphics:1419

Ameena Kucher


Ameena Kucher


Ameena Kucher


Ameena Kucher


Ameena Kucher
Heredity chart with human faces entitled "Interesting Researches by the Carnegie Institution Disprove the Popular Notion that a 'Pass-for-White' Person Married to a Pure White May Have a Negro Child."

Ameena Kucher




W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 95

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

1939-1945

During World War II, many of those threatened by Nazi Germany 
wanted to immigrate to the US. The 1938 Evian Conference and the 
1943 Bermuda Conference met to discuss responsive immigration 
policy, and due to nationalist and anti-Semitic sentiments at the 

time, very few refugees were allowed to immigrate.

Following the deaths of millions of Jews and other 
religious, political, “racial” and sexual minorities, 

the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 allows refugees to 
enter the US outside the quota system in place.

Statue of Liberty 11

11 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Liberty.jpg

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 96

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, better known as the G.I. Bill, 
established payment for college or vocational education and one year 
of unemployment compensation for WWII veterans. It also provided 

loans for returning veterans to buy homes and start business.

However, this remained largely beneficial for white men because 
the military (1948) and schools (1954) were racially segregated, 

and many suburban neighborhoods prevented blacks 
from owning homes.

1944

12 National Archives. http://www.english.ucla.edu/ucla1960s/6061/giandbill.gif

12

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 98

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

1955: The brutal murder of Emmett Till. Rosa Parks begins 
the Montgomery Bus Boycott to protest segregation.

1961: Freedom Rides
1963: March on Washington
1964: Height of Civil Rights Movement; Civil Rights Act 

outlaws discrimination in public accommodations 
and by employers.

1965: Voting Rights Act; Malcolm X is assassinated.
1968: Martin Luther King is assassinated.

1955-1968

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X waiting for a press conference in 1964. 14

14 Library of Congress. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MartinLutherKingMalcolmX.jpg.

45

Ameena Kucher




1965 
!
!

!
!
The!Immigration!and!Nationality!Act!of!1965!(Hart;Celler!Act,!INS,!Act!of!1965,!
Pub.L.!89;236)!abolished!the!National!Origins!Formula!that!had!been!in!place!
in!the!United!States!since!the!Immigration!Act!of!1924.!It!was!proposed!by!
United!States!Representative!Emanuel!Celler!of!New!York,!co;sponsored!by!
United!States!Senator!Philip!Hart!of!Michigan!and!heavily!supported!by!United!
States!Senator!Ted!Kennedy!of!Massachusetts.!
!
The!Hart;Celler!Act!abolished!the!national!origins!quota!system!that!was!
American!immigration!policy!since!the!1920s,!replacing!it!with!a!preference!
system!that!focused!on!immigrants'!skills!and!family!relationships!with!citizens!
or!U.S.!residents.!Numerical!restrictions!on!visas!were!set!at!170,000!per!year,!
with!a!per;country;of;origin!quota,!not!including!immediate!relatives!of!U.S.!
citizens,!nor!"special!immigrants"!(including!those!born!in!"independent"!
nations!in!the!Western!hemisphere;!former!citizens;!ministers;!employees!of!
the!U.S.!government!abroad).![Source:!Wikipeda].!
!
!
Image!from!http://immigration;online.org/594;immigration;and;nationality;act;of;1965.html!

46



2001 
 

9/II 
The$September$11$attacks$(also$referred$to$as$September$11,$September$11th,$or$9/11)$
were$a$series$of$four$coordinated$suicide$attacks$upon$the$United$States$in$New$York$
City$and$the$Washington,$D.C.$areas$on$September$11,$2001.$On$that$Tuesday$morning,$
19$terrorists$from$the$militant$group$alIQaeda$hijacked$four$passenger$jets.$The$
hijackers$intentionally$flew$two$of$those$planes$into$the$North$and$South$towers$of$
the$World$Trade$Center$complex$in$New$York$City;$both$towers$collapsed$within$two$
hours.$Debris$from$the$collapsing$towers$fell$onto$or$initiated$fires$in$several$
surrounding$buildings$leading$to$the$partial$or$complete$collapse$of$all$the$other$
buildings$in$the$complex.$Debris$also$caused$major$damage$to$ten$other$large$
structures$in$the$immediate$area.$The$hijackers$also$intentionally$crashed$another$
plane$into$the$Pentagon$in$Arlington,$Virginia,$and$intended$to$pilot$the$fourth$
hijacked$jet$into$the$United$States$Capitol$Building$in$Washington,$D.C.;$however,$the$
plane$crashed$into$a$field$near$Shanksville,$Pennsylvania,$after$its$passengers$
attempted$to$take$control$of$the$jet$from$the$hijackers.$Nearly$3,000$people$died$in$
the$attacks,$including$all$227$civilians$and$19$hijackers$aboard$the$four$planes.$In$the$
days$following$Sept.$11,$2001,$reactions$to$the$attacks$ranged$from$grief$to$rage.$
Some$Americans$blamed$all$Muslims$since$the$perpetrators$claimed$to$be$doing$this$
in$the$name$of$Islam.$Within$days,$several$individuals$were$killed$in$the$U.S.$solely$
because$of$they$were$Muslim$or$perceived$to$be$Muslim.$[Adapted$from$Wikipedia]$

47



W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 125

Linking the Issues T I M E L I N E

2005

REAL ID Act Passes: A federal law intended to standardize 
identification information. This means if someone is living/working 

in the US, they will need their identification to meet REAL ID 
standards in order to travel by airplane, open a bank account, 
collect Social Security payments and/or to utilize the services 

of all government service. 

People must provide legal residency documents in order to obtain 
a REAL ID, cutting o! nearly all recourse and opportunities 
for undocumented citizens. All states are required to comply 

with the REAL ID Act by May 2008.

41 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deltalax.jpg.

41

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W E ST E R N  STAT E S  C E N T E R   Uniting Communities 127

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43

2007

Anti-immigrant bills increasingly introduced in state legislatures across the 
country, including:

• Eliminates ability to get o"cial government identification cards, 
such as a driver’s license or occupational license, and prevents 
undocumented immigrants from obtaining public benefits or 
assistance other than what is required by federal law.

• Defines the o"cial language of the state as English.
• Gives local police the authority of immigration enforcement agents.
• Mandates that the Department of Human Services checks for lawful 

presence in US for all public assistance applicants.
• Requires proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

43 Gibbs, Nathan. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57954193@N00/126220665.

49

Ameena Kucher




	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

THE	
  NEW	
  COLOSSUS	
  
by	
  Emma	
  Lazarus	
  

	
  
	
  

“A	
  mighty	
  woman	
  with	
  a	
  torch,	
  whose	
  flame	
  
Is	
  the	
  imprisoned	
  lightning,	
  and	
  her	
  name	
  
Mother	
  of	
  Exiles.	
  From	
  her	
  beacon-­‐hand	
  

Glows	
  world-­‐wide	
  welcome;	
  her	
  mild	
  eyes	
  command	
  
The	
  air-­‐bridged	
  harbor	
  that	
  twin	
  cities	
  frame.	
  

"Keep	
  ancient	
  lands,	
  your	
  storied	
  pomp!"	
  cries	
  she	
  
With	
  silent	
  lips.	
  "Give	
  me	
  your	
  tired,	
  your	
  poor,	
  
Your	
  huddled	
  masses	
  yearning	
  to	
  breathe	
  free,	
  
The	
  wretched	
  refuse	
  of	
  your	
  teeming	
  shore.	
  

Send	
  these,	
  the	
  homeless,	
  tempest-­‐tost	
  to	
  me,	
  
I	
  lift	
  my	
  lamp	
  beside	
  the	
  golden	
  door!"	
  

	
  
	
  

This	
  excerpt	
  from	
  the	
  poem,	
  “The	
  New	
  Colossus”	
  	
  
is	
  inscribed	
  on	
  the	
  pedestal	
  of	
  the	
  Statue	
  of	
  Liberty	
  

	
  
 
	
  

50



	
  

	
  

Bullying	
  101	
  
	
  

Bullying	
  consists	
  of	
  repeated	
  physical,	
  emotional,	
  psychological	
  or	
  
cyber	
  attacks	
  between	
  someone	
  who	
  has	
  power	
  in	
  a	
  particular	
  
situation	
  and	
  someone	
  who	
  is	
  victimized.	
  	
  Those	
  targeted	
  by	
  

bullying	
  often	
  fear	
  for	
  their	
  safety	
  and	
  may	
  be	
  scared	
  to	
  speak	
  out.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

Examples	
  of	
  bullying	
  behaviors:	
  
	
  

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Physical:	
  Hitting,	
  pushing,	
  shoving,	
  kicking,	
  pinching,	
  throwing	
  things	
  at	
  
	
  

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Verbal:	
  Name-­‐calling,	
  insulting,	
  hurtful	
  teasing,	
  threats,	
  spreading	
  false	
  rumors	
  
	
  

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Indirect:	
  Humiliating	
  someone	
  behind	
  their	
  back,	
  exclusion,	
  hurtful	
  graffiti	
  
	
  

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  Cyber:	
  Creating	
  a	
  “hate	
  page,”	
  nasty	
  Facebook	
  posts,	
  threatening	
  text	
  messages	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
Bullying	
  in	
  U.S.	
  Schools:	
  
	
  

o In	
  the	
  U.S.,	
  each	
  year	
  over	
  3	
  million	
  young	
  people	
  are	
  bullied.	
  
	
  

o Nearly	
  25%	
  of	
  students	
  said	
  they	
  were	
  bullied	
  in	
  school	
  because	
  of	
  their	
  race,	
  ethnicity,	
  
gender,	
  religion,	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  or	
  disability.	
  	
  
	
  

o Bullying	
  occurs	
  at	
  school,	
  on	
  the	
  way	
  to	
  and	
  from	
  school,	
  and	
  outside	
  of	
  schools.	
  
	
  

o Bystanders	
  encourage	
  bullies	
  by	
  providing	
  an	
  audience	
  for	
  their	
  behaviors.	
  
	
  

o Positive	
  school	
  climate	
  and	
  open	
  communication	
  between	
  teachers	
  and	
  students	
  have	
  
been	
  shown	
  to	
  be	
  the	
  most	
  effective	
  ways	
  to	
  prevent	
  and	
  address	
  bullying.	
  
	
  

o Three	
  million	
  children	
  are	
  absent	
  from	
  school	
  each	
  month	
  because	
  they	
  are	
  afraid	
  of	
  
bullies.	
  
	
  

o Bullying	
  can	
  result	
  in	
  physical	
  and	
  emption	
  harm,	
  and	
  can	
  result	
  in	
  suicide	
  of	
  students	
  
who	
  are	
  routinely	
  victimized.	
  	
  
	
  

o Many	
  students	
  fear	
  telling	
  a	
  teacher	
  will	
  bring	
  more	
  bullying.	
  	
  
	
  

o Students	
  who	
  faced	
  racist	
  bullying	
  say	
  that	
  teachers	
  sometimes	
  share	
  the	
  views	
  of	
  
bullies.	
  	
  A	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  mother	
  reported	
  finding	
  students	
  and	
  teachers	
  writing	
  
comments	
  in	
  her	
  son’s	
  yearbook	
  calling	
  him	
  a	
  “terrorist.”	
  	
  	
  

	
  
	
  

Adapted	
  from	
  information	
  available	
  at:	
  	
  http://bullyfree.com/free-­‐resources/facts-­‐about-­‐bullying	
  

51



LESSON	
  3:	
  BULLYING	
  INTERSECTIONS	
  
	
  

	
  
Time:	
  40-­‐60	
  Minutes	
  	
  
	
  
Essential	
  questions	
  

• What	
  are	
  root	
  causes	
  of	
  the	
  manifestations	
  of	
  bias-­‐based	
  bullying	
  behavior	
  that	
  
exist	
  in	
  and	
  around	
  schools	
  involving	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  students?	
  

• Why	
  do	
  individuals	
  act	
  as	
  bystanders	
  in	
  the	
  face	
  of	
  bullying	
  and	
  harassment?	
  
• How	
  do	
  larger	
  social	
  processes	
  influence	
  what	
  happens	
  in	
  schools?	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  Objectives	
  
Learners	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to:	
  

• Understand	
  specific	
  instances	
  of	
  xenophobic	
  bullying	
  
• Build	
  awareness	
  and	
  the	
  capacity	
  to	
  serve	
  as	
  an	
  ally	
  

	
  
Materials	
  

1. Roles	
  sheet	
  (cut	
  up)	
  
2. Glossary	
  (from	
  Lesson	
  1)	
  
3. Bullying	
  101	
  factsheet	
  (from	
  Lesson	
  2’s	
  homework)	
  
4. Scissors	
  
5. Newsprint	
  or	
  board	
  
6. Pens,	
  markers	
  etc.	
  

	
  
	
  

Performance	
  Tasks	
  
Why	
  bullying	
  happens,	
  Identifying	
  roles,	
  &	
  Discussion	
  

	
  
Opening	
  Activity	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Draw	
  two	
  columns	
  on	
  a	
  board	
  or	
  newsprint.	
  
2. Encourage	
  students	
  to	
  share	
  any	
  examples	
  of	
  bullying	
  from	
  personal	
  experience	
  

or	
  TV	
  shows.	
  	
  In	
  one	
  column,	
  record	
  all	
  the	
  instances	
  of	
  bullying	
  (i.e.	
  what	
  
happened?)	
  

3. Ask	
  students	
  to	
  brainstorm	
  all	
  the	
  reasons	
  people	
  are	
  bullied	
  (i.e.	
  why?).	
  	
  Record	
  
in	
  the	
  second	
  column	
  the	
  reasons	
  for	
  bullying.	
  	
  	
  

4. Discuss	
  reasons	
  for	
  bullying	
  behavior	
  and	
  harassment.	
  
	
  
Main	
  Activity	
  +	
  Discussion	
  (25-­‐45	
  minutes)	
  

1. In	
  this	
  role	
  play,	
  each	
  pair	
  of	
  students	
  will	
  receive	
  a	
  slip	
  with	
  a	
  role	
  on	
  it	
  
(facilitator/teacher	
  should	
  cut	
  up	
  the	
  roles	
  before	
  class	
  from	
  the	
  role	
  sheet	
  and	
  
hand	
  out	
  to	
  students	
  for	
  this	
  activity).	
  	
  	
  

a. Note:	
  there	
  are	
  15	
  roles.	
  If	
  there	
  are	
  more	
  participants,	
  the	
  facilitator	
  
may	
  need	
  to	
  create	
  new	
  ones	
  or	
  have	
  three	
  people	
  assigned	
  to	
  some	
  as	
  
opposed	
  to	
  pairs.	
  

52



2. Using	
  the	
  terms	
  and	
  definitions	
  of	
  “bullying,”	
  “victim,”	
  “bystander,”	
  
“harassment”,	
  and	
  “ally”	
  from	
  the	
  glossary	
  from	
  Lesson	
  1	
  and	
  the	
  “Bullying	
  101”	
  
handout	
  from	
  Lesson	
  2’s	
  homework,	
  have	
  students	
  work	
  in	
  pairs	
  to	
  analyze	
  the	
  
situation	
  given	
  using	
  the	
  questions	
  below.	
  Students	
  may	
  also	
  discuss	
  what	
  an	
  
“ally”	
  could	
  have	
  done	
  in	
  each	
  of	
  the	
  situations.	
  After	
  students	
  have	
  had	
  time	
  to	
  
discuss	
  the	
  roles,	
  have	
  each	
  pair	
  present	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  class.	
  	
  	
  

3. It	
  is	
  important	
  that	
  students	
  know	
  that	
  many	
  times	
  these	
  categories	
  are	
  
situational	
  and	
  someone	
  who	
  is	
  bullied/abused	
  at	
  home,	
  may	
  exhibit	
  bullying	
  
behaviors	
  at	
  school.	
  	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  not	
  vilify	
  youth,	
  the	
  facilitator	
  should	
  engage	
  
participants	
  in	
  critically	
  analyzing	
  the	
  roles	
  given.	
  	
  

	
  
The	
  facilitator	
  should	
  write	
  the	
  following	
  questions	
  on	
  the	
  board:	
  	
  

a. What’s	
  problematic	
  about	
  this	
  scenario?	
  
b. What	
  kind	
  of	
  bullying	
  is	
  it?	
  (physical,	
  verbal,	
  indirect,	
  cyber)	
  
c. What	
  roles	
  can	
  you	
  identify	
  in	
  this	
  situation?	
  (bully,	
  victim,	
  bystander,	
  ally	
  –	
  

use	
  the	
  definitions	
  handout	
  from	
  Lesson	
  1’s	
  glossary)	
  
d. What	
  terms	
  from	
  the	
  glossary	
  apply	
  to	
  this	
  situation?	
  	
