Lesson Plan, Article, Video, Activity Challenges to Success - Perpetual Foreigner

This lesson plan supports the Committee of 100’s report entitled, "From Foundations to Frontiers: Chinese American Contributions to the Fabric of America.” It addresses the sections entitled, “Building an Economic Powerhouse” (p. 26), “Strengthening American Institutions” (p. 38), and “Threading the Social Fabric” (p. 49). More specifically, it focuses on how the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype has been and is used against Chinese Americans to inhibit their success and achievement in the United States, across various fields and sectors of society.
In this lesson, students will learn how the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype has impacted Chinese Americans in the fields of science and technology, civic engagement, and the arts. Students will identify the specific ways that this stereotype has manifested, from racial profiling to exclusion and more. Students will analyze how this specific form of racism and xenophobia creates barriers and challenges for Chinese Americans.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will:

• Define the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype
• Describe how the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype impacts Chinese Americans
• Analyze how the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype creates barriers to success for Chinese Americans