Defining “Asian American” Is Complicated —Who Gets Left Behind?

Open Ended

Can you think of a time in a book, movie, or real life where someone was misunderstood because of where they came from?

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of the article so far?

• The term “Asian American” is clearly defined and includes all Asian cultures equally.

• The definition of “Asian American” is complex and can sometimes blur cultural differences.

• The term “Asian American” only refers to people from China, Japan, and Korea.

• Most people agree on who is considered Asian American, and that it is very easy umbrella term to understand.

Multiple Choice

What challenge do South Asian Americans face regarding identity?

• Some people do not recognize them as part of the Asian American identity.

• They are the only Asian group that has no cultural representation in the U.S.

• They are not allowed to use the term “Asian American” for legal reasons.

• Their cultures are more widely recognized than other Asian groups.

Multiple Choice

What does the term “umbrella term” mean in the context of this article?

• A term that groups multiple things together, sometimes oversimplifying them.

• A word that only applies to one specific group of people, and doesn't consider any of the other types of people.

• A label that no longer has any meaning.

• new term that was recently created for modern conversations.

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 1 and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 10 to support their purpose?

• By comparing different Asian American groups to show that the "Asian American" label can be misleading

• By listing successful Asian American groups to prove that all Asians are wealthy, and that they should be considered to be the top percent of society.

• By providing a step-by-step explanation of how Asian Americans achieve financial success

• By arguing that the term “Asian American” should no longer be used in society

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 11 and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 11 to support their purpose?

• By contrasting different reasons for immigration to show that the “Asian American” label oversimplifies diverse experiences

• By listing all the reasons why Asian Americans immigrate to the U.S., and that there are many reasons that forced them to relocate from one place to another.

• By providing a chronological timeline of Asian immigration to the U.S.

• By arguing that refugees should not be considered part of the Asian American identity

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 12 and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 12 to support their purpose?

• By comparing the recognition of different Asian American groups to highlight how some are more visible than others

• By listing all the Asian American groups in the U.S., and highlighting all the different Asian American groups that should be listed under the umbrella term.

• By providing historical context about Vietnamese immigration to the U.S.

• By arguing that only Vietnamese Americans should be considered part of the Asian American identity

Open Ended

Re-read paragraphs 1-3 with your partner and answer the open ended question.
Why is immigration history important to consider when defining “Asian American”?
STEM: Immigration history is important to consider when defining "Asian American", because _.

Multiple Choice

Which definition best matches the way refugee is used in paragraph 11?

• A person who moves to another country for better job opportunities.

• A person who leaves their home country due to war, persecution, or disaster.

• A visitor staying temporarily in a foreign country.

• A person traveling for leisure or study abroad.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 10, why does the author compare the incomes of Burmese and Indian Americans?

• To suggest that Asian Americans all share the same financial struggles

• To highlight the economic diversity within the Asian American community 

• To argue that Indian Americans earn more due to discrimination

• To support the idea that all Asian Americans are economically successful

Fill in the Blanks

In recent years, acronyms like AAPI, standing for _____ ________ and _______ _______, have become more commonplace.

Fill in the Blanks

They're an attempt to bring more Asian Americans into the conversation, said ______ ______, an associate political science professor at Drew University.

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 14 and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 14 to support their purpose?

• By emphasizing that the issue is not just about terminology but about representation within the Asian American community

• By listing new terms that should replace "Asian American"

• By providing a chronological history of how the term "Asian American" has evolved

• By arguing that only Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans should be included in discussions about Asian identity

Multiple Choice

Why does the author include Mishra’s perspective in paragraph 14?

• To show that language does not matter

• To argue against using the term “Asian American"

• To highlight the limitations of focusing only on terminology 

• To emphasize that all Asian groups agree on their identity

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 15 independently and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 15 to support their purpose?

• By explaining how unity among Asian Americans helps them reflect on their connections with other minority groups

• By listing different minority groups that Asian Americans should work with

• By providing a historical timeline of Asian American activism, and how there has been little to no change since they started the Asian American movement.

• By arguing that Asian Americans should not associate with other minority groups

Fill in the Blanks

Marcus Magsayo is a 20-year-old Filipino American college student. He organized an event with a Filipino caramel dessert called _____ ____.

Fill in the Blanks

There, he learned that his

friends also eat a version of it.

Multiple Choice

There, he learned that his ______ friends also eat a version of it.

• Latino

• Hispanic

• Asian

• European

Fill in the Blanks

Spain ruled over both the Philippines and almost all of Latin America for more than 300 years, so Filipino and _____ ________ food have some things in common.

Fill in the Blanks

This connection Magsayo found through food was an opportunity to build ties between Latino and Asian American

, he said.

Multiple Choice

Read paragraph 17 independently and answer the MC question.

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 17 to support their purpose?

• By acknowledging differences among Asian Americans while emphasizing a shared experience of being a minority in the U.S.

• By listing the different languages spoken by Asian American groups to show their diversity, and how these languages have been oversimplified over time.

• By arguing that Asian Americans do not have anything in common.

• By providing a step-by-step explanation of how Asian Americans should unify.

Multiple Choice

Why does the author mention the lack of a shared language in paragraph 17?

• To argue that language is the most important part of identity

• To highlight a challenge in uniting Asian Americans

• To show that Asian Americans are all the same

• To suggest that language determines culture

Open Ended

SCR - What can the reader conclude about the challenges of Asian American effort to have unity?

STEMS:
Different Asian ethnic groups have _.

Despite these _.

The text structure _.