By Karun Yee
CACS Foundation Historical chair
Every year on National History Day, there is a competition among students from elementary school through high school to win a place on the local, state and national level. This year’s theme is “Debate and Diplomacy in History” chosen for it’s board application to world, national or state history and it’s relevance to the present. Students focus on a specific aspect of a historical period or event. By research, they develop perspective and a greater understanding of the presentation process. The project categories are posters, exhibits, documentaries, websites, performance and papers as individuals or groups. The Chinese American Council of Sacramento Foundation has sponsored scholarships to these students relating to Asian topics for more than 18 years; being a part of our mission statement of cultural education and enrichment. This year, Alex Eng, Franc Martinez and Karun Yee donated funds to the scholarship.
On Saturday, March 12, 2022 Inderkum High School in Natomas was the location for this competition. Karun Yee, a special category judge, arrived at 8:30am to view and select project winners. Some exhibits were previously viewed on line making the judging to review easier. 60% is based on the students success on conducting historical research, interpreting this research and drawing conclusions. The high caliber and dedication of these students always amazes me I chose “The Fall of the Qing Dynasty; a new Era for China”, a senior documentary,by Udhayvir Mann, Kaitlyn Muring, Valerie Ha, Aleeze Ali and Queensheba Tesfay. They clearly stated all the treaties between foreign powers and the Qing government in a time frame and reflected upon the weak and unprepared monarchy to it’s detriment. I asked the students if I could share the documentary with CACS if you would like to view it. Very cohesive team work exhibited.
The second project I chose was “Korematsu vs. US, Civil Liberties and National Security” , senior exhibit, by David Cruz and Yiqin Rong. The students explained civil rights activist, Fred Korematsu, during the Japanese internment, said there was never any proof interned Japanese citizens were involved in espionage and should never have been locked in camps during the war. This lead eventually to the 1988 Civil Liberties Act that protects human rights. They had a very extensive bibliography to back up their facts.
I would invite those interested to join me next year (March) in judging or helping this very worthwhile endeavor. The opportunity to meet some of these outstanding leaders of tomorrow is inspiring.