Activity 8.3: Korean Americans Past, Present, and Future

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

Biographical Presentation Peer Review/Scoring Guide (PDF)

Activity 8.3: Korean Americans Past, Present, and Future

    Students explore differences between biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. They conduct research for a biographical presentation and compose their own memoir.

Activity Questions

  • What are differences between biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs?
  • How do memoirs help us understand how individuals develop their Korean American identity?
  • How have movies directed by or starring Koreans and Korean Americans made an international impact?
  • How have Korean Americans contributed to the U.S. and world?
  • How have contributions of Korean Americans influenced your understanding of Korean Americans and their future?

Instructional Strategies

  • Use the Lesson 8: Korean Popular Culture in the United States (Activity 8.3) presentation to support this lesson.

Korean Americans: Past and Present

  • Introduce Susie Woo and provide an overview to the video. Point out that they should recognize (from earlier lessons) some of what Dr. Woo presents. However, Dr. Woo provides a synthesis of the immigration history of Korean Americans and examines their achievements in the last 50 years.
  • View the video (almost 40 minutes).
  • Discuss how Korean American achievements have evolved over the last 50 years.

Notable Korean Americans

  • Review the examples provided of notable Korean Americans (congressmember, scientists, engineers, athletes and writers).
  • Have students brainstorm a list of additional notable Korean Americans and their contributions.

Research Presentation

    • Review the differences between a biography, autobiography, and memoir. Point out that students have encountered biographies and memoirs in previous lessons:
      • Sammy Lee’s Biography: Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds (Lesson 3)
      • Sammy Lee’s Biographical Essay: A Biographical Overview of Dr. Sammy Lee (Lesson 3)
      • Young Oak Kim’s Biography (Lesson 5)
      • Carol Park’s Memoir: Memoir of a Cashier (Lesson 7)
    • Introduce students to the research assignment. Let them know they are going to compose a 10-slide research presentation on a notable Korean American of their choice.
  • Review the Peer Review and Scoring Guide for Biographical Presentation.

Closing Activity

  • End class with review and discussion of the activity questions.

Resources

Notable Korean Americans (PDF)

YouTube Video: Korean Americans Past and Present (29:43)