Rescue at Sea: The Plight of the “Boat People”*
Objectives
- Students will gain an understanding of the experiences of refugees from Vietnam through the study of photographs.
- Students will further their knowledge of the experiences of those refugees who left Vietnam by boat through first hand memories of people who now live in the Pacific Northwest.
What You Will Need
- Photos of the refugees who escaped by boat
found in the Portrait Cards section
- Photo Analysis Worksheet found
in the Copy Masters section
- Memories from refugees who escaped
Vietnam by boat student hand-out
- Optional: Websites about the experiences of people who left by boat from Vietnam: http://www.vnbp.org/, http://www.boatpeople.org/, http://multiculturalcanada.ca/vietnamese; destroyersonline.com/usndd/info/whipple.htm
Activity
1) As a class, students will view the photographs of refugees who fled Vietnam via boat (sometimes called “boat people”). Using the graphic organizer, students will independently complete the worksheet.
2) In small groups, students will read memories of those who came by boat or whose family members escaped from Vietnam by boat.
Assessment
Students should be able to discuss how photographs can be used to gain information.
Write an Analytical Paper
Invite students to write an analytical paper to critically examine and to reason about complex issues and concepts related to Vietnamese American history. The analysis should be well developed and supported by examining specific connections between text about the boat people and the photos.
Teacher’s Note on Analytical Writing:
The purpose of the analytical writing is to critically examine and to reason about complex issues and concepts. The analysis should be well developed and supported by examining specific connections between numerous texts and/or within single texts.
* “Boat people” is a term that usually refers to refugees who left Vietnam in boats. The term came into common use during the late 1970s with the mass departure of Vietnamese refugees from Communist-controlled Vietnam, following the Vietnam War. However, because the boat people are frequently a source of controversy in the nation they seek to immigrate to, it is sometimes used in derogatory ways. Inform students why certain terms are used in derogatory manner and how it harms people and our society.