Chinese fishing village—Monterey. c1907. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/96525715/.
The lesson begins with students performing a close visual analysis of the primary source photograph, Chinese fishing village—Monterey, California. Students will make and justify inferences about the community’s location, demographics, and daily life. Next, they’ll work in groups to analyze two secondary source articles using a three-column chart to record key details, identify major themes, and formulate discussion questions. This structured inquiry will help students build historical context and find evidence of both the community’s contributions to marine biology and the anti-immigrant sentiment it faced. The lesson culminates in a Socratic discussion in which students synthesize evidence from all sources to explore the complex legacy of the Point Alones village and the significance of the city’s modern apology.
Point Alones Chinese fishing village, founded by Chinese immigrants in the 1850s, was the largest Chinese fishing settlement in California, and members of this community were the first to recognize the potential for commercial fishing in Monterey Bay. After decades of exclusionary and racist policies denied Chinese immigrants and Chinese American citizens fair access to the American Dream, the village burned to the ground in a suspicious fire in 1906, forcing families to scatter across the state.
Source: https://seaside.stanford.edu/point-alones-chinese-fishing-village-0
- Look at the primary source. What do you notice about the photograph?
- What do you notice about the location of the structures, and why might there be desire to build here?
- Who might have lived here, and what do you imagine it would have been like to live here? What makes you think that?
ELA Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Social Studies Standard
HSS Standard 11.4.3. Discuss immigration and migration to California between 1850 and 1900, including the diverse composition of those who came; the countries of origin and their relative locations; and conflicts and accords among the diverse groups (e.g., the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act).
Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world.
- Begin the lesson by displaying the photograph of the Point Alones Chinese fishing village without providing the title. Ask students to observe the image silently for a few moments and jot their notes on a sticky note.
- Explain that this is a historical photograph of the Point Alones Chinese fishing village that was located in Monterey Bay and share any of the contextual information provided above.
- Divide students into groups of four, giving each group a copy of the photograph and the following articles:
- Article 1: Point Alones Chinese fishing village
- Beginning through “The Fishing and Drying of Squid” to learn about the Chinese fishing village and skim the “QUOCK TUCK LEE” section through “Hagfish” to learn about contributions to marine biology
- Article 2: A Chinese fishing village burned down in Monterey in 1906. Now, it’s being remembered
- Article 1: Point Alones Chinese fishing village
- Direct students to divide the reading amongst themselves and take notes on their article using a three-column chart with columns titled Article 1, Article 2, Questions for Discussion. During reading, partners take notes on the central ideas of the articles and then share their notes with their group members when finished. As a group, students should create three questions for discussion based on the readings.
- Once groups have finished the readings and questions, bring the class together for a Socratic seminar focusing first on student-developed questions.
- When conversation has died down, move into a discussion focusing on the following questions:
- How do the sources, when viewed together, shape our understanding of the term “American identity” in the early 20th century, particularly for immigrants?
- Analyze the legacy of the Point Alones village. Based on the evidence, was the fire primarily an act of racial hatred or economic opportunism, and why is that distinction important?
- To what extent does the modern act of “remembrance” and reconciliation effectively atone for historical injustices, and do you believe it is necessary?
- Quickwrite: Have students individually respond to one of the essential questions in a brief analytical essay. Their response should synthesize evidence from at least two of the three sources (the photograph and the two articles) to support their argument.
- The quickwrite should demonstrate their ability to cite strong textual evidence and analyze the nuanced complexities of the historical event.
Highsmith, Carol M. Mural of two Chinese fishermen on McAbee Beach, Monterey Bay, California. 2012. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2013632034/.