  

	
  
Before	
  splitting	
  up	
  into	
  smaller	
  groups,	
  the	
  facilitator	
  walks	
  through	
  first	
  example	
  with	
  
the	
  group	
  as	
  a	
  demonstration.	
  	
  The	
  facilitator	
  then	
  hands	
  out	
  the	
  other	
  14-­‐15	
  scenarios	
  
to	
  pairs	
  of	
  students.	
  	
  Allow	
  15	
  minutes	
  for	
  group	
  work	
  or	
  adjust	
  the	
  time	
  as	
  needed.	
  
	
  
Re-­‐group.	
  Have	
  each	
  pair	
  read	
  their	
  scenario	
  and	
  a	
  brief	
  synopsis	
  of	
  their	
  analysis.	
  
	
  
After	
  each	
  pair	
  states	
  their	
  scenario,	
  ask	
  the	
  class	
  to	
  consider,	
  “Why	
  do	
  you	
  think	
  this	
  
situation	
  occurred?”	
  to	
  further	
  their	
  ability	
  to	
  critically	
  analyze	
  the	
  situations	
  presented.	
  	
  
	
  
Note	
  to	
  Educator/Facilitator:	
  The	
  vignettes	
  in	
  this	
  lesson	
  have	
  been	
  developed	
  from	
  
real-­‐life	
  instances	
  of	
  bias-­‐based	
  bullying	
  and	
  harassment.	
  	
  Many	
  instances	
  include	
  what	
  
has	
  been	
  discussed	
  up	
  to	
  this	
  point	
  (in	
  this	
  curricular	
  packet)	
  as	
  non-­‐South	
  Asian	
  
Americans	
  targeting	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  with	
  bullying	
  behavior.	
  	
  However,	
  there	
  also	
  
exists	
  discrimination	
  and	
  bullying	
  behavior	
  within	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  community	
  
as	
  a	
  few	
  of	
  the	
  examples	
  will	
  highlight.	
  It	
  is	
  important	
  to	
  portray	
  the	
  complexities	
  of	
  the	
  
dynamics	
  that	
  exist	
  among	
  youth	
  in	
  different	
  contexts	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  and	
  the	
  fluid	
  nature	
  of	
  
these	
  roles.	
  We	
  encourage	
  you	
  to	
  stress	
  the	
  need	
  for	
  addressing	
  bullying	
  behavior	
  with	
  
empathy	
  and	
  as	
  an	
  ally	
  however	
  it	
  may	
  occur.	
  	
  Additionally,	
  the	
  psychological	
  impact	
  of	
  
bullying	
  behavior	
  can	
  also	
  result	
  in	
  myriad	
  reactions	
  (depression,	
  acting	
  out,	
  self-­‐
inflicted	
  violence).	
  	
  If	
  this	
  is	
  a	
  case	
  you	
  encounter	
  in	
  your	
  school	
  or	
  community,	
  you	
  may	
  
consult	
  local	
  organizations/services	
  that	
  offer	
  counseling	
  support	
  or	
  this	
  organization	
  
that	
  specifically	
  considers	
  the	
  needs	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  Americans:	
  www.chaicounselors.org	
  
	
  
	
  

Homework	
  
Consider	
  how	
  events	
  in	
  society	
  affect	
  what	
  happens	
  in	
  school.	
  	
  Ask	
  students	
  to	
  come	
  
back	
  with	
  2-­‐3	
  examples.	
  

53



ROLES	
  
	
  
	
  

1.	
  Afifa	
  wants	
  to	
  go	
  to	
  College	
  and	
  study	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  lawyer.	
  The	
  other	
  students	
  at	
  school	
  
and	
  even	
  her	
  guidance	
  counselor	
  at	
  her	
  high	
  school	
  said	
  because	
  her	
  parents	
  are	
  from	
  a	
  
Muslim	
  country	
  and	
  her	
  mom	
  wears	
  traditional	
  clothing,	
  they	
  would	
  never	
  let	
  her	
  go	
  to	
  
College	
  and	
  she	
  shouldn’t	
  even	
  try.	
  	
  

2.	
  Taimur	
  and	
  his	
  friends	
  often	
  get	
  into	
  fights	
  with	
  Hussein	
  and	
  other	
  students	
  from	
  
Bangladesh.	
  Taimur	
  and	
  his	
  friends	
  are	
  from	
  Pakistan	
  while	
  Hussein	
  has	
  recently	
  arrived	
  
from	
  Bangladesh.	
  All	
  of	
  the	
  boys	
  involved	
  are	
  Muslim,	
  however,	
  they	
  still	
  find	
  reasons	
  to	
  
fight	
  with	
  newly	
  arrived	
  students,	
  especially	
  those	
  from	
  South	
  Asia.	
  	
  

3.	
  Alyssa	
  and	
  Sarika	
  are	
  close	
  friends	
  in	
  the	
  7th	
  grade.	
  	
  They	
  have	
  sleepovers	
  and	
  spend	
  a	
  
lot	
  of	
  time	
  hanging	
  out	
  and	
  studying	
  together.	
  	
  Some	
  of	
  the	
  other	
  kids	
  have	
  started	
  
calling	
  them	
  gay	
  and	
  teasing	
  them	
  for	
  their	
  close	
  friendship.	
  Some	
  kids	
  tease	
  Alyssa	
  for	
  
spending	
  time	
  with	
  someone	
  of	
  a	
  different	
  culture	
  and	
  religion.	
  	
  

4.	
  Suman	
  goes	
  to	
  a	
  Catholic	
  school	
  and	
  has	
  to	
  go	
  to	
  a	
  different	
  class	
  with	
  the	
  other	
  non-­‐
Christian	
  students	
  for	
  one	
  period	
  during	
  the	
  week.	
  	
  Some	
  of	
  the	
  kids	
  told	
  her	
  she	
  is	
  
going	
  to	
  hell	
  and	
  that	
  God	
  will	
  punish	
  her	
  if	
  she	
  doesn’t	
  convert.	
  	
  She	
  is	
  scared	
  to	
  talk	
  
about	
  her	
  family’s	
  religion	
  at	
  school.	
  	
  	
  

5.	
  Iqbal	
  found	
  out	
  that	
  some	
  students	
  at	
  his	
  school	
  created	
  a	
  “hate	
  page”	
  online	
  
targeted	
  at	
  him.	
  	
  He	
  checked	
  it	
  and	
  there	
  were	
  many	
  insults,	
  rumors,	
  and	
  attacks.	
  	
  He	
  
wasn’t	
  sure	
  who	
  to	
  tell,	
  and	
  dreads	
  going	
  to	
  school	
  each	
  day.	
  	
  Every	
  day	
  new	
  items	
  get	
  
added.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

54



	
  
	
  
	
  

6.	
  Gurpreet	
  wears	
  a	
  turban	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  his	
  Sikh	
  religion.	
  One	
  day,	
  some	
  classmates	
  in	
  the	
  
locker	
  room	
  asked	
  him	
  if	
  he	
  wears	
  a	
  turban	
  to	
  hide	
  his	
  bombs	
  in	
  there	
  and	
  why	
  his	
  
family	
  were	
  terrorists.	
  	
  They	
  pushed	
  him	
  really	
  hard	
  against	
  the	
  lockers	
  and	
  hit	
  his	
  head.	
  	
  
He	
  ended	
  up	
  having	
  a	
  concussion	
  and	
  was	
  out	
  of	
  school	
  for	
  more	
  than	
  a	
  week.	
  	
  His	
  
parents	
  were	
  really	
  scared	
  and	
  the	
  school	
  didn’t	
  want	
  to	
  take	
  any	
  action	
  against	
  the	
  
classmates	
  who	
  bullied	
  Gurpreet.	
  

7.	
  Saniya	
  was	
  participating	
  in	
  the	
  memorial	
  program	
  her	
  school	
  planned	
  on	
  9/11.	
  	
  She	
  
was	
  born	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  and	
  was	
  a	
  small	
  child	
  when	
  the	
  tragic	
  event	
  occurred.	
  On	
  the	
  way	
  
to	
  school	
  while	
  she	
  was	
  walking,	
  an	
  older	
  man	
  leaned	
  out	
  of	
  his	
  car,	
  shouted	
  as	
  Saniya	
  
saying,	
  “Go	
  back	
  to	
  your	
  country!”	
  and	
  spit	
  in	
  her	
  face.	
  	
  Saniya	
  didn’t	
  know	
  what	
  to	
  do	
  
or	
  who	
  to	
  turn	
  to	
  for	
  help.	
  

8.	
  One	
  afternoon	
  after	
  school,	
  Josh	
  sees	
  three	
  guys	
  from	
  the	
  local	
  area	
  throwing	
  trash	
  
and	
  yelling	
  insults	
  at	
  a	
  few	
  of	
  his	
  classmates	
  who	
  wear	
  a	
  hijab	
  (Muslim	
  headscarf).	
  	
  He’s	
  
not	
  sure	
  what	
  to	
  do	
  since	
  these	
  guys	
  are	
  bigger	
  and	
  might	
  come	
  after	
  him	
  if	
  he	
  says	
  
anything.	
  	
  	
  

9.	
  Several	
  of	
  the	
  girls	
  in	
  the	
  8th	
  grade	
  student	
  council	
  were	
  planning	
  a	
  class	
  event.	
  	
  They	
  
decided	
  they	
  didn’t	
  want	
  Alka	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  part	
  of	
  it	
  and	
  ignored	
  her.	
  When	
  she	
  asked	
  the	
  
student	
  council	
  leaders	
  when	
  the	
  trip	
  was,	
  they	
  refused	
  to	
  answer.	
  	
  Alka	
  didn’t	
  know	
  
who	
  to	
  ask	
  for	
  help.	
  	
  
	
  

10.	
  In	
  10th	
  grade	
  history,	
  students	
  were	
  learning	
  about	
  India.	
  	
  While	
  learning	
  about	
  
historical	
  facts,	
  some	
  students	
  started	
  asking	
  Reva	
  if	
  her	
  relatives	
  ride	
  camels	
  and	
  live	
  in	
  
the	
  desert,	
  if	
  she	
  ever	
  rode	
  on	
  a	
  magic	
  carpet,	
  and	
  why	
  some	
  women	
  have	
  tattoos	
  on	
  
their	
  forehead.	
  	
  Reva	
  wasn’t	
  sure	
  how	
  to	
  respond	
  to	
  these	
  stereotypes	
  and	
  
misconceptions.	
  The	
  teacher	
  and	
  the	
  other	
  students	
  were	
  laughing	
  and	
  the	
  class	
  
couldn’t	
  complete	
  the	
  lesson.	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

55



	
  
	
  
	
  

11.	
  Samir	
  recently	
  immigrated	
  to	
  the	
  U.S.	
  from	
  Punjab,	
  India	
  where	
  he	
  loved	
  playing	
  
basketball.	
  	
  His	
  new	
  school	
  is	
  especially	
  for	
  ‘newcomer’	
  youth	
  from	
  around	
  the	
  world	
  
and	
  he	
  was	
  excited	
  to	
  join	
  the	
  basketball	
  team,	
  make	
  friends,	
  and	
  learn	
  more	
  English.	
  	
  
After	
  the	
  first	
  practice,	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  other	
  boys	
  said	
  he	
  smelled	
  funny	
  and	
  wouldn’t	
  let	
  
him	
  use	
  the	
  jerseys	
  that	
  all	
  players	
  are	
  supposed	
  to	
  share.	
  	
  	
  

12.	
  At	
  back-­‐to-­‐school	
  night	
  (an	
  annual	
  event	
  for	
  families	
  and	
  students),	
  Fateema’s	
  
mother	
  brought	
  Bangladeshi	
  food	
  and	
  came	
  dressed	
  in	
  a	
  shalwar-­‐kameez	
  with	
  a	
  scarf	
  
covering	
  her	
  head.	
  Some	
  of	
  her	
  classmates	
  didn’t	
  want	
  to	
  talk	
  to	
  her	
  mom	
  or	
  touch	
  her	
  
food,	
  saying	
  that	
  it	
  was	
  too	
  odd	
  and	
  smelly.	
  	
  	
  

13.	
  Yosuf	
  brings	
  lunch	
  from	
  home.	
  His	
  mother	
  often	
  makes	
  him	
  traditional	
  Pakistani	
  
food	
  such	
  as	
  daal	
  (lentils),	
  kebabs,	
  and	
  chicken	
  korma	
  (curry).	
  Yusuf	
  sometimes	
  does	
  not	
  
eat	
  his	
  lunch	
  because	
  kids	
  make	
  fun	
  of	
  the	
  food	
  calling	
  it	
  weird	
  and	
  disgusting.	
  

14.	
  There	
  are	
  many	
  students	
  whose	
  families	
  are	
  originally	
  from	
  different	
  South	
  Asian	
  
countries	
  and	
  from	
  the	
  Caribbean	
  (originally	
  of	
  Indian	
  descent	
  many	
  generations	
  ago)	
  at	
  
Central	
  High	
  School.	
  	
  The	
  lighter-­‐skinned	
  South	
  Asian	
  American	
  students	
  make	
  jokes	
  
about	
  those	
  who	
  are	
  darker-­‐skinned	
  ones	
  by	
  calling	
  them	
  kalu	
  (which	
  means	
  dark-­‐
skinned),	
  brownie,	
  and	
  dirty.	
  	
  	
  

15.	
  	
  Several	
  refugee	
  students	
  from	
  Afghanistan	
  have	
  been	
  at	
  Parker	
  High	
  for	
  a	
  few	
  
years.	
  	
  In	
  between	
  classes,	
  Zaheer	
  and	
  Saleha	
  were	
  talking	
  about	
  a	
  wedding	
  they	
  
attended	
  over	
  the	
  previous	
  weekend	
  in	
  Dari	
  (one	
  of	
  the	
  languages	
  spoken	
  in	
  
Afghanistan).	
  	
  Carlos	
  and	
  Devon,	
  who	
  often	
  tease	
  the	
  Afghani	
  students,	
  overhear	
  their	
  
conversation	
  and	
  say,	
  “Stop	
  speaking	
  in	
  your	
  terrorist	
  language.	
  This	
  is	
  America	
  –	
  speak	
  
English!”	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

56



LESSON	
  4:	
  BUILDING	
  EMPATHY	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Time:	
  60	
  minutes	
  	
  
	
  
Essential	
  Questions	
  

• What	
  turns	
  xenophobia	
  into	
  violence?	
  	
  
	
  

Lesson	
  Objectives:	
  	
  
Learners	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to:	
  

• Understand	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  tragedy	
  in	
  historical	
  context	
  
• Build	
  empathy	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Materials	
  Needed:	
  	
  

1. Handout	
  1:	
  BBC	
  Article	
  	
  
2. Handout	
  2:	
  Graphic	
  Organizer	
  (optional)	
  	
  
3. Handout	
  3:	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Testimony	
  
4. Projector	
  or	
  smart	
  board	
  for	
  You	
  Tube	
  viewing	
  	
  

	
  
	
  

Performance	
  tasks	
  
Understanding	
  and	
  Situating	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Tragedy	
  

	
  
Activity	
  (3	
  min)	
  	
  

1. Connect	
  students	
  to	
  the	
  activity	
  from	
  Lesson	
  two	
  where	
  they	
  represented	
  their	
  own	
  
migration	
  story	
  and	
  the	
  xenophobia	
  their	
  families	
  may	
  have	
  faced	
  and	
  also	
  to	
  the	
  South	
  
Asians	
  in	
  America	
  timeline	
  that	
  they	
  walked	
  through	
  for	
  Lesson	
  one.	
  	
  

	
  
Part	
  I:	
  Opening	
  Activity	
  (15	
  min)	
  	
  
Direction	
  for	
  Students:	
  	
  

1. Today,	
  we	
  will	
  examine	
  the	
  treatment	
  of	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  America.	
  	
  We	
  will	
  begin	
  class	
  
by	
  reading	
  and	
  reacting	
  to	
  a	
  current	
  event.	
  In	
  the	
  fall	
  of	
  2012,	
  a	
  white	
  supremacist	
  
opened	
  fire	
  in	
  a	
  Sikh	
  Gurdwara	
  (a	
  Sikh	
  house	
  of	
  worship),	
  and	
  killed	
  six	
  innocent	
  people.	
  	
  
As	
  you	
  read	
  this	
  article,	
  pay	
  attention	
  to	
  what	
  happened	
  and	
  why	
  it	
  happened.	
  	
  Use	
  the	
  
headings	
  to	
  take	
  note	
  of	
  the	
  key	
  ideas	
  the	
  author	
  wants	
  to	
  illustrate,	
  and	
  also	
  pay	
  
attention	
  to	
  how	
  you	
  are	
  feeling.	
  	
  Annotate	
  the	
  article	
  as	
  you	
  read	
  for	
  key	
  ideas	
  and	
  
your	
  reactions.	
  	
