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Yes. I would love to learn more about my family and its roots and discover many things that I cannot expect from a project like this.

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How do you think history taught in America can be improved?

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What are your views on the current immigration issues in the US?

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How did the Chinese Exclusion Act affected other Asian ethnicities? Did the act just see all Asians as Chinese?

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What would you say to a 1st Generation American where the only history they know of their family is War.

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What did you gain from making this film?

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No, but only because I am already familiar with my own family history. But I hope this inspires others to find their own family history.

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I was familiar with the China Exclusion Act. But I didn’t realize just how much it impacted Chinese people. I was surprised that it was only 2012 that Congress apologized for this horrible act. Shame on them. >:(

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The Story Behind the Film

This film began as a personal journey to search for our family roots so that my daughter would know from where she came. Being of Chinese ancestry, my original thought was that this journey would take us to the Far East to some remote village in China. Instead, it took us to the Deep South and the Mississippi Delta.

We thought we were taking a family vacation to simply find my grandfather and great grandfather's gravesite. Before we knew it, we began to uncover not only the history of our family, but also that of the early Chinese American settlers: an entire community caught between the black and white population. In addition to them dealing with the obvious racism, segregation, loneliness, depression, and financial burdens, they had to do it during a time when Congress enacted the only act in American history that explicitly targeted a specific race; The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

But this story is more than a story of struggle and injustice. We discovered how this community of people found redemption and created new families among strangers; how being caught between Black and white created a bridge for everyone. An important symbiotic relationship developed between the African-American and Chinese-American communities in the South. Both were shut out of white communities and needed one another to sustain themselves. They overcame enormous challenges so that our generation today can experience everything that our ancestors could only dream about.

I hope you will be inspired by our story and that it will cause you to expand how you think about American history and what it means to be an American. I hope that when future generations learn about the American South, they will know that there was more to the story than just black and white.

Baldwin Chiu

Producer

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The Story Behind the Film This film began as a personal journey to search for our family roots so that my daughter would know from where she came. Being of Chinese ancestry, my original thought was that this journey would take us to the Far East to some remote village in China.

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Did you decide to do the documentary on a whim because your mother wanted to visit Mississippi, or was this a project you guys had planned earlier to learn about your family history? - Ria P.

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I think the scene where the Edwin’s father realized that his father actually cared about him was very moving. Finding out his family history healed him.

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I didn’t know that Chinese people lived in the South back then. :0

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My China Roots – Trace Your Ancestry in China

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Discover your family history with the world’s leading Chinese genealogy website. Search for zupus, burials, immigration records or hire an expert in China.

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Do you have any plans to show how different Asian American peoples struggled with coming to America? Or how they struggled when they came here? 

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Do you have any plans to show how different Asian American peoples struggled with coming to America? Or how they struggled when they came here? 

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Are you guys both Chinese American and how do you teach your kid more about Chinese heritage?

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As a second generation Korean-American I realize that there has been a lot of intergenerational trauma that my father and his father have passed on in assimilating to America and it even continues to show in myself; the typical hardships of being an immigrant family. We tend not to realize what we go through until we hyper-analyze our upbringing like this. Were there any instances where this same trauma has affected you personally, and how have you tried your best not to express/let it affect your kids?

Side note: Your father is an incredible man and thank you for sharing your family's amazing story with us!

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What were your hopes that viewers could take away from watching this film?

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How would you recommend for someone as myself to have my Mom and Grandma open up about their stories?

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Do you also feel that Asian Americans today are increasing their participation and influence in the cultural and political spheres? Take today’s movie, for example, and the growing number of active Asian actors and related stories, which tend to reflect real-life experiences rather than some exotic stereotypes. In the past, there was a sense that Asian Americans lived in their own little worlds behind closed doors and, even when faced with injustice, were more inclined to remain silent.

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How do you think intersectionality plays a role within the film while learning information about your dad’s side of the family?

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Do you believe that your dad missing out on a father figure affected the relationship you two had together. (other than your differences in personal interests )

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How did you find your family tree?

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How do you think leaning about your family and creating a film of it has changed or affected you as a person in a bigger sense besides for it being a big shock and wealth of information?

Jacqueline S.

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I love your dad's story, can you share your mom side of story?

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Did you have any film making experience before the 10 minute short you made? How do you even begin making a film about your family’s history?

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your music sort of sounds like joe hisaishi‘s! just a random compliment lol

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How has your view on Asian Americans changed as you went through producing this film? What difference has it made in your life learning about your family history?

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How has knowing all this information impacted how you teach and share this knowledge for your child?

Stephanie Martinez

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Do you know if there were other states that had Asian Americans with the same affect in Mississippi?

- Christopher Lam

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Filmmaking is a very tedious process, how long did it take for this film to come together? How much of the film was carefully planned compared to how much organically developed as you uncovered more and more about their journey?

-Kyle Bacab

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Were there any motivations or inspirations that weren't included in the film that contributed to the film?

