Introduction
Beyond the Book: Hidden Immigrant Voices in U.S. History
Have you ever wondered what stories get told in history, and whose don’t? Let’s explore to find out!
Start
Introduction
From Story to History: Why it Matters
In Tae Keller’s novel, "When You Trap a Tiger", the main character, Lily, a young korean american girl, learns the power of stories to preserve her Korean heritage and confront racism. The book reminds us that identity and storytelling are important. Our project extends this idea for our students by exploring how immigrants’ stories were ignored or distorted in history. Theme Connection: Cultural identity, Racism, Belonging Both the novel and this history ask: Whose stories do we value—and why?
Introduction
Why it Matters- Continued
Why Middle Schoolers Should Care/Why This topis was chosen
- Understanding immigrant stories helps us see multiple perspectives and how laws, stereotypes, and personal courage shape society.
- I chose this topic to learn more about asain american culture and learn about how patterns in immigration tend to show over time.
Connection to Tae Keller:
- Like Lily in When You Trap a Tiger, many immigrants carry stories that are often unheard. Tae Keller shows how storytelling keeps culture alive and helps us recognize voices that history has overlooked.
Historical Events
You can connect When You Trap a Tiger to modern immigration and immigration throughout history. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for 61 years. Due to this, immigrants faced violence, family separation, and harmful stereotypes. This story shows how laws can shape who belongs and is heard. As future educators, we can prompt critical thinking of our students with a resource like this. Read the newspaper clipping from when the oriental exclusion act was passed.
- What do you notice about the author’s tone?
- Did they support the law?
Click the link to explore when the act was passed and more context:
How Did We Get...
1848
1869
1882
This timeline shows a pattern of exclusion and opportunity simultaneously. Prompt for students: 🔍 What patterns of acceptance and rejection do you notice?
1943
Here?
2025
Immigrant Voices
Chinese immigrants helped build the nation’s railroads, farms, and cities in many ways, yet they faced many struggles to gain equality.Listen to the interview with Ou Shee, a Chinese immigrant. As you listen, consider:
- How did her identity as a woman and as Chinese shape the questions she was asked? Was her voice amplified or silenced?
- Then, click the link to explore more about her story.
Hearing these voices helps us connect to the real people behind history.
Reading Between the Lines
Textbooks often celebrate railroad completion but rarely name the workers who built it.Meanwhile, anti-immigrant posters from the 1800s erased their voices or portrayed asian people as a threat.
Info
Info
Info
Finding Strength in Community
Despite exclusion, Chinese Americans created Chinatowns, which served as a safe haven and second home for Chinese immigrants, a place to shop for familiar food, to worship in a traditional temple, or to catch up on the news from the old country.Groups like the Chinese Six Companies wrote petitions, hired lawyers, and spoke out against injustice.Their persistence mirrors the bravery in When You Trap a Tiger—using stories to keep identity alive.
Activity Idea: Have students watch the video and take guided notes!
Bringing Hidden Voices into the Classroom
Link the novel to history: Read 'When You Trap a Tiger' and compare and contrast Lily’s family stories to primary sources of immigrant experiences (letters, diaries, photos). Engage students: Discussion or short reflection on how stories preserve identity and give voice to those silenced in history. Journal Entries: Students can maintain journal reflections of what they've read and what events stood out to them in connection to real events in history.
Classroom Connections
Anticipatory Set: Show a picture of Ou Shee or the photo of the transcontinental railroad being finished; ask students who’s missing from the story to connect to hidden voices in When You Trap a Tiger. Guided Practice: Read Lily’s grandmother’s story alongside a primary source like Ou Shee’s interview; discuss similarities in voice and struggle. Cross-Curricular Link: ELA: Explore and reflect themes of identity and belonging. Social Studies: Connect immigration stories past and present.
Immigration Then and Now
Today, immigrants still face stereotypes and policy barriers. Modern stories (from authors, journalists, and activists) continue the conversation about belonging and what/who is at stake.
PAST
PRESENT
Reflection
While researching, some topics were too heavy/explicit to include for middle schoolers. This rose my personal awareness of how some topics that have been left out of our curriculum. I learned how easily voices can be erased and how powerful it is to bring them back through stories and inquiry. This work challenged my own assumptions about whose stories may be left out. As a future teacher, I will:
- Choose inclusive books and activities with diverse primary sources.
