In February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, a country in Eastern Europe of 44 million people. Ukraine is a neighboring country to Russia. There is a lot of speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motives for the attack. The invasion and war have received widespread condemnation from countries around the world, many of which have imposed sanctions on Russia and provided foreign aid to Ukraine, including weapons.
Refugee…
Diverse and Complex Narratives Cultivate Empathy and Action
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November 10, 2020 How people are portrayed on television – matters. Increasingly diverse storylines, characters and content creators are widely seen as positive, but how is this trend affecting the prevalence of stereotypes in our culture? Is it increasing our ability to empathize and act?
In a recent study, Define American and USC’s Norman Lear Center examined depictions of immigrants on television and the impact of those portrayals. The study examined depictions of 129 unique…
The History and Impact of Child-Family Separations
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August 14, 2019 It happened again. As the nation watched, children were separated from their families—this time in Mississippi.
ICE Raid at Mississippi Worksites
It was the first day of school in several small towns in Mississippi. While children met their new teachers and went about their day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted the largest single-state workplace raid in history. ICE officers targeted seven Mississippi chicken processing…
Updated June 27, 2019 For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic Summary
Over the past several years, migrants from Central America have been increasingly seeking refuge and protection in the United States from three countries known as the “Northern Triangle”—Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. In large part, they are seeking asylum (government protection and a safe haven after fleeing persecution in their home country). In 2014, there was a surge of unaccompanied minors…
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic Summary
The Rohingya people are an ethnic minority group (the vast majority of whom are Muslim) in the country of Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. The Rohingya numbered about one million people at the beginning of 2017 and represent the largest percentage of Muslim people in Myanmar, with the majority living in the Rakhine state. The Rohingya people have their own language and culture…
Education Resources on Immigration, Immigrants and Anti-Immigrant Bias
Tools and Strategies
The following education resources include lesson plans, children’s books, teaching tips and strategies, discussion guides for parents/family members and civil rights resources to help educators, parents and family members, and others provide background and address the topics of immigration, immigrants and anti-immigrant bias and discrimination.
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers | 11 and upIn January 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to direct federal agencies to "preserve and fortify DACA." However, in July 2021, a federal judge in Texas ruled that DACA is illegal and said the Biden administration could not approve any new applications, while not immediately impacting current recipients' status. President Biden called the ruling…
Listen to the Voices of Immigrant and Muslim Youth
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April 04, 2017 The past two years have been challenging for certain groups of people, especially those targeted during the 2016 presidential election campaign with taunts, verbal attacks, name-calling and threats. Now that the election is over, those threats have resulted in proposed policy, legislation and executive orders affecting those very same people. This has left many—especially immigrants and Muslim people—feeling fearful, on edge, marginalized and worried about their…
For Educators About John F. Kennedy’s A Nation of Immigrants
At a time when the issues of refugees and immigration have taken center stage in this country, the message of President John F. Kennedy’s classic essay A Nation of Immigrants is as relevant today as it was when it was published 59 years ago. That is why the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and publisher Harper Perennial have reissued this landmark essay on the contribution of immigrants to American society…
Education Resources on Refugees, Muslim People and Anti-Muslim Bigotry
Tools and Strategies
There are 1.91 billion Muslim people worldwide and Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world next to Christianity. Despite the fact that there are so many Muslims in the world, in many places there is a lack of understanding about Muslim people. In addition, anti-Muslim bigotry is manifesting in personal biases, stereotyping, microaggressions, identity-based bullying, biased rhetoric, hate crimes and more.
The following education resources include lesson plans,…
Teachable Moments Abound in Khizr Khan’s Convention Speech
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by: Jinnie Spiegler August 04, 2016
On the final night at the Democratic National Convention, a Muslim American couple named Khizr and Ghazala Khan came to the stage and delivered a patriotic speech about their son, a U.S. Army Captain who died in 2004 in Iraq serving his country. Khizr Khan, as his wife looked on, spoke for a mere six minutes. The speech was so riveting that the discussion about it continued into the next day and beyond, many people calling it was one of the…
Turning Current Events Instruction Into Social Justice Teaching
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by: David Robbins March 11, 2016 Jinnie Spiegler
Director of Curriculum, Anti-Defamation League
This blog originally appeared on Edutopia
Marriage equality, refugees seeking safety in Europe, the Confederate flag, police shootings of black and Latino men, the presidential election, Caitlyn Jenner, ISIS, and immigration are just a few of the news stories that inhabited the headlines this year on our phones, laptops, and newspapers. Unlike 20 years ago when…
Bring Malala, Ferguson, Unaccompanied Minors and Ebola into the Classroom
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by: Oren Segal December 17, 2014 Malala. Ferguson. Immigration. Ebola. Voter ID Laws. Climate Change. These are just a few of the topics teachers are regularly and actively bringing into their classrooms.
Whether they teach English, Social Studies, Advisory or another subject and whether they have five minutes or decide to do a week- long study, teachers know that topics in the news will engage and interest students in a deep and meaningful way. Research…
by: Mark Onofrio February 07, 2014 Criticism of immigrant policy is not an excuse to undermine the humanity of others with the kind of vitriol that dominated the internet, especially Twitter, after the Atlanta-based Coca Cola Company aired a commercial with “America the Beautiful,” sung in different languages and featuring a diversity of people during the Super Bowl.
The term immigrant is a descriptor, not a slur. However, it is often used in a pejorative way. For those who are…