Teaching the U.S. civil rights movement and its legacy in Taiwan: an exploration of racial awareness in a Taiwanese high school class

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyzes a Taiwanese learning experience about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, launching an educational project with 18 Taiwanese high school students to discuss their understanding of race, racism, and social justice. The rationale of analyzing the student participants’ comments rests on critical race theory. After analysis, this study found that Han ethnocentrism functions as a hidden identity and value system to influence the student participants to respond to racial issues. Han ethnocentrism caused the participants focusing on the racial experiences in Han groups and narrowed their understandings to the world. However, the result of this research also indicated that with a proper introduction, participants were willing and capable of developing racial sensitivity and affirmative attitudes about social justice toward minorities in Taiwan, such as Taiwanese Aboriginals and Southeast Asian migrant workers.