Activity 2: Where Was the First Koreatown and Who Was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho?

Lesson 1: The Korean Diaspora and Korean Americans

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 2: Where Was the First Koreatown and Who Was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho?
  4. Assessments
  5. Extension: Civic Engagement Support

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 3.1: Who is Sammy Lee? What was the Immigrant Experience of his Family?
  4. Activity 3.2: How did U.S. Immigration Laws shape Sammy Lee’s Life?
  5. Assessments
  6. Extension: Literature and Writing Extension: Book Reviews and Storytelling

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 4.1: How was the Korean Independence Movement Impacted by Wilson’s Fourteen Points?
  4. Activity 4.2: How did the Korean Independence Movement shape and become shaped by Formation of the Korean American Identity in the United States?
  5. Assessments
  6. Extension: Writing Extensions

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 5.1: Who was the First Asian American to Command a U.S. Battalion?
  4. ​Activity 5.2: How is Colonel Young Oak Kim an Unsung Hero?
  5. Assessment & Extensions:: Argumentative Essay

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 6.1: Aftermath of the Korean War
  4. Activity 6.2: ​Korean War Orphans
  5. Activity 6.3: ​Experiences of Korean Transnational Adoptees
  6. Assessment
  7. Extensions

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 7.1: A Cry for Justice
  4. Activity 7.2: Experiences of Korean Americans during the 1992 LA Civil Unrest
  5. Activity 7.3: The Legacy of Saigu
  6. Assessment
  7. Extention: Research Project
  8. Extention: Research Project Supplemental

  1. Teacher Guide
  2. Alignment with California Content Standards
  3. Activity 8.1: Hallyu and K-Pop: A Global Phenomenon
  4. Activity 8.2: Oscar Winners: A Closer Look at Minari
  5. Activity 8.3: Korean Americans Past, Present, and Future
  6. Music Video Resources
  7. Assessment & Extension

​Activity 2: ​Where Was the First Koreatown and Who Was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho?

  Students explore the life of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, his immigration to the United States, and his life as an activist and community builder. They examine how the first Koreatown was established in Riverside, California, and compare the experiences of Korean, Mexican, and women citrus pickers and packers. They identify Dosan’s contributions to the United  States and Korea and consider ways to make contributions of their own.

Dosan Ahn Chang Ho picking oranges in Southern California circa 1910 (Source: Wikipedia)

Activity Questions

  • What were the characteristics of the first Koreatown in Riverside, California?
  • Who was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho?
  • What was life like for immigrant and women workers in the early California citrus industry?
  • What contributions did he make to California and to the United States?
  • What contributions did he make to the Korean American community?
  • What contributions did he make to Korea?
  • What can we contribute to the immigrant community like Korean American community, California, the United States, and the world?​

Instructional Strategies

  • To support these activities, use the Lesson 2 Presentation.

​Introduction

  • Introduce the lesson using the first slide of Lesson 2.  Help students identify Riverside, California as the location of the statue.

Introduction to Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and the First Koreatown

  • Review the slides about Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and Pachappa Camp. (As a special treat, bring in quarters of navel oranges to share with students.)

Activity: Similarities and Differences

  • Divide students into groups of 3 or 6 and assign each member (or pair of members) one of the three articles (Pachappa Camp, A Woman’s View, and The Roots of Inequality).
  • Have students read the articles and complete the Activity 2 Article Analysis Worksheet.
  • When lists are complete, have students regroup and create a 3-circle Venn Diagram of similarities and differences between experiences of the three groups of immigrants-Koreans, Mexicans, and women of color.
  • Share and discuss findings.

Dosan’s Support of Korean Independence

  • Review the remaining slides in Lesson 2.  Take time to explain that Korea was under the control of Japan and that Dosan was fighting for Korean Independence.

Quick-Writes Activity

  • Provide students with the following prompt and allow them five minutes to Quick-write their response. Call on student volunteers to share their reflections.
    • There are many U.S. memorials of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho. Write for 5 minutes about why he is so revered in the United States and Korea. Use these questions to guide your response:
      • Who was Dosan Ahn Chang Ho?
      • What contributions did he make to California?
      • What contributions did he make to the Korean American community?
      • What contributions did he make to Korea?

Closing Activity

  • End class by having some students share their Quick-Writes about Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and his contributions to California, the United States, the Korean American community, and Korea?
  • Pose the question: What could we contribute to the immigrant community like Korean American community, California, the United States, and the world?
  • Have this lead into the Summative Assessment for Lesson 2. See Lesson 2 Civic Engagement/Service Learning Extension for resources.

Resources

  • Lesson 2 Teachers’ Guide and Lesson 2 Presentation are found under Lesson 2 Overview.
  • Article on Pachappa Camp
  • Article on Roots of Inequality
  • Article on A Woman’s View
  • Activity 2 Article Analysis
  • Additional resources are found under Lesson 2 Overview, Activity 2, Lesson 2 Videos, Lesson 2 Assessments, and Civic Engagement Support.

Article: A Woman’s World (PDF)

Article: Roots of Inequality (PDF)

Article: Pachappa Camp (PDF)

Article Analysis Worksheet (PDF)