Life in Refugee Camps - Resettlement Obstacles and Resilience

Home
Areas of Study
Implementation
Conceptual Approaches
About
Search
Overview

Download Lesson

🖨️ Lesson

Life in Refugee Camps - Resettlement Obstacles and Resilience

Philippines refugee processing center bus

Author: Jacob Lê, Bryan Hoàng
Grades: 10-12

Suggested Amount of Time: 60 - 80 Minutes
Area of Study: Vietnamese Departures and Transit

Compelling Question
  • How did Vietnamese build communities and networks in refugee and relocation camps as they attempted to survive and traverse the hardships of life in transit?
Lesson Questions
  • What were some of the difficulties that second wave Vietnamese refugees faced during their time in first asylum countries?
  • What were the two main types of refugee camps during this time period and how did their policies differ? 
  • What were some ways in which refugees responded to their difficult circumstances? 
Lesson Objective

Students will understand the various names for Cambodia, the country, its people, and its language, and examine how these reflect historical circumstances.

Lesson Background

Vietnamese immigration following the Vietnam War is often described as having occurred in three waves. First wave immigrants refer to those refugees who fled on or immediately after April 30, 1975. These people were typically ranking members of the Vietnamese military or government or people with close ties to the American forces. Second wave immigrants are refugees who escaped in the aftermath, typically on boats, heading toward nearby countries for asylum. These second wave immigrants are often referred to as the boat people. Third wave refugees often refer to immigrants during the 1980s and 1990s who immigrated via airplane or other established methods. There are fewer refugees in this group and more children of servicemen, relatives of previous refugees, and political prisoners. 

Image Citation: Philippine refugee processing center bus. (1990). https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb7489p0c0/?brand=oac4

Ethnic Studies Themes

This lesson connects to the ethnic studies theme of power and oppression from the Asian American Studies Curriculum Framework (Asian American Research Initiative, 2022). Students will consider war, migration and imperialism as contexts shaping citizenship and racialization. Teachers can enhance this lesson by reminding students how life in the refugee camps can highlight the agency and resilience of Vietnamese refugees through multiple systems of oppression, including in Vietnam, the complex immigration/refugee processing process, and later barriers to resettlement in America.

For additional guidance around ethnic studies implementation, refer to the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (2021) https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp.

Historical Thinking Skills

This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in continuity and change, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). To consolidate and express understandings about continuity and change. Students consider how change is a process, with varying paces and patterns. Turning points are moments when the process of change shifts in direction or pace.

