Interrogating Identity and Social Contexts Through “Critical Family History”

Abstract

Tracing one's family genealogy is a complex process that requires situating a family's narratives within a historical context. This article reviews the use of critical family history research in an undergraduate Asian American studies course to examine not only the diversity and experiences of Asian Americans but also the unspoken narratives that lead to the creation of a single story. We are told single stories that often neglect the sociocultural factors—the historical reality—of our past. Our family histories are constructed historically and are embedded in social, political, and economic processes and relationships. This article argues that we need to complicate what we know about our past and examine policies and cultural practices that lead to a racialized system of power and privilege, racialized policies, and racialized oppression and progression.

Notes

¹ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

² http://christinesleeter.org/critical-family-history/

³ http://historyandfamily.blogspot.com

⁴ For guidance in mining census data to explore discrimination in access to employment, see http://historyandfamily.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/race-and-employment-mining-census-data.html.