Lesson Plan, Video Unveiling Bhagat Singh Thind's Journey
- Grade Level 9th-12th Grade
- Time Period Early 1900s
Introduction
Students will explore the Supreme Court Case, United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind in the context of attacks on civil liberties and immigration policies in the early 20th century. This will give them an opportunity to understand the relationship between immigration quotas, racial restrictions on naturalization, and the broader social and political climate of the time. The case, linked to citizenship, will illustrate wider issues of xenophobia, white
supremacy, racism and colonialism. It will also enable a deeply nuanced examination of racial identity, and will open up
discussions about who determines these definitions, and the systemic, structural and institutionalized racism that seeks to preserve discriminatory and exclusionary immigration policies
Essential Questions
Who is an American?
Who gets to decide who an American is?
How is race linked to citizenship?
How are definitions of race linked to colonialist principles?
How and why do racist and colonialist power structures pit marginalized groups against one another?
What are the human stories behind citizenship stripping?