The Reappearance of Asian History: The emergence of Asian history in the school curriculum and what Asian students think

The Asian community is very diverse. Making up an estimated 60% of the population, It is home to many different cultures all of which are housed under the identity of Asian. Each of them is unique and can’t be summarized as the same thing. Even in America, the diversity and impacts of these cultures can be seen. Asian culture and the monumental impact that it’s had on our country often goes underappreciated, especially in educational settings. In spite of the egregious lack of acknowledgment in the classroom and elsewhere, the Asian community has made various contributions to the development of our nation, including but not limited to building our first railways, participating in the civil rights movement, and advocating for better working conditions for garment workers. Despite the fundamental role Asian people have fulfilled throughout our history, the absence of education on such contributions has resulted in many beautiful, diverse cultures being misunderstood and misconstrued by many students today. “Like for me, we learned about Indian culture, but it was only about Gandhi,” senior Nishant Vishisht said. “… It’s like if we talked about America, we only learned about Abraham Lincoln. That’s just like only one figure. It doesn’t summarize America.” In the classroom, there have been recent discussions to include more about Asia in the school curriculum such as Freshman Honors English including a Chinese myth in the mythology unit. As the transition is being made, students are learning, but to some it highlights a gap in what was being taught.

Freshman Zhaine Raymundo remembers when in Freshman World History a student asked a question that made many students uncomfortable. “She was asking, ‘Wait, is China part of Asia?’ which annoyed all of us so much because we have me as a Pacific Islander, [freshman] Calista [CwmCwlamare, a Chinese American girl], and then this other girl who’s A survey of 108 WAHS students found that also Asian,” Raymundo said. “We all kind of just looked at each other in this weird triangle of ‘What is 77.8% she going on about?’ and this lasted half of our class. … We were all uncomfortable. Even the students who weren’t Asian or a person of color.” of students think that WAHS doesn’t do a sufficient job at teaching Asian culture and history. Years past have had little representation for Asian students with much of the representation focusing on World War II. This has provided fewer opportunities of education about the cultures that make it up leading to optimism among Asian students. “... I think that it’s really nice to be able to expand the domains of World History, so that it’s not just about European battles and things like that. And it’s about larger scale world and cultural things, especially because a lot of the history that is taught that’s not Eurocentric is very negative,” senior Sachi Wrigley said. “I think it’s going to be really good for minority students to be able to see more positive historical views of themselves.” Both Wrigley and Vashisht discussed the importance of education about other cultures as not only does it help lift up minority students but also builds understanding for other cultures.

HISTORY IN OREGON

One of the oldest Asian populations in Oregon is the Cantonese-Chinese who immigrated to work in mines in the 1850s and became one of the largest groups of Asians in Oregon. In 1887, a massacre occurred at Deep Creek, where thieves and schoolboys jumped and killed 34 Chinese gold miners. After three of the six perpetrators were arrested, they were let go. The events were only formally recognized by the government in 2005, when the location was named the ‘Chinese Massacre Cove.’ Later, due The Page Act of 1875, which effectively banned the immigration of Asian women; Oregon’s ban of interracial marriage; and other policies, Oregon’s Cantonese-Chinese population went from 10,390 in 1900 to 2,075 in 1930. 1912 saw the birth of Hazel Ying Lee born in Portland, Oregon who would become the first Asian American woman to receive a pilot’s license, deviating from the stereotype that Asian women were passive. As World War II started, she quickly became a leader among Women Airforce Service Pilots and was one of the first women to fly for the US military. She died in 1944 due to a miscommunication in the control tower. Now, the Willamette Valley, and especially the Portland area, serve as a heart of Asian culture in Oregon.

Kings Boulevard in Corvallis has a wide variety of shops to catch the attention of a shopper. One of the most unique is HK Asian Market. Similar to the Asian food markets in Portland, Oregon it has a wide variety of different foods that you would never find in most grocery stores. In the back is Yummy Yummy, a restaurant serving authentic Chinese food such as bamboo shoot and pork buns along with boiled beef in chili sauce. Here are some items that we picked up at the store.

Here are some things you may not know about Asia. Read right to left.

Lay’s Roasted Garlic Oyster Flavor Chips With a strong smell of garlic and oysters these chips leave a strong impression at first whiff. If you’re not a fan of seafood, you may wanna skip out on this one. One of the notable things is the chips are sliced thicker than the normal Lay’s chips. Popin’Cookin’ tanoshii Hamburger This make it yourself candy is fun for all as you try to figure out what to do. With fruity and chocolate flavors that look like an order at a fast food place. Done by two staff members, they couldn’t stop laughing, rating the experience an eight out of ten, but the candy a three out of ten.

Kasugai - Flower’s Kiss Candy This plum flavored candy was a pleasant experience with a gentle taste, fitting the name Flower’s Kiss. As staff writer Violet Zinck said “it tastes like fancy soap smells but sweeter.” Well liked by all that tried, this is a must buy if you find it.

Countries like India and Iran are Asian countries. Similarly Serbia is also Asian.

Japan has the second biggest music industry in the world. Calipico This citrusy drink is a probiotic, although it’s rarely thought of as such. The drink is very popular in Japan, and was well liked overall by staff. Many said it reminded them of 7-Up, but with a unique twist.

Due to how many different cultures make up modern China, different regions actually have different languages, however most share the same writing system. Mandarin is the most widely spoken but Cantonese is the main language of Hong Kong. Many of these languages are slowly dying out.

ASIAN SHOWS TO TRY

“The Untamed” - Causing the ban of fan fiction website Archive of Our Own in China and every fan fiction website to legally require people to use their legal names, this mystery Chinese drama adapted one of the most popular LGBTQ books in China starts off as a campy fantasy inspired by martial arts novels, but draws viewers in with compelling characters. “Tunnel” - This Korean drama is a fun take on time travel and mystery genres. After a detective is thrown into the present day while chasing a killer, he watches the outcome of the events of what occurred in the past while trying to solve the case with his true identity hidden. “Galaxy Express 999” - Based on the manga written by the author of “Space Pirate Captain Harlock,” this anime aired from 1978 to 1981, following a boy who boards a supposed train in space that would take him to a planet where he could get an indestructible metal body that normally only the rich could afford, with a mysterious woman who looks just like his dead mother.

WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT ASIAN CULTURE OR OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS?

“The stereotype that Asians should be really good at schoolwork. Like, yes, I know. I have straight A’s. I’m genuinely struggling at times. I’m not the person that you come to for answers in math.” — Freshman Zhaine Raymundo

“When people think Asian, they normally think Eastern Asian. And making sure that South Asian is included in that is super important because oftentimes, people don’t even know that they’re Asian also. ... Diversity within the diversity is also important.” — Senior Sachi Wrigley