- Encourage students to question whose voices are missing.
- Question my own assumptions and be willing to learn more to defeat my own bias about topics like this.
- Build a classroom where every student’s culture and story are valued.
Click this button to view a 'reader friendly' version document of my list of references! Closing Quote: “History is not what happened, it’s who tells the story.”
Sources
1. Library of Congress. (1882, May 9). Daily Alta California (San Francisco, CA), May 9, 1882. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014381/1882-05-09/ed-1/?sp=2&r=0.007,0.031,0.327,0.186,02. PBS. (n.d.). Chinese immigrants and the Gold Rush. American Experience. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldrush-chinese-immigrants
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Transcontinental Railroad. https://www.britannica.com/topic/transcontinental-railroad
4. Immigration History. (1943). Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. https://immigrationhistory.org/item/1943-repeal-of-chinese-exclusion
5. National Archives. (n.d.). Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-act
6. HIAS. (2022, June 14). ICE raids: What you need to know. https://hias.org/news/ice-raids-what-you-need-know
7. National Park Service. (2022, March 15). Home: The story of Ou Shee. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/home-ou-shee-eng.htm
8. National Park Service. (n.d.). A moment in time – Golden Spike National Historical Park. https://www.nps.gov/gosp/learn/historyculture/a-moment-in-time.htm
9. Geo. Dee. (1886). The magic washer: The Chinese must go [Advertisement]. https://blogs.shu.edu/americanhistory/project/the-chinese-must-go-magic-washer
10. YouTube. (2020). The Chinese Exclusion Act | PBS Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZfBfcy1UUw
11. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Building communities: Chinese immigration and Chinatowns. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/chinese/building-communities
12. Seton Hall University. (n.d.). The Chinese must go: The Magic Washer advertisement. American History Project. https://blogs.shu.edu/americanhistory/project/the-chinese-must-go-magic-washer
13. Linda Hall Library. (n.d.). The transcontinental railroad: Experience history. https://www.lindahall.org/experience/digital-exhibitions/the-transcontinental-railroad
14. Transportation History. (2018, May 9). Today in Asian American Pacific Islander transportation history – Honoring Chinese immigrant railroad labor. https://transportationhistory.org/2018/05/09/today-in-asian-american-pacific-islander-transportation-history-may-9-honoring-chinese-immigrant-railroad-labor
1848- Gold Rush / Early Chinese immigration
Thousands of Chinese immigrants arrive seeking work and opportunity but face racism and exclusion in mining camps
2025– Modern Immigration Debates & ICE Raids
Immigration enforcement continues to affect families and communities, sparking national debates over justice, belonging, and reform.
Finishing of the Transcontinental Railroad
Widening of the lens to examine role of Chinese in building Transcontinental Railroad.
The Chinese Railroad Worker Poster
Poster memorializing Chinese railroad workers (an example of reclaiming the narrative)
1869- Transcontinental Railroad is completed
Chinese laborers complete the Transcontinental Railroad.
1882 – Chinese Exclusion Act
The U.S. bans Chinese laborers from immigrating, marking the first major law restricting immigration by nationality.
Propoganda Poster
Library of Congress poster “The magic washer, manufactured by Geo. Dee, Dixon, Illinois. The Chinese must go” — an 1886 lithograph poster showing Uncle Sam kicking out a Chinese figure.
1943 – Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act
During World War II, the act is repealed, and Chinese immigrants are finally allowed to become U.S. citizens.
"ICE Raids Are Making Us Sick" – New York State Nurses Association
This article discusses how immigration raids deter immigrants from seeking medical care, leading to negative health outcomes. Click the link to learn more.
Past (1880s–1940s):
Ou shee, a literate Chinese woman, was detained for twenty-five days under the 1875 Page Act, which targeted Asian immigrants—especially women—with invasive inspections and interrogations. At the detention center, immigration officers diagnosed her with hookworm and denied her entry until she was treated and retested. The strict and discriminatory policies not only questioned her identity but also harmed her health, showing how immigration laws deeply affected the lives of women like her. Ou Shee gave birth to fifteen children. Five of her children died young and two were given up for adoption, a reflection of poor health care access and economic resources for her immigrant community.
