Reference Library

Welcome to Our Reference Library

For selected resources on Modern China, US-China Relations, and the Asian American Experience for Educators, Students and the General Public

The 1990 Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, develops and implements programs to promote cross-cultural understanding. This library contains references to selected educational resources available on the Internet.

We welcome anyone interested in learning more about the fascinating and complex stories about the Asian experience in America, what life is really like in China today, and the multi-faceted and nuanced relationship between the United States and China. Although anyone can read and learn from these sources, we have, in particular, also provided materials that are suitable for teaching middle and high school students.

This site is not a comprehensive source, but includes selected media that we feel best explain the subjects at hand and are especially suitable for students and young adults. It also includes all the lectures and lesson plans from our annual China Now for Teachers Program for middle school and high school teachers for the past eight years.

Please go to How to Search for ways on finding things in this library.

This is a work in progress.  We expect to continually add curated resources on an ongoing basis, and we welcome your input. Please contact us at library@1990institute.org for questions, comments, and suggestions of resources  for us to curate.  You can also use the Suggest a Resource form to recommend your resources.

To learn more about the 1990 Institute,  please visit our website.

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Keynote Lectures of our 2020 Teachers Workshop on

“Technology and Humanity”

July 31, 2020

Teachers Workshop Background

Since 2013, the 1990 Institute has provided a two-day summer workshop on contemporary China for 6-12 grade teachers.  Since 2018,  the general public were able to attend the “seminar” sessions of the workshop via live-streaming.  In 2020, the workshop was conducted in partnership with Asia Society Northern California and was completely virtual due to the Covid-19.

Recently Posted

Christmas in China

Is Christmas celebrated in China? This video, produced by the 1990 Institute, will give you some fun details of how Christmas has evolved and is currently celebrated in China!

 

Beyond Shang-Chi: Superheroes, Masculinity, and Asian American Representation

This post is an updated version of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the First Asian Superhero” post and it pushes the discussion on Asian American representation in the media deeper with the addition of the recording of a webinar on the same topic, and reference and teaching materials for 9-12 grade teachers.

 

A Tale of Two Countries

This video in our “China in Perspective” series juxtaposes U.S. data with China data to gain a better understanding of China today. This video puts in perspective a wealthy country like the U.S. and a developing country like China to show that what happens in each country can impact each other and the world.

 

If China were a Country of 100 People

This is a primer for the “China in Perspective” series, providing a general overview of the demographic breakdown of the Chinese population, from wealth distribution to education, to social media and video game usage, and more! 

 

The Rise of China and Asian Americans

The 1990 Institute and the USC U.S.-China Institute presented an engaging conversation on the U.S. government’s response to the rise of China as a superpower and the impact on Asian Americans and America’s global competitiveness.

 

Numbers Don’t Lie? Model Minority explained in 3 minutes

This 1990 Institute video unpacks the Model Minority myth and unveils the diversity of various subgroups that make up the Asian Americans.

 

Call It What It Is – Racism Against Asian Americans

A 1990 Institute Voices, Visibility, and Vision – Lifting the Fog Around China and Asian Americans video series production plus reference materials and teachers resources

 

Chinese Americans: The History You Were Never Told

A 1990 Institute Beyond the Conversation Webinar by StandWithAsians

This webinar was presented by StandWithAsians, a group of volunteers who mobilized Americans to spread awareness, learn, and show support for the Asian American community on March 26, 2021, the anniversary of The Nationality Act of 1790.

 

“Beyond Headlines: Protecting Asian Americans During Violent Times”

A 1990 Institute Beyond the Conversation Webinar

With the backdrop of rising violence against Asian Americans, the 1990 Institute brought together highly respected leaders from the Asian and Black communities to lend perspective and present solutions on how to improve community public safety while underscoring the necessity for allyship among all our communities.

 

“Censored by China, under Attach in US: What’s Next for WeChat  “
by Eileen Guo

While many Chinese-Americans actually agree that WeChat deserved more scrutiny, few believed that Trump’s ban was the right way to go about it.

 

“COVID-19 and Xenophobia Towards Asians“
by Helen Zia

at the 2020 Teachers Workshop conducted by the 1990 Institute and Asia Society of Northern California

 

“Artificial Intelligence and Implicit Bias”
by L. Song Richardson

at the 2020 Teachers Workshop conducted by the 1990 Institute and Asia Society of Northern California