On April 14th, 2025, SAAPRI Executive Director Shobhana Verma and Education Consultant Julie Thomas Achettu shared SAAPRI’s Oral History Project and curriculum, offering educators valuable tools to teach South Asian American history and create inclusive classrooms. The SAAPRI exhibit “Memories and Milestones” showcases the journey of South Asians who came to Illinois between 1945 and 1965. We have not only documented but eagerly shared about the history of South Asian immigration to Illinois in the pre-civil rights era and how they were affected by issues of race, gender, and homeland politics.
Since the enactment of the TEAACH Act in Illinois, history educators have been actively expanding their knowledge and engaging in professional development to bring historically overlooked narratives into the classroom. This was another valuable opportunity: an AANHPI professional development workshop for Illinois educators, hosted by the Field Museum in partnership with SAAPRI and Duty to Country. Attendees learned about the Oral History Project Instruction Guide as well as the 3 Day Workshop, a comprehensive resource for educators, aimed at equipping them to effectively prepare and engage their students.
Partner: Field Museum
- Access the Oral History project Instruction Guide here