The Chinese Historical Society of America offers educators classroom resources that they can use before, during, or after their visit to the museum.

The curriculum guide listed below contain resources related to Chinese American Exclusion/Inclusion, Challenging a White-Washed History: Chinese Laundries in the U.S. Curriculum Guide or Towards Equality: California’s Chinese American Women

Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion Curriculum Guide

Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion Curriculum Guide

These classroom materials provide an abundance of information for educators who are teaching about immigration policies, the Chinese American experience, or the Chinese Exclusion laws. Here are some helpful tips in regards to navigating this resource.

This classroom material guide is divided into topics:

• The “Chinese Question” (from 1784- 1882) starts on page 14
• The Exclusion Period (from 1882-1943) starts on page 21
• A Journey of Unforgetting (from 1943- present) starts on page 28
• To access the printable resources (photographs, painting reproductions, letters, etc.) go to page 89.

The Table of Content titles within the pdf are all clickable. To access a particular section, click on the the title and it will jump straight to the page.

Challenging a White-Washed History

Chinese Laundries in the U.S. Curriculum Guide

The following materials were created by Professor Russell Jeung and his graduate students in Asian American Studies 865 at San Francisco State University, to support teachers who want to incorporate the history and impact of Chinese laundries into a Social Studies, U.S. History, or Ethnic Studies curriculum. The teaching resources below grew out of the research, interviews, and writing that Prof. Jeung’s class contributed to Challenging a White-Washed History: Chinese Laundries in the U.S., an exhibit at the Chinese Historical Society of America that opened in May of 2025.

The curriculum guide includes the following sections:

1. General Overview
2. The Lived Experiences of Chinese Laundry Workers
3. Representations and Stereotypes of Chinese Laundry Workers
4. Anti-Chinese Laundry Legislation and Yick Wo v. Hopkins
5. Collective Resistance by the Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance

Towards Equality: California’s Chinese American Women Curriculum Guide

CHSA’s new exhibition Towards Equality: California’s Chinese American Women highlights their accomplishments in education, politics, finance, business, and their pivotal role as matriarchs. Our companion curriculum guide meets Common Core State Standards for K-12 educators. Lesson plans will help teachers integrate Chinese American women into their lessons.

Other resources for exploring Chinatown:

Based on information from San Francisco Chinatown: A Guide to Its History and Architecture (2012) by Philip Choy

Chinatown Architecture Walking Tour Map

A map featuring nine renowned San Francisco Chinatown establishments and their culinary legacy to the Chinese American community.

The Local Food History of San Francisco Chinatown

Please use this citation in your bibliography: “Chinatown Rising: Since the Quake. San Francisco, CA: Chinese Historical Society of America, 2006.” Images are from Judy Yung’s San Francisco’s Chinatown. Timeline researched and created by Him Mark Lai and Philip Choy.

Historical timeline of San Francisco’s Chinatown from 1906-2006

Other resources from the Him Mark Lai digital archive:

Him Mark Lai Biographies

Roots Program Lecture Notes

Speeches & Lectures

Please click this link for more details about digital archive.