About This Lesson
In this C-3 style inquiry, students engage with the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station to think critically about the concept of borders—not simply geographic borders but the social, economic, and political boundaries erected throughout US history to separate “in” groups from “out” groups.
As they explore historical and contemporary sources, students will draw connections between the exclusionary US immigration policies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the borders that exist within American society today.
This inquiry is part of Facing History's US History Curriculum Collection: Democracy & Freedom. Use the flexible units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies in this collection to explore themes of democracy and freedom throughout your US history course.