  Draw	
  on	
  information	
  you	
  learned	
  in	
  the	
  previous	
  two	
  lessons	
  as	
  you	
  
respond	
  to	
  the	
  text.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Instructions	
  for	
  Facilitator/Teacher:	
  	
  

1. Give	
  students	
  7-­‐10	
  minutes	
  to	
  read	
  and	
  react	
  to	
  the	
  article	
  and	
  follow	
  with	
  a	
  facilitated	
  
discussion.	
  	
  

o Handout	
  1:	
  BBC	
  News	
  Article	
  
o Handout	
  2:	
  Graphic	
  Organizer	
  (optional)	
  

57



2. Guiding	
  Questions	
  for	
  Discussion:	
  What	
  are	
  your	
  reactions	
  to	
  this	
  article?	
  What	
  do	
  you	
  
see	
  happening	
  here?	
  Why	
  do	
  you	
  think	
  this	
  happened?	
  How	
  do	
  you	
  see	
  xenophobia	
  and	
  
racism	
  at	
  play?	
  
	
  

Part	
  II:	
  Historicize	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  –	
  9/11	
  Connections	
  	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  	
  
1. If	
  a	
  student	
  doesn’t	
  mention	
  this,	
  highlight	
  that	
  a	
  key	
  idea	
  the	
  article	
  mentions	
  is	
  that	
  

this	
  is	
  not	
  the	
  first	
  of	
  these	
  kinds	
  of	
  incidents.	
  	
  Ten	
  years	
  ago,	
  after	
  the	
  World	
  Trade	
  
Center	
  attack	
  on	
  9/11,	
  Muslims	
  and	
  Sikhs	
  became	
  targets	
  of	
  xenophobic	
  harassment	
  
and	
  attack.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

2. Guiding	
  Questions:	
  	
  
o What	
  do	
  you	
  know	
  about	
  9/11?	
  	
  
o What	
  knowledge	
  do	
  you	
  have	
  of	
  what	
  happened	
  to	
  members	
  of	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  

and	
  Muslim	
  communities	
  after	
  9/11?	
  
o 	
  Why	
  do	
  you	
  think	
  this	
  happened?	
  	
  

	
  
3. Use	
  a	
  t-­‐chart/graphic	
  organizer	
  to	
  capture	
  student	
  responses.	
  	
  

o Key	
  Understanding:	
  	
  
§ After	
  9/11,	
  South	
  Asians	
  have	
  experienced	
  increased	
  incidents	
  of	
  racial	
  

profiling,	
  harassment,	
  discrimination,	
  bullying,	
  and	
  hate	
  crimes.	
  
	
  

4. Have	
  students	
  watch	
  the	
  opening	
  sequence	
  of	
  the	
  documentary	
  Divided	
  We	
  Fall	
  	
  (0-­‐4:30)	
  	
  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d22ZuUbgZeg.	
  Frame	
  the	
  viewing	
  by	
  telling	
  
students	
  that	
  you	
  will	
  now	
  watch	
  a	
  segment	
  of	
  a	
  film	
  that	
  captures	
  the	
  aftermath	
  of	
  
9/11	
  faced	
  by	
  South	
  Asians	
  and	
  Arab-­‐Americans.	
  	
  Tell	
  students	
  to	
  record	
  their	
  reactions.	
  
	
  	
  

5. Discussion:	
  What	
  are	
  your	
  thoughts	
  regarding	
  the	
  connections	
  between	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  
tragedy	
  and	
  post-­‐9/11	
  aftermath?	
  	
  

	
  
Part	
  III.	
  Building	
  Empathy:	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Testimony	
  and	
  Response	
  Letter	
  (25	
  min)	
  	
  

1. Bring	
  students	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  tragedy	
  by	
  suggesting	
  that	
  hearing	
  people’s	
  
testimonies	
  and	
  narratives	
  deepens	
  our	
  understandings.	
  	
  Tell	
  students	
  that	
  you	
  will	
  now	
  
read	
  a	
  testimony	
  from	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  tragedy.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

2. Engage	
  in	
  a	
  shared	
  reading	
  of	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  testimony	
  (Teacher	
  reads	
  aloud,	
  students	
  
follow	
  along).	
  	
  

a. Handout	
  3:	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Testimony	
  
	
  

3. Ask	
  students	
  to	
  reread	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  testimony	
  independently,	
  and	
  respond	
  by	
  writing	
  
a	
  letter	
  to	
  Harpreet.	
  	
  As	
  they	
  read	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  testimony	
  again,	
  guide	
  them	
  to	
  capture	
  
their	
  emotional	
  reactions,	
  and	
  think	
  about	
  what	
  they	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  share	
  with	
  teenagers	
  
who	
  share	
  Harpreet’s	
  religious	
  background.	
  	
  	
  

4. Before	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  the	
  class	
  period,	
  ask	
  if	
  any	
  student	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  share	
  any	
  excerpts	
  
from	
  their	
  letter.	
  	
  Ask	
  students:	
  How	
  did	
  it	
  feel	
  to	
  write	
  the	
  letter?	
  

58



	
  

	
  

	
  
US	
  &	
  CANADA	
  	
  
6	
  August	
  2012	
  Last	
  updated	
  at	
  09:21	
  ET	
  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-­‐us-­‐canada-­‐19143281	
  	
  

Sikhs	
  express	
  shock	
  after	
  shootings	
  at	
  Wisconsin	
  temple	
  	
  
Sikhs	
  living	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  have	
  expressed	
  their	
  shock	
  and	
  fear	
  after	
  a	
  shooting	
  at	
  a	
  
temple	
  in	
  Wisconsin	
  on	
  Sunday	
  which	
  left	
  seven	
  people	
  dead.	
  	
  

Some	
  community	
  members	
  could	
  not	
  believe	
  what	
  happened.	
  Others	
  said	
  they	
  had	
  feared	
  such	
  
attacks	
  since	
  9/11.	
  A	
  gunman	
  entered	
  the	
  Sikh	
  temple	
  on	
  Sunday	
  morning	
  and	
  opened	
  fire,	
  
killing	
  six	
  people	
  and	
  injuring	
  a	
  policeman.	
  The	
  suspect	
  has	
  been	
  named	
  as	
  Wade	
  Michael	
  Page,	
  
a	
  40-­‐year-­‐old	
  army	
  veteran,	
  in	
  US	
  media	
  reports.	
  
But	
  his	
  identity	
  has	
  not	
  been	
  independently	
  confirmed	
  to	
  the	
  BBC.	
  	
  

A	
  vigil	
  for	
  the	
  victims	
  was	
  held	
  in	
  nearby	
  Milwaukee	
  as	
  police	
  searched	
  the	
  suspect's	
  home.	
  	
  

FBI	
  and	
  bomb	
  squad	
  officers	
  have	
  surrounded	
  the	
  property	
  of	
  the	
  alleged	
  gunman	
  in	
  Cudahy,	
  
about	
  2.5	
  miles	
  (4km)	
  north	
  of	
  the	
  Wisconsin	
  Sikh	
  Temple,	
  and	
  evacuated	
  local	
  residents.	
  	
  

In	
  total,	
  seven	
  people	
  died	
  in	
  the	
  attack	
  in	
  Oak	
  Creek,	
  a	
  suburb	
  of	
  Milwaukee,	
  including	
  the	
  
gunman.	
  A	
  police	
  officer	
  and	
  two	
  other	
  men	
  were	
  critically	
  injured.	
  	
  

Indian	
  Prime	
  Minister	
  Manmohan	
  Singh,	
  who	
  is	
  himself	
  a	
  Sikh,	
  said	
  he	
  was	
  "deeply	
  shocked	
  and	
  
saddened"	
  by	
  the	
  attack.	
  	
  

"That	
  this	
  senseless	
  act	
  of	
  violence	
  should	
  be	
  targeted	
  at	
  a	
  place	
  of	
  religious	
  worship	
  is	
  
particularly	
  painful,"	
  Mr	
  Singh	
  said	
  in	
  a	
  statement.	
  	
  

Muslim	
  confusion	
  	
  

Officials	
  have	
  not	
  yet	
  identified	
  the	
  gunman	
  or	
  a	
  possible	
  motive,	
  but	
  Sikh	
  organisations	
  in	
  the	
  
US	
  say	
  the	
  community	
  has	
  been	
  vulnerable	
  since	
  the	
  9/11	
  attacks.	
  	
  

"This	
  is	
  something	
  we	
  have	
  been	
  fearing	
  since	
  9/11,	
  that	
  this	
  kind	
  of	
  incident	
  will	
  take	
  place,"	
  
said	
  Rajwant	
  Singh,	
  chairman	
  of	
  the	
  Washington-­‐based	
  Sikh	
  Council	
  on	
  Religion	
  and	
  Education.	
  	
  

"It	
  was	
  a	
  matter	
  of	
  time	
  because	
  there's	
  so	
  much	
  ignorance	
  and	
  people	
  confuse	
  us	
  [as]	
  being	
  
members	
  of	
  Taliban	
  or	
  belonging	
  to	
  [Osama]	
  bin	
  Laden,"	
  he	
  told	
  Associated	
  Press.	
  	
  

"We	
  never	
  thought	
  this	
  could	
  happen	
  to	
  our	
  community,"	
  Devendar	
  Nagra,	
  48,	
  told	
  Associated	
  
Press.	
  "We	
  never	
  did	
  anything	
  wrong	
  to	
  anyone."	
  	
  

Sikhism	
  hails	
  from	
  the	
  Indian	
  subcontinent,	
  and	
  observant	
  Sikhs	
  wear	
  turbans.	
  Members	
  of	
  the	
  
community	
  have	
  been	
  attacked	
  in	
  the	
  past	
  by	
  assailants	
  mistaking	
  them	
  for	
  Muslims.	
  	
  

"That	
  turban	
  has	
  tragically	
  marked	
  us	
  as	
  automatically	
  suspect,	
  perpetually	
  foreign	
  and	
  
potentially	
  terrorists,"	
  Valarie	
  Kaur,	
  a	
  filmmaker	
  based	
  in	
  the	
  US	
  who	
  has	
  chronicled	
  attacks	
  on	
  
Sikhs,	
  told	
  AP.	
  	
  

59



	
  

	
  

Several	
  hundred	
  people	
  turned	
  up	
  to	
  an	
  impromptu	
  candlelit	
  vigil	
  in	
  Milwaukee	
  on	
  Sunday	
  
evening	
  for	
  the	
  victims.	
  Cab	
  driver	
  and	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  resident	
  Kashif	
  Afridi	
  went	
  to	
  the	
  temple	
  
after	
  he	
  heard	
  about	
  the	
  attack.	
  	
  

"When	
  the	
  shooting	
  happened,	
  I	
  was	
  at	
  home	
  watching	
  the	
  news.	
  I	
  went	
  straight	
  out	
  and	
  drove	
  
to	
  the	
  temple.	
  There	
  were	
  lots	
  of	
  police	
  and	
  the	
  area	
  was	
  closed	
  off.	
  	
  

"The	
  press	
  was	
  already	
  there	
  and	
  there	
  were	
  lots	
  of	
  people	
  from	
  the	
  Sikh	
  community.	
  I	
  spoke	
  
to	
  one	
  girl	
  who	
  was	
  in	
  the	
  temple	
  when	
  the	
  shooting	
  happened.	
  	
  

"She	
  said	
  when	
  the	
  shooting	
  started,	
  everyone	
  panicked.	
  People	
  were	
  running	
  around	
  trying	
  to	
  
hide.	
  She	
  said	
  she	
  lost	
  her	
  uncle.	
  	
  

"People	
  here	
  are	
  in	
  a	
  state	
  of	
  a	
  shock.	
  This	
  is	
  a	
  very	
  small	
  and	
  peaceful	
  place,	
  you	
  would	
  never	
  
imagine	
  this	
  kind	
  of	
  attack	
  could	
  happen	
  here.	
  Nobody	
  can	
  believe	
  it.	
  	
  

"Lots	
  of	
  people	
  have	
  gathered	
  in	
  the	
  area.	
  People	
  just	
  stop	
  by	
  to	
  express	
  their	
  sympathies."	
  	
  

'Terrorist-­‐type	
  incident'	
  	
  

There	
  are	
  an	
  estimated	
  2,500-­‐3,000	
  Sikh	
  families	
  in	
  and	
  around	
  the	
  city	
  worshipping	
  at	
  two	
  
gurdwaras,	
  or	
  temples,	
  including	
  the	
  Wisconsin	
  Sikh	
  Temple.	
  	
  

Lakhwinder	
  Singh,	
  a	
  member	
  of	
  the	
  congregation	
  there,	
  told	
  Reuters	
  that	
  two	
  of	
  the	
  victims	
  
were	
  believed	
  to	
  be	
  the	
  president	
  of	
  temple	
  and	
  a	
  priest.	
  	
  

"It	
  will	
  take	
  a	
  long	
  time	
  to	
  heal.	
  We're	
  hurt	
  very	
  badly,"	
  he	
  said.	
  	
  

President	
  Barack	
  Obama	
  expressed	
  his	
  condolences	
  with	
  victims	
  of	
  the	
  attack,	
  which	
  comes	
  just	
  
over	
  two	
  weeks	
  after	
  a	
  gun	
  massacre	
  left	
  12	
  people	
  dead	
  at	
  a	
  Colorado	
  cinema.	
  	
  

"As	
  we	
  mourn	
  this	
  loss	
  which	
  took	
  place	
  at	
  a	
  house	
  of	
  worship,	
  we	
  are	
  reminded	
  how	
  much	
  our	
  
country	
  has	
  been	
  enriched	
  by	
  Sikhs,	
  who	
  are	
  a	
  part	
  of	
  our	
  broader	
  American	
  family."	
  	
  

The	
  US	
  embassy	
  in	
  India	
  said	
  it	
  was	
  "deeply	
  saddened	
  by	
  the	
  senseless	
  loss	
  of	
  lives	
  and	
  injuries"	
  
caused	
  by	
  the	
  shooting.	
  "Our	
  hearts,	
  thoughts,	
  and	
  prayers	
  go	
  out	
  to	
  the	
  victims	
  and	
  their	
  
families,"	
  a	
  statement	
  said.	
  	
  

"The	
  United	
  States	
  takes	
  very	
  seriously	
  the	
  responsibility	
  to	
  respect	
  and	
  protect	
  people	
  of	
  all	
  
faiths.	
  Religious	
  freedom	
  and	
  religious	
  tolerance	
  are	
  fundamental	
  pillars	
  of	
  US	
  society."	
  	
  

Local	
  politician	
  Mark	
  Honadel	
  called	
  the	
  attack	
  "craziness".	
  	
  

The	
  state	
  representative	
  told	
  CNN:	
  "Unfortunately,	
  when	
  this	
  type	
  of	
  stuff	
  hits	
  your	
  area,	
  you	
  
say	
  to	
  yourself,	
  'why?'	
  But	
  in	
  today's	
  society,	
  I	
  don't	
  think	
  there's	
  any	
  place	
  that's	
  free	
  from	
  
idiots."	
  	
  

Police	
  have	
  described	
  it	
  as	
  a	
  "domestic	
  terrorist-­‐type	
  incident".	
  The	
  FBI	
  are	
  taking	
  over	
  the	
  
criminal	
  investigation.	
  	
  

There	
  was	
  believed	
  to	
  be	
  only	
  one	
  attacker,	
  with	
  eyewitness	
  reports	
  suggesting	
  it	
  was	
  a	
  white	
  
male.	
  	
  

	
  

60



	
  

	
  

	
  
BBC	
  Article:	
  “Sikhs	
  express	
  shock	
  after	
  shootings	
  at	
  Wisconsin	
  temple”	
  

	
  
Information	
  from	
  the	
  Article	
   My	
  Reactions	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

	
  

61



Testimony	
  before	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Senate	
  of	
  Harpreet	
  Singh	
  Saini	
  (age	
  18)	
  	
  
[Survivor	
  of	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Shooting]	
  
Subcommittee	
  on	
  the	
  Constitution,	
  Civil	
  Rights	
  and	
  Human	
  Rights	
  
Committee	
  on	
  the	
  Judiciary	
  on	
  “Hate	
  Crimes	
  and	
  the	
  Threat	
  of	
  Domestic	
  
Extremism”	
  
September	
  19,	
  2012	
  (excerpts)
	
  
My	
  name	
  is	
  Harpreet	
  Singh	
  Saini.	
  	
  I	
  am	
  
here	
  because	
  my	
  mother	
  was	
  murdered	
  
in	
  an	
  act	
  of	
  hate	
  45	
  days	
  ago.	
  I	
  am	
  here	
  
on	
  behalf	
  of	
  all	
  the	
  children	
  who	
  lost	
  
parents	
  or	
  grandparents	
  during	
  the	
  
massacre	
  in	
  Oak	
  Creek,	
  Wisconsin.	
  	
