Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn in conversation with Kristi Livingston for Exclusion and the Chinese American Story
Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, but Chinese American history extends far beyond the railroads. Here's the true story of America, from the Chinese American perspective.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Join us in welcoming educator, speaker, coach and author Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn for her debut children's story Exclusion and the Chinese American Story (Race to the Truth), Tuesday, March 26th at 5:00PM at Square Books Jr. Blackburn will be in conversation with Educational Consultant and UM Department of Education instructor Kristi Livingston.
Reserve a signed copy here. Personalization available.
About the Book
If you've learned about the history of Chinese people in America, it was probably about their work on the railroads in the 1800s. But more likely, you may not have learned about it at all. This may make it feel like Chinese immigration is a newer part of this country, but some scholars believe the first immigrant arrived from China 499 CE--one thousand years before Columbus did!
When immigration picked up in the mid-1800s, efforts to ban immigrants from China began swiftly. But hope, strength, and community allowed the Chinese population in America to flourish. From the gold rush and railroads to entrepreneurs, animators, and movie stars, this is the true story of the Chinese American experience.
About the Author
Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn is an educator, speaker and professional learning facilitator. She was born in Bangkok, Thailand into a mixed-race Malaysian Chinese and white American family. A classic “third culture kid,” she grew up moving between various East and Southeast Asian countries and the Washington DC area. Sarah moved to the Deep South in 2009, and she has now lived there longer than anywhere else. Her experiences first as a classroom teacher and then as a teacher educator inform her beliefs about the role that education can and must play in the realization of social justice.
She owes very much to her ancestors.
Sarah spent most of her years in the classroom teaching third and fourth grade. As a professional trainer, Sarah’s areas of focus have included workplace cultures, leadership skills, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Sarah has an M.A. in Social Justice and Education from University College London’s Institute of Education. Her doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University explored strategies for retaining rural educators, and her Ed.D. specialization was Instructional Design in Online Teaching and Learning. She is based out of Oxford, Mississippi.
About the Conversation Partner
Kristina Livingston is an Educational Services Consultant with CORE. She has extensive experience working with students in grades K-6 as well as training and coaching both preservice and in-service educators in the field of literacy. Kristina currently serves as an adjunct instructor for the University of Mississippi where she works closely with preservice educators as they learn about implementing key practices to support literacy achievement in all students. Prior to her work as an instructor, Kristina spent several years leading professional development and serving as a literacy coach for the Mississippi Department of Education. Before that, she spent several years as an intervention specialist supporting struggling readers in a high-needs K-6 school. Kristina earned her Ed.D. from the University of Mississippi and holds a National Board Certification in the area of literacy. She not only has deep knowledge of pedagogy, but is well-studied in the art of andragogy, or adult education, and has provided hundreds of hours of engaging professional development over the last several years focusing on modeling and application of new concepts.
At Kristi’s core, she believes that every child deserves the best educational experience possible and that every teacher deserves the materials and support to help make that happen.
Praise for Exclusion and the Chinese American Story
"Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality." —Kirkus Reviews
Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, but Chinese American history extends far beyond the railroads. Here's the true story of America, from the Chinese American perspective.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection