A glimmer of hope... and some teaching resources

With all the scary news about ICE raids happening around the country,  there are also positive and exciting events happening. People are rising up all over the country to support immigrants. Immigrants are becoming empowered, even as the deportations continue. In my town, actions have been taken to show clear support of our undocumented families. 

Our district's school committee has passed a resolution to protect our school from ICE raids. I am proud of our superintendent and the committee for supporting and protecting the undocumented families we serve. Many of them are very frankly scared; the resolution gives clear guidelines on what to do if ICE shows up at our school doors. 

Soon, my school will be launching an immigration story project, inspired by my students' immigration story books from months ago, and in collaboration with the Family Diversity Project (familydiv.org/) - more on that in a later post. 

Whether or not you have immigrant students and families in your school, it is important that we teach our students about immigration - not only the Ellis Island years, but what it looks like now.  Remind your students that everyone has an immigration story - unless they are 100 % Native Americans. Here are some resources in case you are interested - educate yourself, and then educate your students. Enjoy, share, and post in comments if you have more resources. 

Videos: 
Actions are illegal, never people
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmz9cCF0KNE
Undocumented Americans
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVoxezIxLU
Undocumented 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuqwnSiW60Y
Amherst's resolution
​www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/02/amherst_school_officials_hope.html

Teaching resources
learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/learning-about-u-s-immigration-with-the-new-york-times/?_r=0
www.tolerance.org/lesson/immigration-myths​
www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/foreducators_index.html
www.facinghistory.org/topics/global-immigration
www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/teachers-need-know-undocumented-students/