This character education curriculum unit uses a historical perspective to connect the American identity to the cultural capital that students acquire in schools. Prepared for an elementary alternative classroom in Houston’s inner city, this unit instructs students on justice as a theme in American history. Students critically study the four waves of U.S. immigration since 1840 and evaluate the purpose of school. As they collect data and discuss family histories and traditions, the students will be expected to value historical accuracy, communicative competence, and exemplary cooperative behavior. Students will learn that, although the American identity is multicultural, the struggle for inclusion and justice in American society is historic and perpetual.