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Couple of questions.

How did this project change your view about how complex someone's background can be?

And how long did it take to complete this documentary?

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Even as a historian I didn't know that racial solidarity existed within sharecropping communities, particularly during the Depression. This is so powerful as solidarity historical narratives often begin in the 1960s. Thank you for teaching mehow much farther back the story goes. 🙏

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Did the making of this film encourage or inspire your future work? If so how?

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Did the making of this film encourage or inspire your future work? If so how?

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Destiny M.

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What shocked me the most was the family learning that their great-grandfather was actually born in the U.S.. It made me realize that the things I think I know about my family could be different! It was so sentimental and it made me want to know so much more about my family.

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The amount of community and respect that the asian americans and african americans had such a close bond in society for a very long time.

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It was moving to see Edwin talk about learning how segregation affected Chinese Americans.

Also very moving was seeing and hearing how KC and Chinese store owners extended credit to Black customers during the Great Depression.

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“Where are you from. No where are you REALLY from”

The amount of times I have been asked this exact question in the exact same way is baffling. Every time it was asked I always felt a pang in my heart because I similarly never learned anything about my heritage and people never seemed to accept my answer of ‘American’ because I looked so different. I felt like I would never find a place where I was truly accepted because the U.S is all I’ve ever known

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what year did filming start and end?

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History nerd question. Was there a Chinese Benevolent Association in the town that contributed to creating the Chinese cemetery?

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History nerd question. Was there a Chinese Benevolent Association in the town that contributed to creating the Chinese cemetery?

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I myself am mixed. My father’s side has deep roots through Canada and my mother’s side in the Philippines. I am much closer to my family in Canada due to how much closer they are than my family in the Philippines. I would like to learn more about my family in the Philippines and their impact on the community where my family is from.

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When he found out his dad had cared about him the whole time from that letter saying his dad would have given up 20 years of his life and more to see their son.

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Were there other information you guys found after filming?

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I learned that history of any individuals is far more complexed than we can appreciate.

Also, learned that it was a great Chinese/asian community in Mississipi that get along with other minority communities. And the exclusion act.

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It’s amazing to learn about the Chinese experience in the U.S. that I didn’t know about. Thank you!

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It’s amazing to learn about the Chinese experience in the U.S. that I didn’t know about. Thank you!

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I honestly didn't know anything about the act let alone how oppressive and harmful it was to the Chinese american's lives

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Are you glad you were able to find out all the information about your families history with your whole family? Or would you have still wanted to know when you were younger? 

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Are you glad you were able to find out all the information about your families history with your whole family? Or would you have still wanted to know when you were younger? 

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samantha maccormick

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Something i learned is not just Black, Asian people were segregated too.

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When Charles read the letter his father wrote that he wished his kids were with him.

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Why do you think most Asian American families’ history are not taught to the newer generations? Do you believe it was because they were ashamed of how they were treated or another reason?

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Something i found moving in this movie is how Baldwins father was expressing how hard life was growing up without a father. 

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Something i found moving in this movie is how Baldwins father was expressing how hard life was growing up without a father. 

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Something new i learned/gained from watching this movie is how much the Chiu family faced with life itself and discrimination.

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Did this experience have a lasting impact on your ability to relate to your dad? If it did, did this change in your relationship help to give you access to parts of yourself you would have otherwise have difficulty perceiving, understanding, or accepting?

-Patrick Burke

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What do you hope the audience takes away from this film, and what gave you motivation to create it?

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The moment when Charles calls to Baldwin with such amazement and joy when he sees his grandfather’s name on the Bible. He wanted to share that moment, capture it, with his sons. ❤️

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With many stories of Asian Americans and with the many cultural differences and backgrounds, what stood out with this story that you chose to represent Asian Americans story and struggled

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This is what I am most left with—a desire to dive into the American immigrant story of my family. Similar to the Chinese men who came as laborers to work in plantation fields after the first slaves were freed in the south, my abuelos (grandfathers) on both my maternal and paternal side came to the US as “braceros” in the ‘60s—Mexican laborers who were contracted by the US to work in the agricultural fields of California. This film makes me wonder what else I might discover about my family’s history in the US and its connection to the larger story of our country’s true history.

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What challenges did you come across in writing and producing the film? Were there any roadblocks that you managed to circumvent or overcome?

Olivia Hofman

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What was the motivation behind this film? Were there films that you guys pulled inspiration from?

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ANTH 5 – Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 6 – Language & Culture: An introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

ETHS 1 – Introduction to Ethnic Studies

ETHS 2 – Race & Racism in Education

POLI 1 – Introduction to American Government & Politics

SOC 1 – Introduction to Sociology

SOC 2 – Contemporary Social Problems

SOC 20 – Introduction to Race & Ethnicity

SOC 110 – Introduction to Social Justice

AABS – Introduction to Black Studies

HIST 30 – History of the African American 1619-1877

HIST 31 – History of the African American

HIST 35 – History of Africa

POLI 35 – African American/Black Politics

APIS 1 – Asian Pacific Islander Studies

HIST 9 – Asian American & Pacific Islander History

SOC 36 – Pacific Islands’ & Asian American Communities

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That s the moment curator lives for

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For Larissa and Baldwin, what is your biggest inspiration for creating “Far East Deep South” film?

