In this story, storyteller Anne Shimojima tells about the experience of her family in the United States, especially during the time of World War II when some of her family were sent to Japanese-American internment camps.
The website provides a written lesson plan built around the story of Olga Loya, a young Mexican American woman from Los Angeles. In this story, Loya discusses what it feels to be nepantla, which means “between worlds” in the Nahuatl--the ancient language of Mexico. For Loya, there was strong tension between the culture of her Mexican-American family and the larger Anglo culture of the United States. This story includes a series of stories (in 8 excerpts, with discussion questions for each excerpt) from Loya’s youth: spending time with her Mexican grandmother who encouraged her to be proud of her identity, learning to dance with her mother, confronting gangs and drugs in her neighborhood, and being discouraged from going to college by her high school counselor. Loya shares her struggle to find a place to belong and to embrace her various identities.
An educator's sourcebook of activities to help students understand and change inequalities based on race, gender, class, age, language, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability, and religion. The activities also promote respect for diversity and interpersonal equality among students, fostering a classroom that is participatory, cooperative, and democratic.
