Asian American History and the Making of the U.S. Immigration System

Rational

Last year, my 10^th grade students represented a range of mixed ethnic backgrounds, mostly Latino, with a few Asian and African American students.  A student joined our class from Venezuela, knowing very little English.  She was quiet, sitting alone and speaking very little.  I could only sympathize with how much she had struggled; leaving her home country, family and friends behind, her travels to America, navigating through a new country, new culture, new school and new language.  My Spanish is very limited, so I rely on a Power Point presentation to translate all my lectures into Spanish.  It was interesting to see the students ‘snicker,’ only to turn around, to read what’s printed on the screen.  Very often Power Point translates incorrectly, resulting in myself laughing, too.  Many times, I asked students to translate for me.  I praise the students for their expert translation, remarking how valuable it is to speak more than one language and be able to translate.  Time passed, and the Venezuelan student became more comfortable, making friends with fellow classmates.  The classmates were so wonderful to help her and welcome her into the class.  Most of the students were fully able to empathize with her struggles, for most of them have not been in this country long, either.

We can understand the first generation as foreign-born individuals who immigrated to this country with the possibility of naturalization.  Like my student from Venezuela, they often face the steepest cultural and linguistic hurdles and may retain a primary cultural identity to their homeland.  Second generation are individuals born in the new country who have at least one foreign-born parent.  These individuals are often referred to as native-born citizens with foreign parentage.  Because they are raised entirely within the host country’s educational systems, the 2^nd generation tends to be highly acculturated², speaking the local native language and often acting as a bridge between their immigrant parents and society.  Third generation are descended from the 2^nd generation with at least one foreign-born grandparent.  By this generation, because of their interactions with schools and popular culture, the family is generally completely acculturated, maintaining family traditions and heritage.

Ruben G. Rumbaut³ coined the term “1.5 generation” or “one-and-a-half” in 2012 to describe individuals who were born abroad but immigrated to the new country as children.  The “1.5 generation" typically blends the cultures of their homeland and host countries.⁴  Most of my students are the “1.5 generation”.  They are foreign-born and placed in the Oklahoma Public School system.  Many of the 1.5 generation students are older than their classmates, being assigned to a grade by administration.  Often is the case that their language (or lack of proficient English language) will be the determining factor of which grade the student will be placed.  My one-and-a-half generation students are generally older than the grades age, being more mature in their actions.  I must remember that these students are older and allow flexibility for the age difference.

I teach ELA to 10^th graders at East Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a school with grades 9 through 12.  Our student population is 64% Hispanic, 13% African American, 9% Caucasian, 6% Multi-Race, 5% Asian, 2% American Indian and 2% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.  89% of East Central High School student bodies are a minority.  90% of our student body qualifies for free and reduced lunch assistance, significantly higher than the Oklahoma state average of 61%, suggesting the area maintains a high poverty rate.  The teacher to student ratio at East Central High Schools s 22:1, higher than Oklahoma’s state average of 16:1, and higher than the U.S. national average of 15:1.  The 2026 graduation rate is 67%, with the overall testing rank of 1 out of 10.  The 2026 proficiency rank in Reading English Language is 7%, significantly lower than the Oklahoma State Public School average.⁵  Great Schools Rating = 1/10.

My classroom reflects these diverse challenges, with many students unable to speak, read or write in the English language. Some cannot read or write in their native language.  It is important to differentiate and scaffold students who require flexibility and assistance.  The students’ strengths are adaptability; many are adapting to a new school, new culture, and new country.  Many are making new friends, navigating their way through unknown systems.  

Another layer of difficulty is the reality of many students arriving tardy at school.  Many families have one car, or one needs to drop off siblings to daycare, school, or a parent requires the car for work.  Some families have no car.  The school has addressed this issue by assigning passes to those tardies, monitoring hallways and contacting families.  Some students are without a family member, being raised by a non-related adult.  A few students are homeless, living in shelters.  Some students have not been in a school setting in years.  Yet other students will read, speak, and write with proficiency.  This diverse population will be the catalyst for this unit.