Takaki Chapter 8

In chapter 8, Takaki discusses the experience of the Chinese immigrants during the late 1800's. While the discrimination and racism experienced by the Chinese parallels the experiences of many other immigrant groups during the same period, Takaki mentions that some of the hatred and anger the Chinese experienced was due in part because the tremendous influx of Chinese immigrants meant fewer jobs for "native" Americans. I reflected on how this similar theme still plays out today, with racist attitudes towards certain groups developing because of their perceived ability to "steal" jobs that we previously done by a different group. In particular, there is some racism towards some of the Hispanic groups who have immigrated to the US because they are willing to do work at a cheaper rate than other groups. I also reflected on how race, as a social construct, prevents people from seeing that everyone is in the same boat and keeps different groups of people from uniting under one cause.

For a lesson plan, I would have my students read the section of Takaki that discusses the growth of "Chinatown" sections in certain cities. I would then present information that discusses how another immigrant group developed their own section of a particular city (i.e. Greektown in Chicago) and compare and contrast. Finally, I would take a students on a fieldtrip to Chinatown in DC and have them write a report on what they saw and see if it resembles anything that Takaki mentioned. In addition, I would present students with a description of Chinatown in DC as a reference in which to develop their ideas.