In August 2016, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) launched Who Is American? Immigration, Exclusion, and the American Dream, a national educational and community outreach initiative in conjunction with the new PBS documentary THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT by acclaimed filmmakers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu of Steeplechase Films and co-produced by CAAM. This landmark new film documents in fascinating detail the causes of, consequences and continuing impact of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Who is American? was developed to foster public understanding and dialogue about the history and impact of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT had its national broadcast premiere on the acclaimed PBS series American Experience, on May 29, 2018 during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. An estimated 2 million people across the nation watched the broadcast premiere.
With your support, we can educate more people and communities about this history and facilitate conversations about the continuing impact of this law. We can't do this without you.
Help us bring this important film and other stories about the Asian and Asian American community to all Americans and communities abroad by donating $50 or more today to support our continued educational and community outreach efforts.
Since launching Who is American?, CAAM has:
- Received over 550 (and counting) requests from schools, teachers, community groups and individuals across the United States for the educational curriculum, community conversation kits and screenings of the film.
- Developed a Community Conversation Kit with a discussion guide, screening tips and other helpful tools that community groups can use to host a community screening of THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
- Made progress on the creation of the accompanying educational curriculum kit in partnership with educators from the Bay Area. The curriculum will also use scenes from the documentary as part of the lesson sets. The kit is currently being tested by Bay Area educators and we expect it to be complete by late May 2018, in conjunction with the documentary's national broadcast premiere.
With your support, we will educate more people about this history by:
- Creating educational content (i.e. short videos, images, curriculum, discussion guides) that will be available to educators for free through our partner PBS Learning Media. PBS Learning Media is the nation’s most respected site for free high quality standards-aligned digital content, lesson plans and articles for educators, accessed by hundreds of thousands of educators each year.
- Distributing the educational curriculum kit created by our educator partners in California and New York, to students, teachers and community groups throughout the United States through our website CAAMedia.org/CEA
- Making the film accessible to millions of Chinese speaking community members in the United States and abroad by adding Chinese subtitles (traditional and simplified) to the film.
Together, we can ensure that current and future generations know about the Chinese Exclusion Act and and its connection to the larger history of American civil rights, immigration, and culture.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact CAAM membership manager Jennifer Chu at jchu@caamedia.org, (415) 863-0814 x 102.