Beyond the Book: Hidden Immigrant Voices in U.S. History
Walquist, Madison K
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Transcript
Introduction
Beyond the Book: Hidden Immigrant Voices in U.S. History
Have you ever wondered what stories get told in history, and whose don’t? Let’s explore to find out!
Start
Introduction
From Story to History: Why it Matters
In Tae Keller’s novel, "When You Trap a Tiger", the main character, Lily, a young korean american girl, learns the power of stories to preserve her Korean heritage and confront racism. The book reminds us that identity and storytelling are important. Our project extends this idea for our students by exploring how immigrants’ stories were ignored or distorted in history. Theme Connection: Cultural identity, Racism, Belonging Both the novel and this history ask: Whose stories do we value—and why?
Introduction
Why it Matters- Continued
Why Middle Schoolers Should Care/Why This topis was chosen
- Understanding immigrant stories helps us see multiple perspectives and how laws, stereotypes, and personal courage shape society.
- I chose this topic to learn more about asain american culture and learn about how patterns in immigration tend to show over time.
Connection to Tae Keller:Historical Events
You can connect When You Trap a Tiger to modern immigration and immigration throughout history. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for 61 years. Due to this, immigrants faced violence, family separation, and harmful stereotypes. This story shows how laws can shape who belongs and is heard. As future educators, we can prompt critical thinking of our students with a resource like this. Read the newspaper clipping from when the oriental exclusion act was passed.
- What do you notice about the author’s tone?
- Did they support the law?
Click the link to explore when the act was passed and more context:How Did We Get...
1848
1869
1882
This timeline shows a pattern of exclusion and opportunity simultaneously. Prompt for students: 🔍 What patterns of acceptance and rejection do you notice?
1943
Here?
2025
Immigrant Voices
Chinese immigrants helped build the nation’s railroads, farms, and cities in many ways, yet they faced many struggles to gain equality.Listen to the interview with Ou Shee, a Chinese immigrant. As you listen, consider:
- How did her identity as a woman and as Chinese shape the questions she was asked? Was her voice amplified or silenced?
- Then, click the link to explore more about her story.
Hearing these voices helps us connect to the real people behind history.Reading Between the Lines
Textbooks often celebrate railroad completion but rarely name the workers who built it.Meanwhile, anti-immigrant posters from the 1800s erased their voices or portrayed asian people as a threat.
Info
Info
Info
Finding Strength in Community
Despite exclusion, Chinese Americans created Chinatowns, which served as a safe haven and second home for Chinese immigrants, a place to shop for familiar food, to worship in a traditional temple, or to catch up on the news from the old country.Groups like the Chinese Six Companies wrote petitions, hired lawyers, and spoke out against injustice.Their persistence mirrors the bravery in When You Trap a Tiger—using stories to keep identity alive.
Activity Idea: Have students watch the video and take guided notes!
Bringing Hidden Voices into the Classroom
Link the novel to history: Read 'When You Trap a Tiger' and compare and contrast Lily’s family stories to primary sources of immigrant experiences (letters, diaries, photos). Engage students: Discussion or short reflection on how stories preserve identity and give voice to those silenced in history. Journal Entries: Students can maintain journal reflections of what they've read and what events stood out to them in connection to real events in history.
Classroom Connections
Anticipatory Set: Show a picture of Ou Shee or the photo of the transcontinental railroad being finished; ask students who’s missing from the story to connect to hidden voices in When You Trap a Tiger. Guided Practice: Read Lily’s grandmother’s story alongside a primary source like Ou Shee’s interview; discuss similarities in voice and struggle. Cross-Curricular Link: ELA: Explore and reflect themes of identity and belonging. Social Studies: Connect immigration stories past and present.
Immigration Then and Now
Today, immigrants still face stereotypes and policy barriers. Modern stories (from authors, journalists, and activists) continue the conversation about belonging and what/who is at stake.
