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Asian American and Pacific Islander studies resources for the classroom
All chapters of Foundations and Futures include lesson plans and curricular tools that are designed for high school students and grounded in ethnic studies pedagogy. Feel free to search our repository of primary sources and material that helps bring Asian American and Pacific Islander histories and experiences into the classroom.
Multimedia
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Chapters
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Recipients of redress checks
Issei women receiving redress checks and formal apologies from the government acknowledging that it was wrong to have incarcerated them and 120,000 other Japanese Americans during World War II.
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Giving Testimony
Hear 153 testimonies given to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, highlighting injustices faced by Japanese Americans during WWII.
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Margie Lew on joining the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
In this interview excerpt, Margie Lew (born 1921) discusses the lack of Chinese American history in her history textbooks growing up. She also reflects on her excitement upon learning about the first meeting of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC) in 1975.
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Video
Introduction
William Gow is a community historian with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the author of this essay. Watch his introduction to find out more about what led him to become a community historian. “Introduction,” How to Record an Oral History series, (William Gow, 2025).
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Video
What is an Oral History
An oral history is a planned conversation about personal life experiences that is recorded and shared with others. Oral histories are defined by the collaboration between the narrator who tells their life stories and the interviewer who listens and asks questions.
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What is an Archive
Archives are institutions that keep records from the past including newspapers, photos, letters, maps, postcards, and much more that archivists have deemed to be historically important.
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Background Video
Watch this video for thoughts on choosing the right location and background for a video-recorded oral history.
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Collaboration Before Interview
The collaboration between the narrator and the interviewer begins before the oral history takes place. The two should collaborate with each other on an interview guide in advance of the scheduled interview.
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Greeting the Narrator
Watch this video for more information on each person’s role when recording an interview on video. Roles covered: the camera/sound operator, the interviewer, and the narrator.
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Recording a Lead
This video provides an example of beginning an interview with a lead. The interview lead serves an important purpose in verbally identifying the interview and other general information.
