New for Grades 7–8 | Hidden Voices: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in U.S. History
Explore a brand new Hidden Voices: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in United States History mini unit for 7th and 8th grade students created by MOCA in partnership with The Asian American Education Project and the NYC Department of Education. Funded, in part, by New York City Council.
Behind the Seams: Garment Workers in 1980s Chinatown invites students to investigate the lives, working conditions, and activism of Chinese American women in New York City’s garment industry. Through oral histories and primary sources, students examine how first-generation immigrants built community and advocated for themselves and their families while navigating low wages, long hours, limited access to healthcare and childcare, and limited workplace benefits.
Students take a closer look at Local 23-25, the Chinatown-based branch of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), and investigate the pivotal 1982 Chinatown garment workers’ strike—the largest labor action in Chinatown’s history. Students explore why thousands of workers took to the streets, whose voices were heard, and how collective action can create change.
The mini-unit connects Chinese American history to larger questions about immigration, labor, gender, family, community, and workers’ rights, while giving students opportunities to analyze primary sources, interpret oral histories, and engage with historical perspectives often left out of traditional narratives.
Ideal for NYC middle school Social Studies, Humanities, Ethnic Studies, and AAPI Studies classrooms. Adaptable to high school classrooms!
