- Zinn Education Project

The Cruel Years: American Voices at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by William Loren Katz and Laurie R. Lehman. 2003. 304 pages.
First-person narratives in the context of their times and within the larger picture of U.S. growth and development.

Teaching Activity by William Loren Katz

Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth

Film. Graham Street Productions. 2009. 110 minutes.
The story of undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status.

Papers: Stories by Undocumented Youth

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by José Manuel, Cesar Pineda, Anne Galisky, and Rebecca Shine. Illustrated by Julio Salgado. 2012. 84 pages.
Undocumented youth from around the world tell their stories with simplicity and intimacy in this student-friendly collection.

Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds

Picture book. By Jorge Argueta. Illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. 2016. 36 pages.
Poems written in Spanish and English address the struggles of child refugees fleeing Central America for the United States. Grade 2+.

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale

Picture book. Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. 2013. 32 pages.
An age-appropriate story that brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families crossing the border.

Teaching Central America

Website. An online collection of lessons, book lists, biographies of noted historical figures, and readings for free use by classroom teachers.

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain

Book — Non-fiction. By Russell Freedman. 2014. 96 pages.
An account of Angel Island, California, the entry point for one million Asian immigrants in the early 20th century.

The Right to Stay Home: How U.S. Policy Drives Mexican Migration

Book — Non-fiction. By David Bacon. 2013. 328 pages.
The story of the growing resistance of Mexican communities to the poverty that forces people to migrate to the United States.

The Homestead Strike

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 10 pages.
This role play activity on the famous 1892 Homestead Strike, explores the possibility of solidarity among workers of very different backgrounds and at different levels in the workplace hierarchy.

Teaching Activity by Norm Diamond

May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act Signed

The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was signed, prohibiting Chinese immigration to the United States.

We, the People: The Drama of America

Book — Non-fiction. By Leo Huberman, illustrations by Thomas H. Benton. 1932. 371 pages.
A people's history of labor with charts, diagrams, and illustrations.

Jan. 28, 1917: The Bath Riots

A protest of the toxic chemical “baths” required for all workers coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, led by 17-year-old Carmelita Torres.

101 Changemakers: Rebels and Radicals Who Changed US History

Book — Non-fiction. By Michele Bollinger and Dao Tran. 2012.
A collection of 101 brief and accessible profiles of rebels, radicals, and fighters for social justice.

Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America

Film. Directed by Eduardo López & Peter Getzels. 2012. 90 minutes.
Documentary that examines the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today.

A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America

Book — Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff. 2012. 368 pages.
An adaptation for young readers of the classic multicultural history of the United States, A Different Mirror.

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba

Book — Fiction. By Margarita Engle. 2009. 208 pages.
Daniel has escaped Nazi Germany and must make his way in Cuba once New York turns away his ship full of refugees.

Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act

Website. Primary documents, historical background, and more on the Chinese Exclusion Act and the history of Chinese American struggles for civil rights.

Bread and Roses, Too

Book — Fiction. By Katherine Paterson. 2006. 275 pages.
Moving young adult historical-fiction novel based on a major strike in Lawrence, Mass., in 1912.

Aug. 6, 1855: Bloody Monday

On election day, in Louisville, Kentucky, Protestant mobs attacked German and Irish Catholic neighborhoods.

The citizens breaking down the door of the parish prison with the beam.

March 14, 1891: 11 Italians Lynched in New Orleans

A mob lynched 11 Italians in New Orleans for the killing of the New Orleans police chief.

Street scene woodcut | Zinn Education Project

Teaching Sacrifice Zones

Teaching Activity. By Rosemarie Frascella. Rethinking Schools.
Our extractive fossil fuel-based economy has always demanded that some people’s homes and health be sacrificed for the benefit of more privileged and powerful others. This article explores how one teacher engages her students in thinking about how “sacrifice zones” play out in their lives.