Lesson Plan, Video, Activity South Asian Pioneers
- Grade Level 3rd-5th Grade
- Time Period Late 1800s - Early 1900s
Introduction
As students study the impact of immigrants and the development of the United States, regionally and as a whole, early South Asian immigration should be discussed. Early South Asian immigrants played a significant role in the nation’s economic and agricultural development, especially in California. Early South Asian immigrants formed their own communities and created unique communities with other marginalized communities around them, such as Black, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities. This lesson focuses on the experiences and impact of these early South Asian Americans.
Essential Questions
What were the early South Asian immigrants like?
What jobs did early South Asian immigrants have?
What role did racism play in the experiences of early South Asian immigrants?
What role did activism play in the growth and development of the South Asian immigrant community?
How did early South Asian immigrants build community?
What role did community play in the advancement of the South Asian immigrants?
How did South Asian immigrants transform California?
What is special about Punjabi-Mexican culture?
What is significant about the Stockton Gurdwara?