AOL Latino

The American Immigration Law Foundation's Curriculum Center recently hosted the 5^th Annual Washington, D.C. Symposium "Appreciating America's Heritage: Teaching Children about Immigration." Focused on African immigration and community, the symposium featured distinguished speakers from the Smithsonian Institute, the African Immigration and Refugee Foundation, teachers from area K-12 schools and activist/author Mary Williams, founder of the Lost Boys Foundation.

Although the focus was primarily on African migration, the Curriculum Center's mission to promote a better understanding of immigrants and immigration by providing educational resources that inspire people to engage in thoughtful dialogue, creative teaching, and critical thinking was well served. Teachers and community leaders not only learned the history of immigration, immigration curriculum and the immigration experience, but heard firsthand about the lives and experiences of two young African immigrants attending high school in the Washington D.C.

The Curriculum Center at the American Immigration Law Foundation www.ailf.org is a unique clearinghouse of lesson plans, activities, and curriculum that focuses on the theme of immigration. The Curriculum Center works with teachers, principals, and students who are interested in learning more about the history of immigration to the United States, as well as current issues that drive the ever changing landscape of immigration. Most importantly the Curriculum Center showcases the importance of immigrants to our nation because of the amazing contributions so many immigrants have made.

One of the greatest features of the AILF's Curriculum Center is the Exhibit Hall located in Washington, DC. It's the only place in the DC area dedicated to exhibits that tell an immigration story. http://www.ailf.org/pubed/tc_index.asp

Most recently, the Curriculum Center worked with children's author Belle Yang in putting together an exhibition that demonstrates art imitating life-the life of an undocumented immigrant. Her art work which is shown in her book "Hannah is My Name" looks at life as an immigrant through a child's eyes. http://currents.ucsc.edu/04-05/01-10/yang.asp Belle depicted the images on her own experiences, as a young girl who witnessed the stresses of being undocumented and waiting day after day for her green card to arrive-and when it arrived it wasn't even green! Belle is very proud to be a US citizen and carries that message with passion. The reality is that many people who immigrate to the US didn't want to come in the first place, they had to come because they were threatened in their countries of origin, because of what they believe in. Most immigrants believe passionately in freedom like Belle Yang-who never takes her freedom for granted.

To learn more about Belle-check out www.belleyang.com . On Monday, July 16th, 2007, the American Immigration Law Foundation is premiering the highly-anticipated Belle Yang exhibit. The exhibit includes artwork from her two books "Hannah is My Name" and "Baba: A Return to Upon My Father's Shoulders". the exhibit will be on display at the American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall from July 16, 2007 to December 14, 2007. In addition, guests will be able to view the documentary "MY NAME IS BELLE". http://catalog.asianamericanmedia.org/film/276

The American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall is open Monday through Friday from 10am – 5pm and is located on 918 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. For more information, please call (202) 742-5600. The American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall is the only facility in Washington, D.C. devoted exclusively to displaying works of art about our nation's immigrant heritage.

Belle Yang's comic in Washington Post Book World, July 1, 2007 Comic Strip, "Against Forgetting": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/06/29/GR2007062901263.html Article by Marie Arana: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062802211.html