Street life in San Francisco's Chinatown, photographed by Arnold Genthe around 1900. Composite of two images. Photo: Arnold Genthe, Library of Congress
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July 31, 2026
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing group in the U.S., yet their history is often overlooked. Judy Woodruff traces how that past still shapes who belongs in America, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to birthright citizenship today.
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Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic group in the U.S., but across American history, their stories and the discrimination they faced have often been overlooked. For her series, America at a Crossroads, Judy Woodruff looks at how that past continues to shape the question of who belongs in America.
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NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
Choose one historical moment from the article to focus on(e.g., Chinese railroad workers, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Angel Island, Wong Kim Ark, Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965).
After conducting research about the historical moment you selected, answer the following questions:
Join the Share My Lesson community in celebrating the generations of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans who have enriched global society, playing a critical role in its development and success. With our wealth of prek-12 digital resources, you and your students can explore the remarkable contributions that AANHPI Americans have given to history, culture, the sciences, industry, government and more.
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