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What motivated/inspired you to make this film?

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What inspires you to make this film and how long does it take to make it?

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If you were to create another film like this, would you help another family (same race or another immigrant family) reconnect with their history?

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Is there a specific story/scene that deeply impacted / resonated the most?

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For Larissa and Baldwin, Why did you guys choose to make a film on Far East Deep South, and How was the journey that inspired you guys to create this film?

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If you were to refilm the movie, what would you do differently?

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If you were to refilm the movie, what would you do differently?

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~ James Anthony

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What was your favorite part about making the film?

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what made you want to create this film and how it all started?

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Who was the target audience for this film?

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What was one moment you enjoyed while filming Far East Deep South? - Michael Sarmiento

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Before you began filming, Baldwin, did you have any conversations with your dad about the potential discoveries—both expected and unexpected—you might come across? How did you mentally prepare for the journey ahead, knowing it could reveal unknown parts of your family’s history?

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What was the main inspiration behind the film.

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What are some positive impacts you got learning about Asian-American history.

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Were there any difficult events that lagged the process of the project?

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What were your hopes that others could take away from watching this film?

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What were your hopes that others could take away from watching this film?

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If you were to remake the film, what would you do differently? 

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If you were to remake the film, what would you do differently? 

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samantha maccormick

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What part of the movie was the most emotional part for you guys to film ?

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Have you always taken an interest in filmmaking, or was this just a product of the discoveries you have made? What was the decisive factor in turning this into a film, and was that a difficult process? - Ally Ho

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What was the hardest and easiest part of making this film

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Were there a lot of things you struggled with being Asian American, that you reflected through this documentary?

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Can you walk us through the pre-production process of this film?

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Can you walk us through the pre-production process of this film?

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Jessie Lomeli

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Emotionally what was one of the toughest scenes to film for you guys ? 

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Emotionally what was one of the toughest scenes to film for you guys ? 

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Would you say there are similar problems with being Asian Americans that you have faced that translates to this film?

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What is one thing that many people don’t know about the making of this film?

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Larissa & Baldwin used Family Search to find ship manifests, census documents and other helpful information. They also host an annual conference, RootsTech, on family history and genealogy.

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Find your family. Free Genealogy Archives * FamilySearch

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Become a part of the best ancestry website community through FamilySearch, and discover how our free Family Trees and records can help you uncover your past.

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Did making the film have a big impact on you personally?

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While making this film did you learn anything about yourselves?

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How did your personal experiences shape the storytelling in "Far East Deep South"?

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The Behavior & Wellness team at Mt. SAC aims to assist students who may be experiencing an emotional problem.

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Arise is a community of students from diverse cultures coming together to lift up one another and rise above all sorts of challenges to reach their fullest potential. An Asian American and Pacific Islander student support service, we have a dedicated support team empower Arise students to achieve success academically and personally.
Our Virtual Front Desk is a zoom space for students to access and ask questions, set a counseling appointment, meet with a Financial Aid Specialist, etc. Hours of operation: M&T 8am-12pm and W&Th 12pm-4pm Click here to view our AANAPISI Week padlet
Apply to Arise

MT. SAC Arise COVID-19 UPDATE

The Mt. SAC Arise Center is open again. However, the Arise program continues to offer services remotely as well. If you would like an online appointment to meet a counselor, need support/assistance or have a general question, please feel free to contact us with any of the options below:

Arise Hotline: 909-294-6973

Information about Mt. SAC and Covid-19 can be found at:
Mt. SAC Covid-19 Updates
Email: Arise@mtsac.edu

Check-out the Arise Hub on Canvas for more ways to connect and find support!

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Arise is a community of students from diverse cultures coming together to lift up one another and rise above all sorts of challenges to reach their fullest potential. An Asian American and Pacific Islander student support service, we have a dedicated support team empower Arise students to achieve success academically and personally.

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CBCSS - Center for Black Culture & Student Success

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CBCSS - Center for Black Culture & Student Success

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The Center for Black Culture and Student Success

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The Center for Black Culture and Student Success

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Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Event Evaluation

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Brief survey to evaluate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month events.

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The Mt. San Antonio College Library supports student success through knowledgeable and effective instruction and service to students, faculty, and staff by educating them to use appropriate resources and technologies for teaching and learning and by providing access to a comprehensive collection that supports the College’s curricula and that serves the needs of our diverse college community.

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Find A Grave – Search cemetery records

National Genealogical Society – A lot of great resources and events

Chronicling America – Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963