Supplies
  • Access to laptop device
  • “Still Lives” Collection
Readings
  • Primary Source Set A: Bataan Refugee Processing Center
  • Primary Source Set B: Whitehead Refugee Detention Center
Handouts 
  • Primary Source Analysis Tool
  1. Warm-Up (five minutes)
    1. Prompt students to think about how they typically overcome challenges. Teachers can provide examples such as confiding in close friends or family, journaling, listening to music, breathing exercises. 
    2. Allow students to share strategies with their peers and have a whole class share out.
    3. Inform students of lesson objectives and lesson questions. 
  2. Introduction (5–10 minutes)
    1. Allow students to browse Veronique Saunier’s “Still Lives” Collection (see: https://calisphere.org/collections/26654/?q=&sort=a&start=24). Students are to choose one photo that stands out to them. Have students respond to the following questions:
      1. What do you notice about the image?
      2. Why do you think the artist created this collection? 
      3. What emotions are evoked in the image and what experiences do you think led them to these emotions?
  3. Direct Instruction/ Building Background (10–15 minutes)
    1. Review the journey of second wave Vietnamese refugees, also known as the boat people, following the Fall of Sài Gòn in April 1975, including the following key topics: 
      1. Second wave refugees fled primarily via boats, often small and overcrowded fishing vessels, and left to find refuge in neighboring countries. 
      2. The neighboring countries that harbored boat people were called first asylum countries, and were intended as their first stop on their journey to find a new life. 
      3. The boat people’s journey was dangerous, and filled with dangers ranging from weather conditions, pirates, starvation, etc. 
      4. First asylum nations welcomed refugees at first, but over time, policies changed. 
      5. There were two main types of camps: Refugee Processing Centers or Closed Camp/Refugee Detention Centers 
        1. Processing centers were intermediate, temporary locations for refugees to rehabilitate, learn new skills, and get ready to start lives in their new homes.  
        2. Closed Camp/Detention centers detained refugees for indefinite amounts of time, often in poor conditions.
      6. International aid, namely from the US, Canada, Australia, some European and Southeast Asian countries, and the United Nations, helped to fund and facilitate the resettlement, and rehabilitation of refugees. 
  4. Interaction with Source Set A: Bataan Refugee Processing Center (15 minutes)
    1. Suggested Primary Source Analysis Tool:  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/8hl7mu9x53yvlt2f6iz6wfrxx5ya0dwa
      1. Sourced from: https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/documents/Primary_Source_Analysis_Tool_LOC.pdf . 
      2. Model the use of the tool and analysis of sources as necessary for Source Set A.
    2. Primary Source Set A 
      1. ID-81-27 Construction and Operation of the Refugee Processing Center, https://ucdavis.box.com/s/9t6nn4e0i76wrjznzwurq4ylu8aye20w (1–2) 
        1. Sourced from https://www.gao.gov/assets/id-81-27.pdf  in Bataan, the Philippines 
      2. Philippine refugee processing center bus — Calisphere,  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/5yd774iynos0hz0kztg97r8u4uvlgcr7
        1. Sourced from https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb7489p0c0/   
      3. Umbrellas — Calisphere, https://ucdavis.box.com/s/2h2mz3rwrroyx4lgay40g41ex29ekphm  
        1. Sourced from https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb567nb2xk/   
      4. Philippine refugee processing center — Calisphere, https://ucdavis.box.com/s/d32otbikew1yepdnccvf5upf1yeltdav 
        1. Sourced from:https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb5s20069t/ 
  5. Interaction with Source Set B: Whitehead Refugee Detention Center (15 - 20 minutes)
    1. Now that the teacher has modeled the use of the primary analysis tool, students will complete Source Set B independently or with a partner.
      1. Hong Kong - Human Rights Watch Report, https://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/hngkng2/Hongkong-02.htm 
      2. Protest by Vietnamese boat people at Hong Kong detention camp,  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/qgt1g9k5rt4oeqn78z4eomuewfyc9o4d 
        1. Sourced from https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb4f59n8hh/?brand=oac4 
      3. HKFP History: A brief history of Hong Kong's notorious Whitehead refugee detention centre, https://hongkongfp.com/2017/01/01/hkfp-history-brief-history-hong-kongs-notorious-whitehead-refugee-detention-centre/ 
  6. Cultural Production (25 minutes)
    1. Students will choose from one of the following assessment options: 
      1. Respond to the three lesson questions and support their answers with evidence from the sources. Lesson assessment can be differentiated in allowing students to use multiple mediums (short response, art, recording, poetry) to answer the questions. The final product can be open to a written, visual, or audio narrative. 
      2. Use a thinking map of their choosing to organize their thoughts regarding similarities and differences between the two types of camps studied in the lesson (i.e: venn diagram, tree map)
      3. Draw their own interpretation of one of the camps discussed in the lesson, making sure to include at least three key details or characteristics about the camps they learned from the lesson.
    2. Teacher can provide the following guiding questions to help them with their chosen assessment method:
      1. What were some of the difficulties that second wave Vietnamese refugees faced during their time in first asylum countries?
      2. What were the two main types of refugee camps during this time period and how did their policies differ?
      3. What were some ways in which refugees responded to their difficult circumstances?
      4. How are they reflected in the teaching thesis and tasks required to meet the objectives?