  A	
  
little	
  over	
  a	
  month	
  ago,	
  I	
  never	
  imagined	
  
I’d	
  be	
  here.	
  I	
  never	
  imagined	
  that	
  
anyone	
  outside	
  of	
  	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  would	
  
know	
  my	
  name.	
  Or	
  my	
  mother’s	
  name.	
  
Paramjit	
  Kaur	
  Saini.	
  	
  
	
  
As	
  we	
  all	
  know,	
  on	
  Sunday,	
  August	
  5,	
  
2012,	
  a	
  white	
  supremacist	
  fueled	
  by	
  
hatred	
  walked	
  into	
  our	
  local	
  Gurdwara	
  
with	
  a	
  loaded	
  gun.	
  He	
  killed	
  my	
  mother,	
  
Paramjit	
  Kaur,	
  while	
  she	
  was	
  	
  sitting	
  for	
  
morning	
  prayers.	
  He	
  shot	
  and	
  killed	
  five	
  
more	
  men	
  –	
  all	
  of	
  them	
  were	
  fathers,	
  all	
  
had	
  turbans	
  like	
  me.	
  And	
  now	
  people	
  
know	
  all	
  our	
  names:	
  Sita	
  Singh.	
  Ranjit	
  
Singh.	
  Prakash	
  Singh.	
  Suvegh	
  Singh.	
  
Satwant	
  Singh	
  Kaleka.	
  	
  
	
  
This	
  was	
  not	
  supposed	
  to	
  be	
  our	
  
American	
  story.	
  This	
  was	
  not	
  my	
  
mother’s	
  dream.	
  	
  My	
  mother	
  and	
  father	
  
brought	
  Kamal	
  and	
  me	
  to	
  America	
  in	
  
2004.	
  I	
  was	
  only	
  10	
  years-­‐old.	
  Like	
  many	
  
other	
  immigrants,	
  they	
  wanted	
  us	
  to	
  
have	
  a	
  better	
  life,	
  a	
  better	
  education.	
  
More	
  options.	
  In	
  the	
  	
  
land	
  of	
  the	
  free.	
  In	
  the	
  land	
  of	
  diversity.	
  	
  

	
  
It	
  was	
  a	
  Tuesday,	
  2	
  days	
  after	
  our	
  
mother	
  was	
  killed,	
  that	
  my	
  brother	
  
Kamal	
  and	
  I	
  ate	
  the	
  leftovers	
  of	
  the	
  last	
  
meal	
  she	
  had	
  made	
  for	
  us.	
  We	
  ate	
  her	
  
last	
  rotis	
  –	
  which	
  are	
  a	
  type	
  of	
  South	
  
Asian	
  flatbread.	
  She	
  had	
  made	
  the	
  rotis	
  
from	
  scratch	
  the	
  night	
  before	
  she	
  died.	
  
Along	
  with	
  the	
  last	
  bite	
  of	
  our	
  food	
  that	
  
Tuesday…came	
  the	
  realization	
  that	
  this	
  
was	
  the	
  last	
  meal,	
  made	
  by	
  the	
  hands	
  of	
  
our	
  mother,	
  that	
  we	
  will	
  ever	
  eat	
  in	
  our	
  
lifetime.	
  My	
  mother	
  was	
  a	
  brilliant	
  
woman,	
  a	
  reasonable	
  woman.	
  Everyone	
  
knew	
  she	
  was	
  smart,	
  but	
  she	
  never	
  had	
  
the	
  chance	
  to	
  get	
  a	
  formal	
  education.	
  
She	
  couldn’t.	
  As	
  a	
  hard-­‐working	
  
immigrant,	
  she	
  had	
  to	
  work	
  long	
  hours	
  
to	
  feed	
  her	
  family,	
  to	
  get	
  her	
  sons	
  
educated,	
  and	
  help	
  us	
  achieve	
  our	
  
American	
  dreams.	
  This	
  was	
  more	
  
important	
  to	
  her	
  than	
  anything	
  else.	
  	
  
	
  
Senators,	
  my	
  mother	
  was	
  our	
  biggest	
  
fan,	
  our	
  biggest	
  supporter.	
  She	
  was	
  
always	
  there	
  for	
  us,	
  she	
  always	
  had	
  a	
  
smile	
  on	
  her	
  face.	
  But	
  now	
  she’s	
  gone.	
  
Because	
  of	
  a	
  man	
  who	
  hated	
  her	
  
because	
  she	
  wasn’t	
  his	
  color?	
  His	
  
religion?	
  I	
  just	
  had	
  my	
  first	
  day	
  of	
  
college.	
  And	
  my	
  mother	
  wasn’t	
  there	
  to	
  
send	
  me	
  off.	
  She	
  won’t	
  be	
  there	
  for	
  my	
  
graduation.	
  She	
  won’t	
  be	
  there	
  on	
  	
  

62



my	
  wedding	
  day.	
  She	
  won’t	
  be	
  there	
  to	
  
meet	
  her	
  grandchildren.	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  tell	
  
the	
  gunman	
  who	
  took	
  her	
  from	
  me:	
  You	
  
may	
  have	
  been	
  full	
  of	
  hate,	
  but	
  my	
  
mother	
  was	
  full	
  of	
  love.	
  	
  She	
  was	
  an	
  
American.	
  And	
  this	
  was	
  not	
  our	
  
American	
  dream.	
  	
  
	
  
We	
  ache	
  for	
  our	
  loved	
  ones.	
  We	
  have	
  
lost	
  so	
  much.	
  But	
  I	
  want	
  people	
  to	
  know	
  
that	
  our	
  heads	
  are	
  held	
  high.	
  We	
  also	
  
know	
  that	
  we	
  are	
  not	
  alone.	
  Tens	
  of	
  
thousands	
  of	
  people	
  sent	
  us	
  letters,	
  
attended	
  vigils,	
  and	
  gave	
  us	
  their	
  
support	
  –	
  Oak	
  Creek’s	
  Mayor	
  and	
  Police	
  
Chief,	
  Wisconsin’s	
  Governor,	
  the	
  
President	
  and	
  the	
  First	
  Lady.	
  All	
  their	
  
support	
  also	
  gave	
  me	
  the	
  strength	
  to	
  
come	
  here	
  today.	
  	
  
	
  
Senators,	
  I	
  came	
  here	
  today	
  to	
  ask	
  the	
  
government	
  to	
  give	
  my	
  mother	
  the	
  
dignity	
  of	
  being	
  a	
  statistic.	
  The	
  FBI	
  does	
  
not	
  track	
  hate	
  crimes	
  against	
  Sikhs.	
  My	
  
mother	
  and	
  those	
  shot	
  that	
  day	
  will	
  not	
  
even	
  count	
  on	
  a	
  federal	
  form.	
  We	
  
cannot	
  solve	
  a	
  problem	
  we	
  refuse	
  to	
  
recognize.	
  	
  
	
  
Senators,	
  I	
  also	
  ask	
  that	
  the	
  government	
  
pursue	
  domestic	
  terrorists	
  with	
  the	
  
same	
  vigor	
  as	
  attackers	
  from	
  abroad.	
  
The	
  man	
  who	
  killed	
  my	
  mother	
  was	
  on	
  
the	
  watch	
  lists	
  of	
  public	
  interest	
  groups.	
  
I	
  believe	
  the	
  government	
  could	
  have	
  
tracked	
  him	
  long	
  before	
  he	
  went	
  on	
  a	
  
shooting	
  spree.	
  	
  
	
  
Finally,	
  Senators,	
  I	
  ask	
  that	
  you	
  stand	
  up	
  
for	
  us.	
  As	
  lawmakers	
  and	
  leaders,	
  you	
  

have	
  the	
  power	
  to	
  shape	
  public	
  opinion.	
  
Your	
  words	
  carry	
  weight.	
  When	
  others	
  
scapegoat	
  or	
  demean	
  people	
  because	
  of	
  
who	
  they	
  are,	
  use	
  your	
  power	
  to	
  say	
  
that	
  is	
  wrong.	
  	
  
	
  
So	
  many	
  have	
  asked	
  Sikhs	
  to	
  simply	
  
blame	
  Muslims	
  for	
  attacks	
  against	
  our	
  
community	
  or	
  just	
  say	
  “We	
  are	
  not	
  
Muslim.”	
  But	
  we	
  won’t	
  blame	
  anyone	
  
else.	
  An	
  attack	
  on	
  one	
  of	
  us	
  is	
  an	
  attack	
  
on	
  all	
  of	
  us.	
  	
  
	
  
I	
  also	
  want	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  solution.	
  
That’s	
  why	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  law	
  
enforcement	
  officer	
  like	
  Lt.	
  Brian	
  
Murphy,	
  who	
  saved	
  so	
  many	
  lives	
  on	
  
August	
  5,	
  2012.	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  protect	
  other	
  
people	
  from	
  what	
  happened	
  to	
  my	
  
mother.	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  combat	
  hate	
  –	
  not	
  just	
  
against	
  Sikhs	
  but	
  against	
  all	
  people.	
  
Senators,	
  I	
  know	
  what	
  happened	
  at	
  Oak	
  
Creek	
  was	
  not	
  an	
  isolated	
  incident.	
  I	
  fear	
  
it	
  may	
  happen	
  again	
  if	
  we	
  don’t	
  stand	
  up	
  
and	
  do	
  something.	
  	
  
	
  
I	
  don’t	
  want	
  anyone	
  to	
  suffer	
  what	
  we	
  
have	
  suffered.	
  I	
  want	
  to	
  build	
  a	
  world	
  
where	
  all	
  people	
  can	
  live,	
  work,	
  and	
  
worship	
  in	
  America	
  in	
  peace.	
  	
  
	
  
Because	
  you	
  see,	
  despite	
  everything,	
  I	
  
still	
  believe	
  in	
  the	
  American	
  dream.	
  In	
  
my	
  mother’s	
  memory,	
  I	
  ask	
  that	
  you	
  
stand	
  up	
  for	
  it	
  with	
  me.	
  Today.	
  	
  And	
  in	
  
the	
  days	
  to	
  come.	
  	
  
	
  
Accessed	
  and	
  excerpted	
  from	
  full	
  testimony	
  
available	
  at:	
  	
  
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/pdf/9-­‐19-­‐
12SainiTestimony.pdf	
  

63



 

 

LESSON 5: XENOPHPBIC RACISM AGAINST SOUTH ASIANS - PAST & PRESENT 
 

 
Time:  60 minutes  
 
Essential Question:  
How can examining historical manifestations of xenophobia and racism help us understand 
present forms of bias-based bullying?  
 
Lesson Objectives:  
Students will be able to: 

 Examine historical roots of xenophobia against South Asians in America  
 Compare past occurrences with modern day forms of bias-based bullying   

 
Materials Needed: 

1. Background Information handout 
2. Past & Present sets  
3. Graphic Organizer 

 
 

Performance Tasks: 
Connecting the past to the present 

 
Activity: (5 min)  
Connect students to the previous lesson in which they developed an understanding that the 
Oak Creek tragedy was not a new phenomenon.  Rather hate crimes against South Asians have 
significantly increased after the attacks on the World Trade Center.  Tell students that today, 
they will further historicize this and understand how xenophobia is most often linked to what is 
happening in the political landscape.     
 
Quick Write (5 mins) 
Ask students to recall when the earliest South Asians came to the United States.  Draw upon 
the timeline.  
Prompts: What you think early arrivers might have experienced? What leads you to make these 
inferences?  
 
Part I: Background Information  (10 min)  
Instructions for Facilitator/Teacher:  
For the main activity for this lesson, students will be working in groups in order to compare the 
harassment of South Asians in the past and present. In the next ten minutes, you will provide 
students with background knowledge to set them up effectively for their independent work.   
As a class you can read through Handout 1 which provides a brief synopsis of each historical 
occurrence that students will examine.  You may want to include visual media that can be 
accessed below:  

64



 

 

 
1907 Bellingham Riots: http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_intro.htm; 
http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_film.htm 
 
The Persian Gulf War: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/ 
 
Dotbusters:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1tG6mwjOtM  (begin at 0:42) 
 
 
Part II: Small Group Work (25 min)  
Break students into three larger groups and then create sub- groups of 3-4 students.  Before 
you break students into groups, discuss terms:  
 

Micro-aggressions: contemporary form of racism - invisible, unintentional and subtle in 
nature; usually outside the level of conscious awareness but which cumulatively and 
over time creates a uncomfortable or hostile environment for the victim 
 
Bullying: verbal, physical, or psychological acts of intimidation where there is an 
imbalance of power 
 
Harassment: systemic and/or continued unwanted actions, including threats and 
demands, often based upon race, sex, religion, gender etc.  
 
Hate crimes: acts of violence against individuals, groups, places of worship etc., typically 
motivated by some form of prejudice. 

 
Ask students to independently read their set of events (Handout 2).  Thereafter, they should 
work together to complete the graphic organizer  (Handout 3) (this could be completed using 
chart paper as well).   Students will summarize each event and identify whether the occurrence 
is an example of micro-aggression, bullying, or hate crime.  Next, they will analyze the language 
used to describe South Asians either by perpetrators or by media sources in each excerpt.  
Finally, they will use guiding questions to synthesize the exercise and compare and contrast the 
xenophobic and racist treatment of the past and present.   Students should prepare a quick 
three-minute presentation for the class on their event set.  
 
Note: You may want to model or use guided practice for the first set to give students an 
example of the type of thinking they will need to do.   
 
 
Part III: Whole Class Share (15 min)  
After each group shares, debrief the comparison of the past/present and discuss why the 
analysis of historical forms of xenophobic/racist phenomena is significant.    
 
 

65

http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_intro.htm
http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_film.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1tG6mwjOtM


 

 

 Guiding Questions:  
o What did you realize as you read about the Bellingham Riots, the hate crimes 

that occurred during the Persian Gulf War, and the Dotbusters?  
o Why do you think the events of the past occurred? What was happening 

between the United States and other countries during this time that influenced 
those events?  

o What about present day occurrences?  
o What was similar to the present day forms of harassment? What was different? 
o What can be done?  

66



	
  

	
  

South	
  Asians	
  Past	
  &	
  Present	
  -­‐	
  Background	
  Information	
  
	
  

1907	
  Bellingham	
  Riots	
  
	
  

“Located	
  in	
  the	
  northwest	
  corner	
  of	
  Washington	
  State,	
  just	
  shy	
  of	
  the	
  Canadian	
  border,	
  
Bellingham	
  boomed	
  in	
  the	
  early	
  20th	
  century	
  as	
  a	
  center	
  of	
  extractive	
  industries	
  like	
  mining,	
  
fishing	
  and	
  timber.	
  Workers	
  from	
  all	
  over	
  the	
  world	
  arrived	
  in	
  Bellingham	
  looking	
  for	
  jobs,	
  
including	
  a	
  sizable	
  number	
  from	
  Asia.	
  

In	
  the	
  early	
  1900s,	
  Asian	
  immigrants	
  numbered	
  in	
  the	
  hundreds	
  and	
  were	
  a	
  substantial	
  
presence	
  in	
  Bellingham,	
  sustaining	
  small	
  communities	
  with	
  their	
  own	
  restaurants,	
  pool	
  halls	
  
and	
  barber-­‐shops.	
  Yet,	
  due	
  to	
  sustained	
  campaigns	
  of	
  racism	
  and	
  exclusion,	
  little	
  to	
  nothing	
  of	
  
these	
  communities	
  remains	
  in	
  the	
  city	
  today.	
  By	
  1950,	
  city	
  census	
  numbers	
  reported	
  a	
  mere	
  
eight	
  individuals	
  of	
  Asian	
  ancestry.	
  

The	
  most	
  visible	
  manifestation	
  of	
  these	
  campaigns	
  was	
  the	
  riot	
  of	
  1907.	
  A	
  group	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  
migrant	
  workers	
  arrived	
  in	
  Bellingham	
  in	
  1906,	
  employed	
  mostly	
  in	
  the	
  city's	
  lumber	
  mills.	
  
Immediately,	
  white	
  labor	
  leaders	
  demanded	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  workers	
  be	
  expelled	
  from	
  the	
  city,	
  
claiming	
  the	
  newcomers	
  took	
  jobs	
  away	
  from	
  white	
  workers	
  and	
  drove	
  down	
  wages.”	
  
	
  

Information	
  excerpted	
  from	
  http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_intro.htm	
  
	
  

	
  
Dotbusters:	
  Anti-­‐Indian	
  Hate	
  Group	
  in	
  New	
  Jersey	
  

	
  
In	
  the	
  fall	
  of	
  1987,	
  an	
  anti-­‐Indian	
  hate	
  group	
  formed	
  in	
  New	
  York	
  and	
  New	
  Jersey	
  that	
  
committed	
  their	
  crimes	
  in	
  Jersey	
  City.	
  	
