Professional Commentary
The website, Angelisland.com, provides students with a brief history of Asian immigration and explains the purpose of Angel Island. What makes this website compelling is that the story is told through the lens (black/white photos) of Lydia Lum, an Asian photojournalist based in Texas, and also through the words of Angel Island detainees, which are primary source accounts. This would be an excellent resource to help history come alive for your students when discussing Asian immigration/Angel Island in a U.S. history course. The primary source accounts are brief and engaging and would definitely hold the interest of short attention spans and make history real. The website is user friendly and you can also email Ms. Lum about bringing her traveling photo exhibition to your area.
Social Studies Standards (2001)
Geography
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 10)
3.
Analyze the geographic processes that contributed to changes in American society including:
- Industrialization and post-industrialization;
- Urbanization and suburbanization;
- Immigration.