Students will choose from one of the following assessment options: 

  • Respond to the three lesson questions and support their answers with evidence from the sources. Lesson assessment can be differentiated in allowing students to use multiple mediums (short response, art, recording, poetry) to answer the questions.
  • Use a thinking map of their choosing to organize their thoughts regarding similarities and differences between the two types of camps studied in the lesson. 
  • Draw their own interpretation of one of the camps discussed in the lesson, making sure to include at least three key details or characteristics about the camps they learned from the lesson.
  • Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:
    • Allow learners to participate in the design of classroom activities and academic tasks 
  • Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:
    • Make explicit links between information provided in texts and any accompanying representation of that information in illustrations, equations, charts, or diagrams 
    • Use advanced organizers (e.g., KWL methods, concept maps) 
  • Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:
    • Provide models or examples of the process and product of goal-setting

 

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST, 2018 http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

  • Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:
    • Reading: Preview the text content with pictures, videos, demos, charts, or experiences 
  • Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:
    • Reading: Teach skimming for specific information 
  • Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:
    • Reading: Use Reciprocal Teaching to scaffold independent reading 

 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. Proposal - Students can work independently or collaboratively to create a proposal for a new public policy to provide social welfare services to refugees. This public policy should be aimed at the betterment of living situations and circumstances to Vietnamese refugees. The policy can fall under the category of healthcare, empowerment, housing, or other. Encourage students to not duplicate pre-existing policies and programs, and to think outside the box. They can use the struggles and obstacles as a consideration point in creating their proposed services. Upon completion, students can present their new policy in a short sales pitch to groups or the whole class. 

 

  1. Rewrite History - Ask students to consider the learnings of this lesson and challenge them to think about how they would rewrite the experiences and stories of the Vietnamese refugees. In a one to two page narrative, have students reconstruct the life of a Vietnamese refugee at one of these campsites. In a first person narrative, they can fictionalize their positive experiences in the resettlement process. Once complete, students can share their fictional narratives and students can vote for which one had the greatest impact on changing the lives of the Vietnamese refugees.

American Initiative. 2022. Asian American Studies K-12 Framework.  https://asianamericanresearchinitiative.org/asian-american-studies-curriculum-framework/ 

Ánh, P. 2005, October 4. Cuốn sách hình "Những Người Bị Lãng Quên". Radio Free Asia. 

Britt, K. 2020, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents.  https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/

California Department of Education. 2021. Ethnic studies model curriculum. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp 

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework

CAST. 2018. The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Fasick, J.K. 1981. “Construction and Operation of the Refugee Processing Center in Bataan, the Philippines.” Letter addressed to The Honorable Peter W. Rodino, Jr. Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives. United States General Accounting Office. 

HKFP History: A brief history of Hong Kong's notorious Whitehead refugee detention centre,  https://hongkongfp.com/2017/01/01/hkfp-history-brief-history-hong-kongs-notorious-whitehead-refugee-detention-centre/  

Hong Kong Free Press. 2020, March 31. HKFP History: A brief history of Hong Kong’s notorious Whitehead refugee detention centre. Hong Kong Free Press. https://hongkongfp.com/2017/01/01/hkfp-history-brief-history-hong-kongs-notorious-whitehead-refugee-detention-centre/ 

Human Rights Watch. 1997. III. Detention. Hongkong: Abuses against Vietnamese Asylum Seekers. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/hngkng2/Hongkong-02.htm  

Primary Source Analysis Tool. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/documents/Primary_Source_Analysis_Tool_LOC.pdf 

Project Ngọc. 1990. Philippine refugee processing center [Photo]. Calisphere, UCI Southeast Asian Archives. https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb5s20069t/ 

Project Ngọc. 1990. Philippine refugee processing center bus [Photo]. Calisphere, UCI Southeast Asian Archives.  https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb7489p0c0/ 

Project Ngọc. 1990. Umbrellas [Photo]. Calisphere, UCI Southeast Asian Archives.  https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb567nb2xk/ 

ID-81-27 Construction and Operation of the Refugee Processing Center in Bataan, the Philippines,  https://www.gao.gov/assets/id-81-27.pdf  (1-2) 

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding.  https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding  

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Trần, Paul. (n.d.). Protest by Vietnamese boat people at Hong Kong detention camp [Photo]. Online Archive of California. UCI Southeast Asian Archives. https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb4f59n8hh/?brand=oac4 

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

Veronique Saunier’s “Still Lives” Collection. (n.d.). Calisphere. Retrieved October 13, 2023.  https://calisphere.org/collections/26654/?q=&sort=a&start=24 

Model Curriculum

Vietnamese American Experiences

Standard(s)

HSS 11.11 RI.11-12.7 W.11-12.8

Grade(s)

Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12