  Hate	
  crimes	
  included	
  burglary,	
  vandalism,	
  and	
  assault	
  to	
  
murder.	
  	
  While	
  the	
  violence	
  seemed	
  to	
  be	
  aimed	
  at	
  the	
  Hindu	
  community,	
  where	
  the	
  wearing	
  
of	
  the	
  bindi	
  is	
  most	
  common,	
  it	
  is	
  believed	
  that	
  the	
  Dotbusters	
  actions	
  were	
  based	
  on	
  racial	
  
grounds,	
  aimed	
  at	
  South	
  Asian	
  immigrants.	
  
	
  

Information	
  excerpted	
  from:	
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dotbusters	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

Hate	
  Crimes	
  During	
  the	
  Persian	
  Gulf	
  War	
  	
  
	
  

The	
  Persian	
  Gulf	
  War	
  against	
  Iraq	
  was	
  led	
  by	
  the	
  United	
  States,	
  and	
  backed	
  by	
  a	
  UN	
  Coalition	
  of	
  
34	
  nations	
  states,	
  and	
  followed	
  Iraq’s	
  invasion	
  of	
  Kuwait.	
  	
  This	
  conflict	
  led	
  to	
  an	
  eruption	
  of	
  
hate	
  crimes	
  against	
  Arabs	
  and	
  Muslims,	
  and	
  other	
  ethnic	
  communities	
  perceived	
  to	
  be	
  Middle	
  
Eastern	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  
	
  

Information	
  excerpted	
  from:	
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/	
  	
  and	
  
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/usa1102.pdf	
  

	
  

	
  

67



Xenophobic	
  Racism	
  Against	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States:	
  	
  
Past	
  and	
  Present	
  	
  

	
  
Set	
  #1	
  

 
Event	
  #1:	
  1907	
  	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
Description:	
   	
  
On	
  September	
  4th,	
  1907	
  five	
  hundred	
  white	
  working	
  class	
  men	
  in	
  Bellingham,	
  
Washington	
  attacked	
  South	
  Asian	
  millworkers	
  and	
  their	
  families.	
  Within	
  ten	
  days	
  the	
  
entire	
  South	
  Asian	
  population	
  departed	
  town.	
  	
  
	
  
Morning	
  Reveille	
  Sept.	
  6,	
  1907,	
  p.	
  4	
  (Editorial)	
  
The	
  Hindus	
  Have	
  Left	
  Us.	
  
While	
  any	
  good	
  citizen	
  must	
  be	
  unalterably	
  opposed	
  to	
  the	
  means	
  employed,	
  the	
  result	
  
of	
  the	
  crusade	
  against	
  the	
  Hindus	
  cannot	
  but	
  cause	
  a	
  general	
  and	
  intense	
  satisfaction.	
  
The	
  school	
  kids,	
  who	
  made	
  up	
  the	
  greater	
  portion	
  of	
  the	
  mob	
  that	
  put	
  the	
  heathen	
  out	
  
of	
  business,	
  should,	
  of	
  course,	
  be	
  spanked	
  and	
  sent	
  to	
  bed	
  and	
  the	
  hoodlums	
  should	
  go	
  
to	
  jail,	
  but	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  the	
  fear	
  instilled	
  into	
  the	
  hearts	
  of	
  the	
  Hindus	
  induced	
  them	
  to	
  
return	
  to	
  the	
  land	
  which	
  owes	
  them	
  protection	
  [note:	
  reference	
  here	
  is	
  to	
  Canada]	
  is	
  a	
  
cause	
  for	
  rejoicing.	
  Two	
  wrongs	
  never	
  make	
  a	
  right,	
  it	
  is	
  true,	
  and	
  such	
  riotous	
  
demonstrations	
  are	
  to	
  be	
  discouraged	
  and	
  prevented,	
  but	
  the	
  departure	
  of	
  the	
  Hindus	
  
will	
  leave	
  no	
  regret.	
  
	
  
From	
  every	
  standpoint	
  it	
  is	
  most	
  undesirable	
  that	
  these	
  Asians	
  should	
  be	
  permitted	
  to	
  

68



remain	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  They	
  are	
  repulsive	
  in	
  appearance	
  and	
  disgusting	
  in	
  their	
  
manners.	
  They	
  are	
  said	
  to	
  be	
  without	
  shame	
  and,	
  while	
  no	
  charges	
  of	
  immorality	
  are	
  
brought	
  against	
  them,	
  their	
  actions	
  and	
  customs	
  are	
  so	
  different	
  from	
  ours	
  that	
  there	
  
can	
  never	
  be	
  tolerance	
  of	
  them.	
  They	
  contribute	
  nothing	
  to	
  the	
  growth	
  and	
  up-­‐building	
  
of	
  the	
  city	
  as	
  the	
  result	
  of	
  their	
  labors.	
  They	
  work	
  for	
  small	
  wages	
  and	
  do	
  not	
  put	
  their	
  
money	
  into	
  circulation.	
  They	
  build	
  no	
  homes	
  and	
  while	
  they	
  numerically	
  swell	
  the	
  
population,	
  it	
  is	
  of	
  a	
  class	
  that	
  we	
  may	
  well	
  spare.	
  ...	
  ...They	
  have	
  been	
  working	
  here	
  
because	
  of	
  the	
  labor	
  shortage,	
  but	
  now	
  that	
  they	
  have	
  decamped	
  their	
  places	
  will	
  be	
  
filled	
  by	
  white	
  men...There	
  can	
  be	
  no	
  two	
  sides	
  to	
  such	
  a	
  question.	
  The	
  Hindu	
  is	
  a	
  
detriment	
  to	
  the	
  town,	
  while	
  the	
  white	
  man	
  is	
  a	
  distinct	
  advantage.	
  .	
  
	
  
Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  
Image:	
  ” The Reveille (September 5, 1907)	
  
http://www.wce.wwu.edu/resources/AACR/documents/bellingham/main/8.htm (Accessed July 
18, 2011). Courtesy of the Asian American Curriculum and Research Project 
Article:	
  “The	
  Reveille”	
  The	
  Hindus	
  Have	
  Left	
  Us,	
  (September	
  6,	
  1907)	
  Seattle	
  Civil	
  Rights	
  &	
  Labor	
  History	
  
Project	
  <	
  http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/	
  http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_news.htm)>	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Event	
  #2:	
  2005	
  
	
  
“In	
  the	
  fall	
  of	
  2005,	
  seventh-­‐grader	
  Mandeep	
  Singh’s	
  daily	
  routine	
  included	
  fighting	
  off	
  
classmates	
  who	
  pulled	
  and	
  yanked	
  at	
  his	
  jurdha	
  (the	
  topknot	
  worn	
  by	
  Sikh	
  men)	
  while	
  
calling	
  him	
  “Bin	
  Laden”	
  and	
  “meatball	
  head.”	
  Though	
  Mandeep	
  and	
  the	
  Sikh	
  Coalition	
  
repeatedly	
  complained	
  to	
  his	
  school’s	
  administration,	
  nothing	
  was	
  done	
  to	
  stem	
  the	
  
harassment	
  for	
  almost	
  two	
  years.	
  	
  In	
  February	
  2005	
  students	
  hit	
  the	
  seventh-­‐grader	
  
twice	
  on	
  his	
  head,	
  leading	
  to	
  contusions	
  and	
  a	
  severe	
  injury	
  that	
  left	
  Mandeep	
  confined	
  
to	
  bed	
  rest	
  for	
  weeks.	
  Unconvinced	
  that	
  the	
  school	
  could	
  do	
  anything	
  to	
  ensure	
  their	
  
son’s	
  safety,	
  Mandeep’s	
  parents	
  sent	
  him	
  back	
  to	
  his	
  native	
  England	
  to	
  finish	
  his	
  
schooling.”	
  
	
  
Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  
http://sikhcoalition.org/documents/pdf/HatredintheHallwaysFinal.pdf	
  
	
  
	
  
	
   	
  

69



Xenophobic	
  Racism	
  Against	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States:	
  	
  
Past	
  and	
  Present	
  	
  

	
  
Set	
  #2	
  

	
  
Scenario	
  #1:	
  1987	
  
	
  
In	
  1987,	
  a	
  30-­‐year	
  old	
  immigrant	
  from	
  India	
  who	
  worked	
  in	
  a	
  bank,	
  Navroze	
  Mody,	
  was	
  
brutally	
  beaten	
  to	
  death	
  by	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  teenagers	
  who	
  called	
  themselves	
  “Dotbusters.”	
  
This	
  group	
  was	
  active	
  in	
  New	
  Jersey,	
  where	
  a	
  large	
  South	
  Asian	
  immigrant	
  community	
  is	
  
concentrated,	
  and	
  they	
  had	
  been	
  harassing	
  immigrants	
  from	
  South	
  Asia	
  for	
  months.	
  	
  A	
  
month	
  before	
  Mody’s	
  killing,	
  Dotbusters	
  (referring	
  to	
  the	
  bindi	
  that	
  Hindu	
  women	
  
where	
  on	
  their	
  foreheads	
  for	
  religious	
  purposes),	
  sent	
  a	
  letter	
  to	
  a	
  local	
  newspaper.	
  	
  
Part	
  of	
  their	
  letter	
  read:	
  	
  

"I'm	
  writing	
  about	
  your	
  article	
  during	
  July	
  about	
  the	
  abuse	
  of	
  Indian	
  People.	
  Well	
  I'm	
  
here	
  to	
  state	
  the	
  other	
  side.	
  I	
  hate	
  them;	
  if	
  you	
  had	
  to	
  live	
  near	
  them	
  you	
  would	
  also.	
  
We	
  are	
  an	
  organization	
  called	
  dot	
  busters.	
  We	
  have	
  been	
  around	
  for	
  2	
  years.	
  We	
  will	
  go	
  
to	
  any	
  extreme	
  to	
  get	
  Indians	
  to	
  move	
  out	
  of	
  Jersey	
  City.	
  If	
  I'm	
  walking	
  down	
  the	
  street	
  
and	
  I	
  see	
  a	
  Hindu	
  and	
  the	
  setting	
  is	
  right,	
  I	
  will	
  hit	
  him	
  or	
  her.	
  We	
  plan	
  some	
  of	
  our	
  most	
  
extreme	
  attacks	
  such	
  as	
  breaking	
  windows,	
  breaking	
  car	
  windows,	
  and	
  crashing	
  family	
  
parties.	
  …	
  	
  They	
  are	
  a	
  weak	
  race	
  physically	
  and	
  mentally.	
  We	
  are	
  going	
  to	
  continue	
  our	
  
way.	
  We	
  will	
  never	
  be	
  stopped."	
  	
  	
  

In	
  Jersey	
  City,	
  not	
  long	
  after	
  Mody’s	
  death,	
  another	
  person	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  origin	
  was	
  
assaulted	
  by	
  three	
  men	
  with	
  baseball	
  bats.	
  	
  Incidents	
  still	
  continue	
  even	
  though	
  laws	
  
against	
  hate	
  crimes	
  have	
  been	
  instituted	
  in	
  New	
  Jersey.	
  	
  

Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  http://pluralism.org/ocg/CDROM_files/hinduism/dot_busters.php	
  
	
  
	
  
Scenario	
  #2:	
  2003	
  
	
  
“On	
  November	
  27,	
  2003	
  Metro	
  West	
  reported	
  that	
  an	
  Ashland,	
  Massachusetts	
  
teenager	
  defaced	
  a	
  Hindu	
  temple	
  in	
  Ashland	
  on	
  Halloween.	
  Anthony	
  Picciolo,	
  17,	
  was	
  
convicted	
  of	
  spray-­‐painting	
  hate	
  messages.	
  Police	
  said	
  Piccioli	
  spray	
  painted	
  'Sand	
  N-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐	
  
beware,'	
  and	
  'head,'	
  on	
  a	
  rock	
  near	
  the	
  Hindu	
  temple.	
  Police	
  said	
  'head'	
  was	
  short	
  for	
  
'towel	
  head.'	
  On	
  June	
  25,	
  2003	
  in	
  Boston,	
  an	
  Indian	
  graduate	
  student	
  named	
  Saurabh	
  
Bhalerao,	
  who	
  was	
  working	
  part	
  time	
  as	
  a	
  pizza	
  deliveryman,	
  was	
  the	
  target	
  of	
  
deplorable	
  abuse.	
  He	
  was	
  robbed,	
  beaten,	
  burned	
  with	
  cigarettes,	
  stuffed	
  in	
  a	
  trunk	
  and	
  
stabbed	
  twice	
  before	
  finally	
  being	
  dumped	
  along	
  a	
  road.	
  Police	
  suspect	
  that	
  the	
  
attackers	
  mistook	
  the	
  Hindu	
  man	
  for	
  a	
  Muslim.	
  As	
  they	
  were	
  beating	
  him,	
  the	
  attackers	
  
supposedly	
  taunted,	
  ‘go	
  back	
  to	
  Iraq.’”	
  

Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  http://www.pluralism.org/reports/view/104	
  

70



Xenophobic	
  Racism	
  Against	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States:	
  	
  
Past	
  and	
  Present	
  	
  

	
  
Set	
  #3	
  

	
  
Event	
  #1:	
  1991	
  
	
  
Suspicious	
  Fires	
  Probed	
  for	
  Ties	
  to	
  Gulf	
  Tension:	
  Crime:	
  An	
  arson	
  unit	
  studies	
  a	
  West	
  
Los	
  Angeles	
  market	
  blaze	
  and	
  police	
  label	
  the	
  torching	
  of	
  a	
  Sherman	
  Oaks	
  store	
  a	
  
likely	
  hate	
  crime.	
  Owners	
  of	
  both	
  businesses	
  are	
  of	
  Mideast	
  descent	
  
	
  
….The	
  Los	
  Angeles	
  Fire	
  Department,	
  meanwhile,	
  opened	
  an	
  arson	
  investigation	
  into	
  the	
  
other	
  blaze	
  that	
  seriously	
  damaged	
  the	
  Elat	
  Market	
  on	
  West	
  Pico	
  Boulevard	
  and	
  
destroyed	
  an	
  adjoining	
  stationery	
  store	
  and	
  storage	
  area.	
  The	
  fire,	
  which	
  occurred	
  about	
  
11	
  p.m.	
  Tuesday,	
  caused	
  an	
  estimated	
  $325,000	
  damage.	
  

“Because	
  of	
  the	
  situation	
  in	
  the	
  Middle	
  East,	
  we	
  called	
  for	
  an	
  arson	
  unit	
  right	
  away,”	
  
said	
  Assistant	
  Fire	
  Chief	
  Ed	
  Allen.	
  “The	
  market	
  is	
  owned	
  by	
  a	
  gentleman	
  from	
  Iran.”	
  

“The	
  fire	
  had	
  a	
  very	
  good	
  start,”	
  Allen	
  added.	
  “There	
  was	
  a	
  lot	
  of	
  heavy	
  smoke	
  when	
  the	
  
first	
  companies	
  arrived.	
  It	
  very	
  quickly	
  broke	
  through	
  the	
  roof.	
  When	
  that	
  happens,	
  you	
  
take	
  a	
  hard	
  look	
  at	
  it.”	
  

Although	
  the	
  owner,	
  Ray	
  Golbari,	
  said	
  repeatedly	
  he	
  thought	
  the	
  fire	
  was	
  “just	
  an	
  
accident,”	
  some	
  neighbors	
  said	
  it	
  was	
  possible	
  someone	
  had	
  started	
  the	
  fire	
  in	
  the	
  
mistaken	
  belief	
  that	
  Golbari	
  is	
  of	
  Arab,	
  rather	
  than	
  Jewish,	
  descent.	
  

The	
  Elat	
  Market	
  has	
  signs	
  in	
  both	
  Hebrew	
  and	
  Persian	
  script	
  on	
  the	
  front,	
  but	
  Golbari	
  
said	
  the	
  Persian	
  script	
  is	
  sometimes	
  misread	
  as	
  Arabic.	
  

There	
  have	
  been	
  two	
  other	
  suspicious	
  fires	
  in	
  the	
  Pico-­‐Robertson	
  district	
  in	
  recent	
  
weeks.	
  One	
  occurred	
  Dec.	
  27	
  at	
  an	
  insurance	
  agency,	
  and	
  another	
  on	
  the	
  night	
  of	
  Jan.	
  
17	
  at	
  a	
  hot	
  dog	
  stand.	
  

“This	
  is	
  the	
  kind	
  of	
  violence	
  that	
  we	
  have	
  been	
  warning	
  the	
  authorities	
  that	
  the	
  Arab-­‐
American	
  community	
  would	
  be	
  subjected	
  to,”	
  said	
  Nazih	
  Bayda,	
  regional	
  director	
  of	
  the	
  
American-­‐Arab	
  Anti-­‐Discrimination	
  Committee.	
  

Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  http://articles.latimes.com/1991-­‐01-­‐24/news/mn-­‐1117_1_hate-­‐
crime	
  
 
 
 
 
 
 

71



Event	
  #2:	
  February	
  2009	
  
	
  

	
  “As	
  an	
  eighth-­‐grade	
  student	
  at	
  Beckendorf	
  Junior	
  High	
  School	
  in	
  Katy,	
  Texas-­‐-­‐the	
  same	
  
town	
  where	
  residents	
  infamously	
  held	
  pig	
  races	
  to	
  protest	
  a	
  proposed	
  mosque	
  in	
  2006	
  -­‐
-­‐	
  Abdul	
  Hamed	
  initially	
  accepted	
  a	
  classmate's	
  explanation	
  that	
  jibes	
  like	
  "terrorist"	
  and	
  
"you're	
  family	
  blows	
  things	
  up,"	
  were	
  just	
  jokes.	
  

But	
  the	
  teasing	
  continued	
  almost	
  daily,	
  and	
  soon	
  escalated	
  into	
  shoving.	
  

Abdul	
  alerted	
  his	
  teachers,	
  who	
  separated	
  the	
  boys	
  in	
  class,	
  but	
  the	
  bullying	
  would	
  
continue	
  in	
  the	
  hallways.	
  In	
  early	
  February	
  2009,	
  on	
  the	
  school's	
  track	
  field,	
  Abdul	
  
shoved	
  back.	
  

According	
  to	
  Abdul,	
  the	
  boy	
  left	
  but	
  returned	
  several	
  minutes	
  later	
  and	
  sucker	
  punched	
  
him,	
  knocking	
  him	
  out	
  and	
  breaking	
  his	
  jaw.	
  That	
  was	
  how	
  Abdul's	
  Palestinian	
  parents	
  
first	
  learned	
  about	
  the	
  bullying.	
  

Abdul	
  said	
  school	
  officials	
  made	
  the	
  boy	
  go	
  to	
  anger	
  management	
  counseling.	
  "For	
  what	
  
I	
  went	
  through,	
  that	
  punishment	
  wasn't	
  even	
  close,"	
  said	
  Abdul,	
  whose	
  jaw	
  was	
  wired	
  
shut	
  and	
  missed	
  several	
  weeks	
  of	
  school.	
  

Abdul,	
  now	
  a	
  15-­‐year-­‐old	
  sophomore	
  at	
  Seven	
  Lakes	
  High	
  School	
  where	
  his	
  attacker	
  also	
  
goes,	
  said	
  he's	
  “moved	
  on.”	
  
	
  
Information	
  sourced	
  from:	
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/07/bullying-­‐muslim-­‐teens-­‐
push-­‐back_n_952947.html	
  
	
  

72



Xenophobic	
  Racism	
  Against	
  South	
  Asians	
  –	
  Past	
  &	
  Present	
  
	
  

SUMMARIZE!	
  	
  	
  
What’s	
  happening	
  in	
  each	
  event?	
  

Which	
  acts	
  are	
  micro-­‐aggressions,	
  which	
  might	
  be	
  called	
  bullying,	
  and	
  which	
  are	
  hate	
  crimes?	
  

Event	
  #1	
   Event	
  #2	
  
	
   	
  

ANALYZE!	
  	
  
What	
  terms	
  are	
  used	
  to	
  describe	
  South	
  Asians	
  in	
  each	
  event?	
  

Event	
  #1	
   Event	
  #2	
  
	
   	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

SYNTHESIZE!	
  	
  
Why	
  does	
  this	
  matter?	
  What	
  does	
  this	
  show	
  us?	
  How?	
  

Event	
  #1	
   Event	
  #2	
  

	
   	
  

	
  

73



	
  

	
  

LESSON	
  6:	
  FROM	
  BYSTANDER	
  TO	
  ALLY	
  -­‐	
  TAKING	
  ACTION	
  TO	
  STOP	
  XENOPHOBIC	
  BULLYING	
  
	
  
	
  
Time:	
  60	
  minutes	
  	
  
	
  
Essential	
  Questions	
  

• How	
  can	
  individual	
  actions	
  make	
  a	
  difference?	
  
• What	
  can	
  we	
  do	
  to	
  make	
  our	
  school	
  a	
  better	
  place?	
  
• How	
  can	
  we	
  contribute	
  to	
  positive	
  social	
  change	
  in	
  society?	
  

	
  
Lesson	
  Objectives	
  
Learners	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to:	
  

• Practice	
  taking	
  action	
  when	
  they	
  see	
  someone	
  being	
  bullied;	
  
• Explore	
  common	
  forms	
  of	
  discrimination	
  and	
  consider	
  ways	
  to	
  intervene	
  effectively;	
  
• Understand	
  what	
  being	
  an	
  ally	
  means	
  and	
  how	
  to	
  cultivate	
  behaviors	
  that	
  promote	
  

respect	
  for	
  differences	
  and	
  pluralism.	
  	
  
	
  
Materials	
  

1. Scenarios	
  from	
  Lesson	
  4	
  (3	
  scenarios,	
  1	
  per	
  group)	
  
2. Cyberbullying	
  handout/worksheet	
  (one	
  per	
  student)	
  
3. Pledge	
  of	
  Ally-­‐giance	
  (one	
  per	
  student)	
  

	
  
	
  

Performance	
  Tasks	
  
Cyberbullying	
  &	
  Pledge	
  of	
  Ally-­‐giance	
  

	
  
Opening	
  Activity	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Hand	
  out	
  the	
  Cyberbullying	
  Facts	
  and	
  Activity	
  Sheet.	
  	
  	
  
2. Divide	
  students	
  into	
  groups	
  of	
  3-­‐4	
  students	
  each.	
  	
  	
  
3. Ask	
  students	
  to	
  read	
  through	
  the	
  definitions	
  and	
  share	
  in	
  their	
  small	
  groups	
  any	
  

examples	
  they	
  have	
  seen	
  of	
  Cyberbullying.	
  Have	
  each	
  group	
  brainstorm	
  responses	
  to	
  
the	
  two	
  questions	
  on	
  the	
  back	
  of	
  the	
  worksheet.	
  If	
  time	
  permits,	
  have	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  
groups	
  share	
  out	
  the	
  ideas	
  they	
  came	
  up	
  with.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
Main	
  Activity	
  (15	
  minutes)	
  

1. Divide	
  the	
  class	
  into	
  3	
  groups.	
  
2. Pass	
  out	
  the	
  scenarios	
  from	
  Lesson	
  5	
  (1	
  per	
  group).	
  	
  	
  
3. Have	
  each	
  group	
  consider	
  how	
  people	
  acting	
  as	
  allies	
  could	
  have	
  changed	
  the	
  situation	
  

encountered	
  in	
  the	
  article	
  to	
  result	
  in	
  a	
  positive	
  and	
  non-­‐violent	
  outcome.	
  	
  	
  
4. Ask	
  students	
  to	
  develop	
  a	
  brief	
  role-­‐play	
  –	
  acting	
  out	
  the	
  situation	
  and	
  how	
  an	
  ally	
  

helped.	
  	
  The	
  roles	
  might	
  include	
  bullies,	
  victims,	
  bystanders,	
  and	
  allies	
  (as	
  well	
  as	
  
teachers	
  and	
  parents	
  if	
  the	
  scenario	
  includes	
  them).	
  	
  

74



	
  

	
  

5. Each	
  group	
  will	
  get	
  3	
  minutes	
  to	
  	
  act	
  out	
  the	
  scenario	
  with	
  the	
  changed	
  outcome	
  based	
  
on	
  the	
  actions	
  of	
  the	
  ally	
  or	
  allies.	
  	
  

	
  
Closing	
  Activity	
  (10	
  minutes)	
  

1. Ask	
  students	
  why	
  being	
  an	
  ally	
  is	
  important.	
  
2. If	
  they	
  want	
  to,	
  ask	
  students	
  to	
  sign	
  the	
  “Pledge	
  of	
  Ally-­‐giance.”	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
Options	
  for	
  continuing	
  this	
  learning	
  unit:	
  	
  

	
  
o Have	
  students	
  plan	
  a	
  “school	
  audit”	
  where	
  they	
  can	
  investigate	
  how	
  safe	
  their	
  

school	
  community	
  is	
  for	
  people	
  of	
  different	
  backgrounds	
  (students	
  who	
  identify	
  as	
  
gay,	
  lesbian,	
  bisexual	
  or	
  transgender;	
  religious	
  or	
  racial	
  minorities;	
  etc…)	
  
	
  

o Have	
  students	
  work	
  with	
  administrators	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  community	
  map	
  of	
  areas	
  where	
  
bullying	
  is	
  most	
  likely	
  to	
  occur	
  and	
  devise	
  strategies	
  for	
  addressing	
  bullying.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

o Plan	
  a	
  screening	
  and	
  discussion	
  of	
  the	
  film	
  “Divided	
  we	
  Fall”	
  by	
  Valarie	
  Kaur	
  on	
  
discrimination	
  against	
  South	
  Asians	
  and	
  Muslims	
  after	
  9/11.	
  Several	
  lessons	
  
accompany	
  the	
  film	
  and	
  are	
  available	
  at:	
  http://www.dwf-­‐film.com/for-­‐educators	
  

	
  
o Plan	
  a	
  screening	
  and	
  discussion	
  of	
  the	
  film	
  “Bully”	
  by	
  Lee	
  Hirsch	
  on	
  bullying	
  in	
  U.S.	
  

schools.	
  	
  A	
  curriculum	
  developed	
  by	
  the	
  organization	
  Facing	
  History	
  and	
  Ourselves	
  is	
  
available	
  at:	
  http://www.facinghistory.org/publications/guide-­‐film-­‐bully-­‐fostering-­‐
empathy-­‐ac	
  

	
  
o Explore	
  how	
  to	
  train	
  students	
  as	
  peer	
  mediators	
  to	
  identify	
  and	
  intervene	
  when	
  they	
  

see	
  bullying	
  happening.	
  	
  
	
  

o Create	
  a	
  club	
  that	
  raises	
  awareness	
  about	
  issues	
  of	
  bullying,	
  diversity,	
  tolerance,	
  
etc…	
  	
  

	
  
	
  

75



	
  

	
  

Cyber-­‐Bullying	
  Facts	
  and	
  Figures	
  
	
  

Cyberbullying	
  is	
  a	
  repeated	
  form	
  of	
  harassment	
  of	
  using	
  communication	
  technology	
  like	
  
cellular	
  phones,	
  computers,	
  or	
  video	
  games.	
  

	
  
	
  Some	
  examples	
  of	
  Cyberbullying	
  are:	
  
	
  

o Sharing	
  someone’s	
  picture	
  (particularly	
  inappropriate	
  or	
  revealing	
  photos)	
  without	
  their	
  
permission	
  

o Airing	
  someone’s	
  private	
  conversation	
  to	
  others	
  (also	
  sometimes	
  known	
  as	
  “outing”)	
  
o Posting	
  mean	
  comments	
  or	
  sending	
  hurtful	
  or	
  threatening	
  text	
  messages	
  
o Creating	
  hate	
  sites	
  (Facebook	
  or	
  other	
  websites	
  dedicated	
  to	
  insulting	
  someone)	
  
o Stealing	
  a	
  password	
  and	
  posting	
  under	
  someone	
  else’s	
  name	
  	
  (also	
  known	
  as	
  

“impersonation”)	
  
	
  
Reasons	
  for	
  Cyberbullying:	
  
	
  

o People	
  think	
  it’s	
  funny	
  
o They	
  think	
  it	
  might	
  make	
  them	
  more	
  

popular	
  
o Jealousy	
  or	
  envy	
  	
  
o Electronic	
  spaces	
  can	
  be	
  anonymous	
  	
  
o Revenge	
  for	
  being	
  bullied	
  

	
  
Facts:	
  
	
  

o Over	
  42%	
  of	
  kids	
  who	
  have	
  acccess	
  
to	
  the	
  internet	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  report	
  
being	
  bullied	
  online.	
  	
  

	
  
o One	
  in	
  ten	
  kids	
  on	
  Facebook	
  report	
  

being	
  bullied	
  on	
  the	
  site.	
  	
  
	
  

o 3	
  million	
  kids	
  are	
  absent	
  each	
  month	
  
in	
  the	
  U.S.	
  because	
  they	
  are	
  afraid	
  
of	
  bullies.	
  

	
  
o 90%	
  of	
  teens	
  who	
  witness	
  online	
  

bullying	
  say	
  they	
  ignore	
  it.	
  	
  
	
  
No	
  matter	
  the	
  reason,	
  Cyberbullying	
  is	
  never	
  okay.	
  Talk	
  to	
  an	
  adult,	
  save	
  the	
  message,	
  or	
  in	
  the	
  
case	
  of	
  a	
  threat,	
  approach	
  the	
  police	
  if	
  you	
  are	
  being	
  bullied.	
  	
  
	
  
Information	
  drawn	
  from:	
  http://www.onlinecollege.org/cyberbullying/	
  &	
  http://vtisp.org/parents/cyberbullying/	
  
	
  

76



	
  

	
  

Cyberbullying	
  Worksheet	
  
In	
  groups	
  of	
  3-­‐4,	
  brainstorm	
  answers	
  to	
  the	
  following	
  two	
  questions.	
  

	
  
1.	
  What	
  are	
  3	
  ways	
  you	
  could	
  respond	
  if	
  you	
  see	
  this	
  on	
  Facebook?	
  	
  Who	
  else	
  
would	
  you	
  ask	
  to	
  help	
  you	
  respond?	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

2.	
  What	
  would	
  it	
  mean	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  Cyber-­‐Ally?	
  	
  What	
  types	
  of	
  steps	
  could	
  you	
  take?	
  	
  

77



	
  
	
  
	
  

Pledge	
  of	
  Ally-­‐giance	
  
	
  
I	
  believe	
  that:	
  
	
  
No	
  one	
  
o Deserves	
  to	
  be	
  bullied.	
  
o Deserves	
  to	
  be	
  discriminated	
  against	
  because	
  of	
  their	
  race,	
  

religion,	
  color,	
  ethnicity,	
  language,	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  
disability,	
  etc.	
  	
  

o Should	
  be	
  targeted	
  in	
  our	
  school	
  for	
  any	
  reason.	
  
	
  
I	
  pledge	
  to:	
  
o Speak	
  up	
  when	
  I	
  see	
  somebody	
  being	
  insulted	
  or	
  targeted.	
  If	
  

it’s	
  unsafe	
  to	
  stand	
  up	
  to	
  a	
  bully,	
  I	
  will	
  look	
  for	
  help	
  from	
  an	
  
adult	
  (parent,	
  teacher,	
  school	
  counselor,	
  coach,	
  etc.).	
  

o If	
  I	
  see	
  an	
  adult	
  saying	
  or	
  doing	
  things	
  that	
  are	
  insulting,	
  
mean,	
  or	
  prejudiced,	
  I	
  will	
  stand	
  up	
  for	
  what	
  I	
  know	
  is	
  right.	
  	
  	
  

o Treat	
  everyone	
  fairly	
  and	
  equally	
  regardless	
  of	
  their	
  
background.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
	
  

_______________________	
   	
   ______________	
  
Signature	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   	
   Date	
  

78



ANNOTATED	
  RESOURCE	
  LIST	
  
	
  
Curricular	
  and	
  Lesson	
  Plans	
  	
  
	
  

o The	
  Bully	
  Project:	
  toolkits	
  for	
  educators.	
  	
  
http://thebullyproject.com/toolkits/educatorstoolkit.html	
  
3	
  short	
  documents	
  on	
  community	
  involvement,	
  educators'	
  roles	
  in	
  bullying	
  prevention,	
  
and	
  the	
  “Principals'	
  Pledge	
  to	
  Stop	
  Bullying.	
  Period.”	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  Bullyproof	
  Classroom:	
  Professional	
  Development	
  Opportunities	
  for	
  Teachers.	
  

“Great	
  Anti	
  Bullying	
  Activities	
  and	
  Lesson	
  Plans”	
  
James	
  H.	
  Burns	
  
http://bullyproofclassroom.com/great-­‐anti-­‐bullying-­‐activities	
  
3	
  anti-­‐bullying	
  activities	
  and	
  one	
  full	
  lesson	
  plan	
  for	
  educators.	
  Appropriate	
  for	
  late	
  
elementary	
  to	
  middle	
  school	
  students.	
  	
  

	
  
o Eyes	
  on	
  Bullying.	
  “Preventing	
  bullying	
  in	
  children's	
  lives!”	
  	
  

http://www.eyesonbullyin	
  
Video,	
  news	
  article,	
  and	
  general	
  information	
  on	
  how	
  to	
  prevent	
  bullying.	
  

	
  
o Sikh	
  Coalition	
  anti-­‐bullying	
  resources.	
  	
  	
  

http://www.sikhcoalition.org/resources/educational-­‐materials	
  
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/resources/sikh-­‐awareness	
  
All	
  Sikh	
  awareness	
  and	
  anti-­‐bullying	
  resources	
  for	
  teachers,	
  Sikh	
  parents,	
  and	
  Sikh	
  
students.	
  

	
  
o Project	
  Change.	
  Bullying	
  Prevention	
  Peer	
  Education	
  Program.	
  	
  

http://www.projectchange-­‐md.org/yhtp/what.php	
  
Focuses	
  on	
  youth-­‐powered	
  community	
  improvement	
  through	
  peer	
  education.	
  Provides	
  
steps	
  for	
  what	
  to	
  do	
  in	
  bullying	
  situations.	
  	
  

	
  
o This	
  is	
  Where	
  I	
  need	
  to	
  Be:	
  Oral	
  Histories	
  of	
  Muslim	
  Youth	
  in	
  NYC	
  

http://www.thisiswhereineedtobe.com/teachers.html	
  
A	
  curriculum	
  guide	
  with	
  lesson	
  plans,	
  an	
  oral	
  history	
  primer,	
  and	
  additional	
  resources	
  
for	
  educators.	
  Includes	
  video	
  segments	
  of	
  students'	
  oral	
  histories	
  that	
  compose	
  the	
  
eponymous	
  book.	
  
	
  

o National	
  Education	
  Association.	
  “Muslims	
  in	
  America:	
  When	
  Bullying	
  meets	
  Religion”	
  
Sabrina	
  Holcomb	
  
http://www.nea.org/home/42528.htm	
  
Overview	
  of	
  the	
  rise	
  anti-­‐Islamic	
  bullying	
  and	
  what	
  educators	
  can	
  do	
  to	
  prevent	
  	
  
it.	
  Also	
  includes	
  an	
  educator's	
  guide	
  to	
  Islamic	
  religious	
  practices.	
  	
  
	
  

	
  

79



Videos	
  and	
  Film	
  
	
  

o “An	
  America	
  for	
  All	
  of	
  Us:	
  Reflections	
  &	
  Action”	
  	
  
South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  (SAALT)	
  	
  	
  	
  
http://saalt.org/attachments/1/Calling%20Students-­‐
Build%20an%20America%20for%20All%20of%20Us%21.pdf	
  
Detailed	
  facilitators	
  guide	
  for	
  an	
  hour	
  long	
  workshop	
  accompanying	
  on	
  the	
  film.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
http://saalt.org/attachments/1/Campus%20Workshop%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf	
  
Also	
  includes	
  a	
  “cheat	
  sheet”	
  with	
  key	
  terms,	
  potential	
  plans,	
  statistics,	
  and	
  policies	
  on	
  
bullying.	
  	
  

	
  
o “Bullying:	
  It	
  Stops	
  Here”	
  	
  

Anderson	
  Cooper	
  360°	
  Town	
  Hall	
  	
  
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/anderson-­‐cooper-­‐360%C2%B0-­‐town-­‐
hall-­‐%E2%80%9Cbullying-­‐it-­‐stops-­‐here%E2%80%9D-­‐to-­‐air-­‐october-­‐9/	
  
In	
  collaboration	
  with	
  CNN,	
  Facebook,	
  Cartoon	
  Network,	
  and	
  Time,	
  Inc.,	
  Anderson	
  
Cooper	
  hosts	
  this	
  week-­‐long	
  series	
  focuses	
  on	
  how	
  to	
  stop	
  the	
  bullying	
  crisis.	
  The	
  ending	
  
town	
  hall	
  special	
  takes	
  place	
  at	
  Rutgers	
  University	
  one	
  year	
  after	
  Rutgers	
  freshman	
  Tyler	
  
Clementi's	
  death.	
  	
  
	
  

o “Bullies	
  Called	
  Him	
  Pork	
  Chop.	
  He	
  Took	
  That	
  Pain	
  With	
  Him	
  And	
  Then	
  Cooked	
  It	
  Into	
  
This” 
http://www.upworthy.com/bullies-­‐called-­‐him-­‐pork-­‐chop-­‐he-­‐took-­‐that-­‐pain-­‐with-­‐him-­‐
and-­‐then-­‐cooked-­‐it-­‐into	
  
A	
  remarkable	
  animated	
  video	
  clip	
  that	
  describes	
  the	
  pain	
  of	
  bullying	
  in	
  an	
  artistically	
  
innovative	
  way.	
  	
  

	
  
o “Change	
  Attitudes	
  Toward	
  Bullying:	
  Be	
  An	
  Ally”	
  	
  

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/be-­‐an-­‐ally	
  
Video	
  lesson	
  designed	
  to	
  encourage	
  students	
  to	
  be	
  allies.	
  	
  

	
  
o “Divided	
  We	
  Fall:	
  America	
  in	
  the	
  Aftermath”	
  

Valerie	
  Kaur	
  
Film:	
  http://www.dwf-­‐film.com/buy	
  
Curricular	
  Resources:	
  http://www.dwf-­‐film.com/for-­‐educators	
  
Documentary	
  on	
  confronting	
  race	
  and	
  religion	
  in	
  a	
  post-­‐9/11	
  America.	
  Includes	
  a	
  
discussion	
  guide	
  for	
  screenings	
  and	
  multi-­‐disciplinary	
  resources.	
  	
  

	
  
o TVbyGIRLS	
  	
  

http://www.tvbygirls.tv/the_site/videos.html	
  
Youth	
  organization	
  focusing	
  on	
  leadership,	
  critical	
  thinking,	
  and	
  social	
  justice	
  for	
  young	
  
women	
  and	
  girls.	
  Created	
  in	
  response	
  to	
  mainstream	
  media	
  representations	
  of	
  girls	
  and	
  
women.	
  	
  

	
  

80



o “Sikhs	
  vs.	
  Sheiks”	
  	
  
Totally	
  Biased	
  with	
  W.	
  Kamau	
  Bell	
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ_MTNHk2Dw	
  
Comedian	
  criticizing	
  mainstream	
  conservative	
  news	
  sources	
  for	
  their	
  confusion	
  of	
  Sikhs	
  
and	
  Sheiks.	
  Uses	
  humor	
  to	
  highlight	
  the	
  tensions	
  in	
  racial,	
  ethnic,	
  and	
  cultural	
  
stereotypes.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o 10	
  minute	
  Video	
  of	
  a	
  Personal	
  Account	
  of	
  Experiences	
  with	
  Xenophobia	
  (Sonny	
  Singh)	
  

http://www.withwingsandroots.com/video/article-­‐of-­‐faith	
  
	
  

o Remembering	
  the	
  Oak	
  Cree	
  Tragedy	
  in	
  Film	
  (Valerie	
  Kaul)	
  
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valarie-­‐kaur/remembering-­‐the-­‐oak-­‐
creek_b_2624819.html	
  

	
  
	
  
Cyberbullying	
  
	
  

o “11	
  Facts	
  About	
  Cyber	
  Bullying”	
  	
  
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-­‐facts-­‐about-­‐cyber-­‐bullying	
  
Key	
  facts	
  and	
  statistics	
  about	
  cyber	
  bullying	
  for	
  middle	
  and	
  high	
  school	
  students.	
  	
  

	
  
o “Cyberbullying:	
  Understanding	
  and	
  Addressing	
  Online	
  Cruelty”	
  

http://www.adl.org/education/curriculum_connections/cyberbullying/cyberbullying_ed
ition_cc_entireunit.pdf	
  
Comprehensive	
  resource	
  kit	
  for	
  educators	
  compiled	
  by	
  the	
  Anti-­‐defamation	
  League.	
  
Includes	
  lesson	
  plans	
  and	
  activities	
  appropriate	
  for	
  elementary,	
  middle,	
  and	
  high	
  school	
  
classrooms.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o “The	
  Development	
  and	
  Validation	
  of	
  the	
  Online	
  Victimization	
  Scale	
  for	
  Adolescents”	
  

Brendesha	
  M.	
  Tynes,	
  Chad	
  A.	
  Rose,	
  David	
  R.	
  Williams	
  	
  
Cyberpsychology:	
  Journal	
  of	
  Psychosocial	
  Research	
  on	
  Cyberspace	
  	
  
http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/view.php?cisloclanku=2010112901	
  
Article	
  outlining	
  the	
  Online	
  Victimization	
  Scale	
  (OVS)	
  and	
  its	
  possible	
  uses	
  and	
  validity	
  in	
  
practice.	
  	
  

	
  
o “Standing	
  up,	
  Not	
  Standing	
  By”	
  	
  

Common	
  Sense	
  Media	
  	
  
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/cyberbullying-­‐toolkit	
  
Free	
  cyberbullying	
  toolkit	
  for	
  elementary,	
  middle,	
  and	
  high	
  school	
  educators.	
  Features	
  a	
  
short	
  video	
  on	
  cyberbullying	
  and	
  accompanying	
  lesson	
  plans.	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

81



News	
  Articles	
  
	
  

o BBC	
  News.	
  “Daily	
  torment	
  of	
  racism	
  in	
  the	
  classroom”	
  
Divya	
  Talwar,	
  5/22/12.	
  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-­‐18150650	
  
Tells	
  the	
  story	
  of	
  Khadeja	
  Fahat,	
  a	
  14-­‐year-­‐old	
  student,	
  and	
  her	
  experiences	
  of	
  being	
  
bullied.	
  Highlights	
  the	
  lasting	
  impacts	
  of	
  bullying	
  on	
  mental	
  and	
  socio-­‐emotional	
  health,	
  
and	
  why	
  and	
  how	
  it	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  prevented.	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  Guardian.	
  “Passport,	
  visa,	
  virginity?	
  A	
  mother's	
  tale	
  of	
  immigration	
  in	
  the	
  1970s”	
  

Huma	
  Qureshi,	
  5/12/11.	
  	
  
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/13/virginity-­‐tests-­‐uk-­‐immigrants-­‐
1970s	
  
Reflection	
  on	
  virginity	
  tests	
  administered	
  to	
  South	
  Asian	
  women	
  at	
  Heathrow	
  airport	
  
and	
  its	
  implications	
  for	
  racial	
  and	
  gender	
  discrimination.	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  Huffington	
  Post.	
  “Islamophobia,	
  Sikhophobia,	
  and	
  Media	
  Profiling”	
  

Simran	
  Jeet	
  Singh,	
  7/11/12.	
  
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simran-­‐jeet-­‐singh/islamophobia-­‐sikhophobia-­‐and-­‐
media-­‐profiling_b_1654692.html	
  
Discusses	
  the	
  portrayal	
  of	
  “The	
  Islamic	
  other”	
  and	
  its	
  negative	
  consequences	
  for	
  
Muslims	
  and	
  non-­‐Muslims.	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  Huffington	
  Post.	
  “9/11	
  Bullying:	
  Muslim	
  Teens	
  Push	
  Back”	
  

Omar	
  Sacirbey,	
  9/8/11	
  
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/07/bullying-­‐muslim-­‐teens-­‐push-­‐
back_n_952947.html	
  	
  
Article	
  discussing	
  the	
  youth	
  response	
  to	
  anti-­‐Muslim	
  bullying	
  in	
  a	
  post-­‐9/11	
  era	
  and	
  the	
  
added	
  challenge	
  of	
  having	
  to	
  stand	
  up	
  to	
  negative	
  representations	
  in	
  news	
  and	
  media.	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  New	
  York	
  Times.	
  “Test	
  Your	
  Savvy	
  on	
  Religion”	
  	
  

Nicholas	
  D.	
  Kristof,	
  10/9/10.	
  	
  
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10kristof.html	
  
Op-­‐ed	
  article	
  that	
  includes	
  a	
  multiple-­‐choice	
  test	
  designed	
  to	
  show	
  the	
  complications	
  of	
  
understanding	
  religion.	
  

	
  
	
  
Journal	
  Articles	
  &	
  Papers	
  
	
  

o Berkman	
  Center	
  for	
  Internet	
  &	
  Society	
  at	
  Harvard	
  University.	
  Series	
  of	
  papers	
  on	
  
Bullying	
  	
  

o “Bullying	
  in	
  a	
  Networked	
  Era:	
  A	
  Literature	
  Review”	
  
Nathaniel	
  Levy,	
  et	
  al.,	
  9/17/2012.	
  
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2012/kbw_bulling_in_a_networked_

82



era	
  
o "What	
  You	
  Must	
  Know	
  to	
  Help	
  Combat	
  Youth	
  Bullying,	
  Meanness,	
  and	
  Cruelty"	
  

by	
  danah	
  boyd	
  and	
  John	
  Palfrey	
  
o "An	
  Overview	
  of	
  State	
  Anti-­‐Bullying	
  Legislation	
  and	
  Other	
  Related	
  Laws"	
  by	
  Dena	
  

Sacco,	
  Katharine	
  Silbaugh,	
  Felipe	
  Corredor,	
  June	
  Casey,	
  and	
  Davis	
  Doherty	
  
o "Bullying	
  Prevention	
  101	
  for	
  Schools:	
  Dos	
  and	
  Don'ts"	
  by	
  Susan	
  Swearer,	
  Mia	
  

Doces,	
  Lisa	
  Jones,	
  and	
  Anne	
  Collier	
  
o "Implementing	
  Bullying	
  Prevention	
  Programs	
  in	
  Schools:	
  A	
  How-­‐To	
  Guide"	
  by	
  

Lisa	
  Jones,	
  Mia	
  Doces,	
  Susan	
  Swearer,	
  and	
  Anne	
  Collier	
  
o "Changing	
  the	
  Culture:	
  Ideas	
  for	
  Student	
  Action"	
  by	
  Anne	
  Collier,	
  Susan	
  Swearer,	
  

Mia	
  Doces,	
  and	
  Lisa	
  Jones	
  
	
  

o Terrazas,	
  A.	
  (2008).	
  Indian	
  Immigrants	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  
Migration	
  Policy	
  Institute.	
  Accessed	
  October	
  29,	
  2012,	
  online	
  at	
  
http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=687	
  

	
  
	
  
Magazines	
  and	
  Blogs	
  
	
  

o CAIR-­‐Chicago.	
  	
  “'Know	
  Your	
  Rights':	
  Bullying	
  at	
  School”	
  	
  
Sarah	
  Goomar,	
  7/5/12.	
  
http://www.cairchicago.org/2012/07/05/know-­‐your-­‐rights-­‐bullying-­‐at-­‐school/	
  
How	
  to	
  identify	
  how	
  and	
  when	
  bullying	
  is	
  occurring	
  at	
  school,	
  and	
  how	
  students'	
  rights	
  
should	
  protect	
  against	
  it.	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o Colorlines.	
  “Not	
  Senseless,	
  Not	
  Random:	
  The	
  Deadly	
  Mix	
  of	
  Race,	
  Guns	
  &	
  Madness”	
  

Rinku	
  Sen,	
  8/6/12.	
  	
  
http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/08/how_long_before_islamophobias_toxic_spread
_destroys_america.html	
  
Article	
  arguing	
  that	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  shooting	
  at	
  the	
  Gurdwara	
  was	
  a	
  racialized	
  violent	
  
hate	
  crime	
  and	
  actions	
  that	
  must	
  be	
  taken	
  in	
  its	
  aftermath.	
  	
  

	
  
o Counterpunch.	
  “The	
  Sense	
  of	
  White	
  Supremacy”	
  

Vijay	
  Prashad,	
  8/6/12.	
  	
  
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/06/the-­‐sense-­‐of-­‐white-­‐supremacy/	
  
Article	
  on	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  shooting	
  at	
  the	
  Gurdwara.	
  Provides	
  background	
  information	
  on	
  
anti-­‐Sikh	
  violence.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o Harvard	
  Graduate	
  School	
  of	
  Education.	
  “The	
  Bullying	
  Conundrum”	
  

Ed.	
  Magazine,	
  Fall	
  2012.	
  	
  
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news-­‐impact/2012/09/the-­‐bullying-­‐conundrum/	
  
Article	
  discussing	
  why	
  bullying	
  awareness	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  part	
  of	
  school	
  curriculums.	
  	
  

	
  
o PsychCentral.	
  “Beating	
  the	
  Bully:	
  Cope	
  with	
  Bullying	
  at	
  Any	
  Age”	
  

83



Katherine	
  Prudente	
  
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/bullying/	
  
Blog	
  for	
  youth	
  and	
  adults	
  dealing	
  with	
  how	
  to	
  handle	
  bullying	
  behavior.	
  Updated	
  
frequently	
  by	
  the	
  calendar	
  month.	
  	
