1501 - 1865

The first African slaves were brought to the Americas in 1501. Slaves were seen as inferior to the masters, and thus, people of color began to be seen as inferior. Although slavery was abolished in 1865 by the Emancipation Proclamation, the institution wasn't completely gone until many years later, and the racism caused by it is still evident today.

1837 - 1867

Over this 30-year time period, the native Ojibwe and Dakota tribes signed about 16 treaties with the U.S. Government, giving away vast amounts of homeland in exchange for social, economic, and educational resources. Often, tribal leaders had no choice but to sign the treaties, as settlers had taken their food sources and land, and disease had taken over native populations. After the land was taken, many treaty promises of food, resources, and retained land were not upheld by the U.S. Government. These promises written in treaties still stand today.

1860-1870

The Confederate States of America was created during the American Civil War, and consisted of the 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States of America. Their ideology was based on the institution of slavery, which they believed was threatened by the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

Connection:

In her essay, 'Disparate Impacts,' Taiyon J. Coleman explains that she did not want to go to graduate school in Texas because of the broad displays of the Confederate flag. She did not want to be in a place where the ideology of the Confederacy was supported. However, when she moved to Minnesota, she realized that racism still exists, even if there is no Confederate flag waving.

1942 - 1946

The Japanese internment camps were established by President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 during World War II. All people living in the United States that were of Japanese descent were ordered to leave their homes and live in isolation camps. This was done with the intent of preventing espionage, but is now considered one of the largest human rights' violations of the twentieth century.

1989 - present

The show, surrounding the story of an American soldier in Vietnam whose Asian lover becomes pregnant as the U.S. is about to withdraw, first debuted in 1989. It was first performed in Minneapolis theaters in 1994, with subsequent performances in the city in 2004 and 2013. All performances caused protests from the Asian-American community, as the show romanticizes human trafficking, over-sexualizes Asian women, and in general promotes ideas of colonialism and priviledge. Despite protests, the show is scheduled to return to Minneapolis in 2020.

Connection:

In his essay, 'Surrealist History,' David Mura describes his experience in the movement against Miss Saigon when it returned to Minneapolis for a third time in 2013. As a part of the Asian-American community, he joins the opinion that it should not be shown again.

February 26th, 2012

Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old African American male that was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a white neighborhood watch captain that claimed it was in self-defense. Martin did not use a weapon or any force against Zimmerman, and there was evidence that Zimmerman followed Martin for a brief period. Nevertheless, Zimmerman was found not guilty of manslaughter of Martin. This case represents myriads of others in which black men have been needlessly shot by white men, with no justice in the trial of the killer.

Connection:

Shannon Gibney references this event in her essay 'Fear of a Black Mother.' She explains that the fear of the black mother is that her son will be seen as a generic, threatening black male body, instead of who he is inside. She, and all black mothers, are afraid that he will end up paying for being this black male body in the way that Trayvon Martin did.

2015 - present

One of the first shows about the experiences of Asian-Americans, this series follows a Taiwanese-American family's move to a mostly white suburb. Based off the experiences of Eddie Huang, an American chef and author, the show provides an Asian perspective on race, along with a side of humor.