PAST
PRESENT
Reflection
While researching, some topics were too heavy/explicit to include for middle schoolers. This rose my personal awareness of how some topics that have been left out of our curriculum. I learned how easily voices can be erased and how powerful it is to bring them back through stories and inquiry. This work challenged my own assumptions about whose stories may be left out. As a future teacher, I will:
Click this button to view a 'reader friendly' version document of my list of references! Closing Quote: “History is not what happened, it’s who tells the story.”
Sources
1. Library of Congress. (1882, May 9). Daily Alta California (San Francisco, CA), May 9, 1882. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014381/1882-05-09/ed-1/?sp=2&r=0.007,0.031,0.327,0.186,02. PBS. (n.d.). Chinese immigrants and the Gold Rush. American Experience. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldrush-chinese-immigrants 3. Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Transcontinental Railroad. https://www.britannica.com/topic/transcontinental-railroad 4. Immigration History. (1943). Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. https://immigrationhistory.org/item/1943-repeal-of-chinese-exclusion 5. National Archives. (n.d.). Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-act 6. HIAS. (2022, June 14). ICE raids: What you need to know. https://hias.org/news/ice-raids-what-you-need-know 7. National Park Service. (2022, March 15). Home: The story of Ou Shee. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/home-ou-shee-eng.htm 8. National Park Service. (n.d.). A moment in time – Golden Spike National Historical Park. https://www.nps.gov/gosp/learn/historyculture/a-moment-in-time.htm 9. Geo. Dee. (1886). The magic washer: The Chinese must go [Advertisement]. https://blogs.shu.edu/americanhistory/project/the-chinese-must-go-magic-washer 10. YouTube. (2020). The Chinese Exclusion Act | PBS Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZfBfcy1UUw 11. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Building communities: Chinese immigration and Chinatowns. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/chinese/building-communities 12. Seton Hall University. (n.d.). The Chinese must go: The Magic Washer advertisement. American History Project. https://blogs.shu.edu/americanhistory/project/the-chinese-must-go-magic-washer 13. Linda Hall Library. (n.d.). The transcontinental railroad: Experience history. https://www.lindahall.org/experience/digital-exhibitions/the-transcontinental-railroad 14. Transportation History. (2018, May 9). Today in Asian American Pacific Islander transportation history – Honoring Chinese immigrant railroad labor. https://transportationhistory.org/2018/05/09/today-in-asian-american-pacific-islander-transportation-history-may-9-honoring-chinese-immigrant-railroad-labor
1848- Gold Rush / Early Chinese immigration
Thousands of Chinese immigrants arrive seeking work and opportunity but face racism and exclusion in mining camps
2025– Modern Immigration Debates & ICE Raids
Immigration enforcement continues to affect families and communities, sparking national debates over justice, belonging, and reform.
Finishing of the Transcontinental Railroad
Widening of the lens to examine role of Chinese in building Transcontinental Railroad.
The Chinese Railroad Worker Poster
Poster memorializing Chinese railroad workers (an example of reclaiming the narrative)
1869- Transcontinental Railroad is completed
Chinese laborers complete the Transcontinental Railroad.
1882 – Chinese Exclusion Act
The U.S. bans Chinese laborers from immigrating, marking the first major law restricting immigration by nationality.
Propoganda Poster
Library of Congress poster “The magic washer, manufactured by Geo. Dee, Dixon, Illinois. The Chinese must go” — an 1886 lithograph poster showing Uncle Sam kicking out a Chinese figure.
1943 – Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act
During World War II, the act is repealed, and Chinese immigrants are finally allowed to become U.S. citizens.
"ICE Raids Are Making Us Sick" – New York State Nurses Association
This article discusses how immigration raids deter immigrants from seeking medical care, leading to negative health outcomes. Click the link to learn more.
Past (1880s–1940s):
Ou shee, a literate Chinese woman, was detained for twenty-five days under the 1875 Page Act, which targeted Asian immigrants—especially women—with invasive inspections and interrogations. At the detention center, immigration officers diagnosed her with hookworm and denied her entry until she was treated and retested. The strict and discriminatory policies not only questioned her identity but also harmed her health, showing how immigration laws deeply affected the lives of women like her. Ou Shee gave birth to fifteen children. Five of her children died young and two were given up for adoption, a reflection of poor health care access and economic resources for her immigrant community.