Asian America

Create a WPA-inspired poster based on one or more current economic or political issues in the U.S.

Objective : Students will explore Chiura Obata’s artwork as an introduction to political art during the WWII era. They will further consider the experiences of Japanese Americans during incarceration, before creating their own political art.

To understand the contributions of Korean American soldiers during World War II.

Lesson: Students will 1) become familiar with Wong’s artistic style and recognize how an artist can have many influences and sources of inspiration; 2) use compare-contrast skills in discussing artwork from different cultural contexts; and 3) practice online research skills, presentation skills, and working in groups.

Lesson: Wong’s memoirs—Fifth Chinese Daughter (1950) and No Chinese Stranger (1975)—offer students many opportunities to examine issues related to Asian American identity, history, art, and storytelling.  Depending on how much time you have, you can assign one or both books or specific passages; no matter the length of the reading, Wong’s stories and reflections lend themselves to provocative discussions.

Lesson: Students will 1) learn some of the hallmarks of Wong’s ceramics and enamels; 2) gain a general understanding of the ceramics- and enamel-making processes; and 3) understand some of the scientific processes involved in art.

Lesson: Watch and discuss the film Jade Snow Wong to understand the cultural conflicts experienced by Chinese American women during the 1930s-40s and how similar tensions still exist today.

Lesson: Students will 1) understand how Wong was viewed by her community as a rebel in her choice of career and in her artistic style; 2) practice using compare/contrast skills to identify the hallmarks of art from the Qing and Song dynasties, to understand how Wong’s work was initially judged; and 3) hone discussion skills through the use of Project Zero’s Artful Thinking Routines.