  

	
  
o Racialicious.	
  “Hate	
  Crimes	
  Always	
  Have	
  A	
  Logic:	
  On	
  The	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Gurudwara	
  

Shootings”	
  
Harsha	
  Walia,	
  8/6/12.	
  
http://www.racialicious.com/2012/08/06/hate-­‐crimes-­‐always-­‐have-­‐a-­‐logic-­‐on-­‐the-­‐oak-­‐
creek-­‐gurudwara-­‐shootings/	
  
A	
  	
  reflection	
  on	
  The	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Gurudwara	
  Shootings	
  and	
  its	
  relation	
  to	
  systemic	
  racism.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o Teaching	
  Tolerance.	
  “Bullied,	
  Bully,	
  Bystander...and	
  Beyond”	
  	
  

Barbara	
  Coloroso,	
  Spring	
  2011.	
  	
  
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-­‐39-­‐spring-­‐2011/bully-­‐bullied-­‐
bystanderand-­‐beyond	
  
Article	
  examining	
  the	
  complex	
  relationship	
  between	
  the	
  roles	
  people	
  play	
  in	
  bullying	
  
and	
  suggestions	
  for	
  change.	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
Useful	
  Books	
  for	
  Curriculum	
  	
  
	
  

o South	
  Asia	
  Book	
  Award	
  
http://southasiabookaward.org/2012-­‐award-­‐books/	
  
List	
  of	
  winners,	
  honorable	
  mentions,	
  and	
  highly	
  commended	
  for	
  the	
  South	
  Asia	
  Book	
  
Award	
  for	
  children's	
  and	
  young	
  adult	
  literature.	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o South	
  Asia	
  and	
  the	
  South	
  Asian	
  Diaspora	
  in	
  Children's	
  Literature	
  

http://www.poojamakhijani.com/picture_books.html	
  
Annotated	
  bibliography	
  for	
  elementary	
  school	
  books.	
  
http://www.poojamakhijani.com/young_adult.html	
  
Annotated	
  bibliography	
  for	
  young	
  adults	
  books.	
  
	
  

o Bengali	
  Harlem	
  and	
  the	
  Lost	
  Histories	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  America	
  	
  
http://bengaliharlem.com/	
  
This	
  new	
  book	
  project	
  explores	
  the	
  undocumented	
  history	
  of	
  early	
  immigration	
  of	
  South	
  
Asians	
  on	
  the	
  east	
  coast,	
  and	
  narratives	
  of	
  inter-­‐cultural	
  solidarity	
  in	
  Harlem.	
  	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
Reference	
  Books	
  	
  
	
  

o Subramanian,	
  Mathangi.	
  Bullying:The	
  Ultimate	
  Teen	
  Guide.	
  Lanham,	
  MD:	
  Scarecrow	
  
Press,	
  Inc.,	
  forthcoming.	
  

84



Online	
  Tools	
  
	
  

o ARBAX	
  Project.	
  Online	
  Simulations	
  and	
  Role-­‐Plays	
  on	
  Bullying	
  	
  
(available	
  February	
  2013)	
  	
  
http://www.schoolbullying.eu/en/stories	
  
3D	
  simulation	
  game	
  based	
  on	
  real-­‐life	
  situations	
  and	
  requires	
  role-­‐playing	
  to	
  find	
  
solutions	
  and	
  make	
  decisions	
  related	
  to	
  bullying	
  and	
  xenophobia.	
  	
  

	
  
o BullyBust:	
  Promoting	
  a	
  Community	
  of	
  Upstanders.	
  “Upstander	
  Alliance”	
  

http://www.schoolclimate.org/bullybust/upstander	
  
Free	
  student	
  tool	
  kit	
  and	
  moderator	
  guide	
  to	
  implement	
  Upstander	
  Alliance	
  programs	
  in	
  
schools	
  and	
  communities.	
  Engages	
  students	
  and	
  adults	
  to	
  become	
  leaders	
  in	
  their	
  
communities	
  to	
  stop	
  bullying.	
  	
  

	
  
o The	
  Bullying	
  Project	
  

http://specialneeds.thebullyproject.com/toolkit	
  
Toolkit	
  to	
  deal	
  with	
  the	
  bullying	
  of	
  children	
  with	
  special	
  needs.	
  Includes	
  resources	
  for	
  
parents,	
  educators,	
  and	
  students.	
  	
  

	
  
o Courage	
  to	
  Bloom:	
  Tools	
  for	
  Growth	
  and	
  Change.	
  “How	
  to	
  Spot	
  a	
  Bully”	
  

Psychologist	
  Elisabeth	
  Martindale	
  
http://www.couragetobloom.com/how-­‐to-­‐spot-­‐a-­‐bully	
  
Card	
  decks	
  designed	
  to	
  help	
  educators	
  and	
  school	
  psychologists	
  to	
  get	
  children	
  and	
  
youth	
  to	
  open	
  up	
  about	
  bullying.	
  

	
  
o Islamic	
  Network	
  Groups	
  (ING).	
  “Statistics:	
  Is	
  Bullying	
  Really	
  a	
  Significant	
  Problem?”	
  	
  

http://www.ing.org/stats	
  
Infographics	
  and	
  statistics	
  on	
  bullying.	
  	
  

	
  
o National	
  Education	
  Association	
  

http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/BullyFree_How_To_Identify_Bullying.pdf	
  
	
  

o “How	
  to	
  Identify	
  Bullying”	
  info	
  sheet.	
  	
  
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/BullyFree_How_to_Intervene_in_a.pdf	
  
“How	
  to	
  Intervene	
  in	
  a	
  Bullying	
  Incident”	
  info	
  sheet.	
  

	
  
	
  
Organizational	
  Links	
  
	
  

o Anti-­‐Bullying	
  Centre,	
  Trinity	
  College,	
  Dublin,	
  Ireland	
  
http://www.abc.tcd.ie/ABC.html	
  
Research	
  center	
  that	
  studies	
  awareness	
  and	
  prevention	
  of	
  bully	
  behavior.	
  Provides	
  
advice	
  and	
  resources	
  to	
  counselors,	
  researchers,	
  parents,	
  schools,	
  and	
  organizations.	
  
Information	
  packs	
  are	
  available	
  by	
  mail.	
  	
  

85



	
  
o Counselors	
  Helping	
  (South)	
  Asians/Indians	
  (CHAI)	
  

http://www.chaicounselors.org	
  	
  
CHAI	
  seeks	
  to	
  provide	
  proactive	
  and	
  culturally	
  relevant	
  information	
  and	
  referrals	
  on	
  
mental	
  health	
  and	
  wellness	
  to	
  members	
  of	
  South	
  Asian	
  communities	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  
States.	
  
	
  

o Council	
  on	
  American-­‐Islamic	
  Relations	
  (CAIR)	
  
www.cair.com	
  
Civil	
  rights	
  group	
  that	
  seems	
  to	
  enhance	
  understanding	
  of	
  Islam,	
  encourage	
  dialogue,	
  
protect	
  civil	
  liberties,	
  empower	
  American	
  Muslims,	
  and	
  build	
  collations	
  that	
  promote	
  
justice	
  and	
  mutual	
  understanding.	
  	
  

	
  
o Imagine	
  2050	
  	
  

http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/	
  
Collective	
  of	
  activists,	
  immigrants,	
  artists,	
  and	
  students	
  promoting	
  multiracial	
  
democracy	
  through	
  conversations	
  about	
  race,	
  immigrant,	
  environment,	
  and	
  American	
  
identity.	
  	
  

	
  
o Muslim	
  Consultative	
  Network	
  

www.mcnny.org	
  
MCN	
  seeks	
  to	
  build	
  consensus	
  and	
  cooperation	
  among	
  diverse	
  Muslims	
  (primarily	
  in	
  the	
  
NYC	
  area)	
  through	
  dialogue,	
  education,	
  collaboration,	
  and	
  social	
  action.	
  

	
  
o Sikh	
  American	
  Legal	
  Defense	
  and	
  Education	
  Fund	
  (SALDEF)	
  

http://www.saldef.org/	
  
The	
  oldest	
  Sikh	
  civil	
  rights	
  and	
  educational	
  organization	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.,	
  SALDEF	
  empowers	
  
Sikh	
  Americans	
  through	
  advocacy,	
  education,	
  and	
  media	
  relations.	
  SALDEF	
  functions	
  to	
  
protect	
  the	
  civil	
  rights	
  of	
  Sikh	
  Americans.	
  	
  	
  	
  

	
  
o Sikh	
  Healing	
  Collective	
  

http://Sikhhealingcollective.wordpress.com	
  
A	
  relief	
  effort	
  that	
  brings	
  together	
  trained	
  mental	
  health	
  professionals	
  to	
  support	
  the	
  
mental	
  health	
  needs	
  for	
  the	
  Oak	
  Creek	
  Sikh	
  community.	
  	
  
	
  

o The	
  Sikh	
  Coalition	
  	
  
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/	
  
Community-­‐based	
  organization	
  advocating	
  civil	
  and	
  human	
  rights	
  for	
  all.	
  Works	
  through	
  
the	
  legal	
  system	
  to	
  create	
  strong	
  local	
  communities	
  where	
  Sikhs	
  may	
  freely	
  practice	
  and	
  
enjoy	
  their	
  faith.	
  	
  

	
  
o South	
  Asian	
  Americans	
  Leading	
  Together	
  (SAALT)	
  

http://www.saalt.org/	
  
National,	
  nonpartisan,	
  non-­‐profit	
  organization	
  aimed	
  to	
  build	
  a	
  more	
  just	
  and	
  inclusive	
  

86



society	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States.	
  Promotes	
  equality	
  of	
  voices	
  and	
  perspectives	
  by	
  partnering	
  
with	
  South	
  Asian	
  individuals	
  and	
  organizations,	
  public	
  policy	
  analysis,	
  community	
  
mobilization,	
  and	
  leadership	
  development.	
  	
  

	
  
o Southern	
  Poverty	
  Law	
  Center	
  (SPLC)	
  

http://www.splcenter.org/blog/	
  
Blog	
  managed	
  by	
  the	
  Intelligence	
  Report,	
  an	
  investigative	
  magazine	
  published	
  by	
  the	
  
Alabama-­‐based	
  SPLC.	
  SPLC	
  is	
  a	
  nonprofit	
  civil	
  rights	
  organization	
  that	
  fights	
  bigotry	
  and	
  
seeks	
  justice	
  for	
  the	
  most	
  vulnerable	
  members	
  of	
  society.	
  	
  

	
  
o United	
  Sikhs	
  	
  

http://unitedsikhs.org/	
  
United	
  Nations	
  affiliated,	
  international	
  non-­‐profit	
  NGO	
  specialized	
  in	
  humanitarian	
  
relief,	
  human	
  development,	
  and	
  advocacy.	
  Empowers	
  underprivileged	
  and	
  minority	
  
communities	
  and	
  individuals	
  through	
  civic,	
  educational,	
  and	
  personal	
  development	
  
programs	
  focusing	
  on	
  social	
  and	
  economic	
  activity.	
  	
  

87



88



South Asia: Political

70°E

10°N

20°N

30°N

40°N

60°N

80°E 90°E

60°E
70°E

80°E 90°E 100°E
40°N

30°N

20°N

10°N

INDIAN      OCEAN

A r a b i a n
S e a

B a y  o f
B e n g a l

Kabul

Dhaka

ThimphuNew Delhi
Kathmandu

Islamabad

Colombo

INDIA

SRI LANKA

PAKISTAN

AFGHANISTAN

BHUTAN

NEPAL

BANGLADESH

W
E

N

S

National boundary
National capital

LEGEND

250 500

250 500

0mi

0km

89



90



	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

Customizable	
  professional	
  development	
  workshops	
  	
  
for	
  teachers	
  and	
  community	
  leaders	
  also	
  available.	
  

	
  
Please	
  contact	
  the	
  authors	
  if	
  interested.	
  	
   	
  



ABOUT	
  THE	
  AUTHORS	
  
	
  

	
  
Monisha	
  Bajaj,	
  EdD,	
  [bajaj@tc.columbia.edu]	
  is	
  Associate	
  Professor	
  of	
  International	
  and	
  
Comparative	
  Education	
  at	
  Teachers	
  College,	
  Columbia	
  University.	
  	
  Her	
  research	
  and	
  
teaching	
  interests	
  focus	
  on	
  education	
  as	
  a	
  force	
  for	
  social	
  transformation	
  and	
  education	
  
for	
  peace	
  and	
  human	
  rights.	
  She	
  is	
  the	
  editor	
  of	
  the	
  Encyclopedia	
  of	
  Peace	
  
Education	
  and	
  author	
  of	
  Schooling	
  for	
  Social	
  Change:	
  The	
  Rise	
  and	
  Impact	
  of	
  Human	
  
Rights	
  Education	
  in	
  India	
  (winner	
  of	
  the	
  2011	
  Jackie	
  Kirk	
  Outstanding	
  Book	
  Award	
  of	
  the	
  
Comparative	
  &	
  International	
  Education	
  Society),	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  numerous	
  articles.	
  Dr.	
  Bajaj	
  
has	
  developed	
  curriculum	
  for	
  non-­‐profit	
  educational	
  service	
  providers	
  in	
  New	
  York	
  City	
  
and	
  inter-­‐governmental	
  organizations,	
  such	
  as	
  UNICEF,	
  UNESCO,	
  Global	
  Kids	
  and	
  others.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Ameena	
  Ghaffar-­‐Kucher,	
  EdD,	
  [agk@gse.upenn.edu]	
  is	
  Senior	
  Lecturer	
  at	
  the	
  University	
  
of	
  Pennsylvania’s	
  Graduate	
  School	
  of	
  Education.	
  A	
  School	
  Psychologist	
  by	
  training,	
  she	
  
earned	
  her	
  doctorate	
  in	
  International	
  Educational	
  Development,	
  with	
  a	
  specialization	
  in	
  
Curriculum	
  and	
  Teaching,	
  from	
  Teachers	
  College,	
  Columbia	
  University.	
  She	
  conducts	
  
research	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  and	
  within	
  Muslim	
  majority	
  contexts	
  around	
  the	
  world.	
  
Within	
  the	
  United	
  States,	
  her	
  research	
  focuses	
  on	
  the	
  educational	
  and	
  socialization	
  
experiences	
  of	
  Muslim-­‐immigrant	
  youth.	
  She	
  is	
  co-­‐editor	
  (with	
  Lesley	
  Bartlett)	
  of	
  the	
  
volume,	
  Refugees,	
  Immigrants,	
  and	
  Education	
  in	
  the	
  Global	
  South:	
  Lives	
  in	
  Motion	
  
(Routledge	
  Research	
  Series).	
   
	
  
	
  
Karishma	
  Desai	
  [khd2112@tc.columbia.edu]	
  is	
  a	
  doctoral	
  student	
  in	
  the	
  Department	
  of	
  
International	
  and	
  Transcultural	
  studies	
  at	
  Teachers	
  College.	
  Her	
  research	
  interests	
  
include:	
  curriculum	
  studies;	
  youth,	
  globalization,	
  and	
  citizenship;	
  postcolonial	
  studies,	
  
the	
  role	
  of	
  education	
  in	
  social	
  movements;	
  and	
  teacher	
  education.	
  She	
  also	
  works	
  as	
  a	
  
staff	
  developer	
  and	
  curriculum	
  specialist	
  at	
  Central	
  Queens	
  Academy,	
  a	
  small	
  middle	
  
school	
  in	
  Queens,	
  NY.	
  	
  
	
  



	
  


	00_Cover
	00_TOC
	0ii_ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
	1a_Intro_for_Facilitators
	1b_Key_Concepts
	2_UnitOverview
	3_Lesson1-SouthAsians_in_the_US
	4_Final_Glossary
	5_Glossary_Matching_Activity
	6_Lesson1_Timeline_Images_rev
	7_Lesson1_MigrationTimeline_OVERVIEW_rev
	8_Who_are_South_Asians_Americans
	9_Migration_Worksheet
	10_Lesson2-Everyones_Migration_Story
	11i_Timeline_Activity_SectionBreak
	11ii_Timeline_Activity_Images_Part2
	12_Emma_Lazarus_Poem
	13_Bullying_101
	14_Lesson3_Bullying_Intersections
	15_Lesson_3_roles_activity
	16_Lesson4_Building_Empathy
	17_BBC_news_story
	18_BBC_Article_GO
	19_Oak_Creek_testimony
	20_Lesson5_Past_&_Present
	21_L5_Background_Information
	22_L5_Xenophobic_Racism_Sets
	23_L5_GO
	24_Lesson6_From_Bystander_2_Ally
	25_Cyberbullying_facts_&_activity
	26_Pledge_of_Allygiance
	27_Additional_Resources_rev
	28_AsiaMapHandout
	29_SouthAsiaMapHandout
	30_MiddleEastMapHandout
	31_ABOUT_THE_AUTHORS
	32_BackCover