User:Hoang1nguyen/Asian American studies

Asian American Studies in K-12 Schools
While Asian American Studies programs at colleges and universities have become more common, Asian Americans remain largely absent in K-12 curriculum in the US. Studies dating back as far as 1969 have consistently found that Asian American history is not included in US history textbooks. State-level social studies standards have also neglected to include Asian American historical figures in historical curricula. In some cases where Asian Americans have been included, they are depicted as the stereotypical dangerous foreigner. A 2022 study found great variance between US states when it comes to the inclusion of Asian American history in state standards. For example, while New York had 14 content strands related to Asian American history that were highly detailed and content-specific, 18 states had no standards for teaching Asian American history. The study also found that the most common topics of Asian American history in state curricula were anti-Asian immigration laws and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Asian Americans were often depicted as victims of racism or new arrivals to America, while depictions of Asian Americans as contributors or change makers were much less common.

Given the absence of Asian Americans in K-12 curriculum, scholars and activists have called for curricular reform. Several states have enacted legislation that requires teaching Asian American experiences in K-12 schools.

Illinois
In July 2021, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History (TEAACH) Act was signed into law, making Illinois the first state in the US to require all public schools to teach a unit of Asian American history. The legislation went into effect starting with the 2022-2023 school year. According to the bill, the curriculum should include the contributions of Asian Americans toward civil rights, the contributions of Asian American individuals in government, arts, humanities, and sciences, and the contributions of Asian American communities to the US. Public elementary and high schools in Illinois are also required to include content on the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest.

The TEAACH Act was proposed by Illinois legislators amidst rising anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings that resulted in the deaths of six Asian American women and two other persons. Prior to the bill's official introduction to the legislature, members of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, a grassroots organization, had been contacting Asian American officials about mandating the teaching of Asian American experiences in K-12 curricular. The TEAACH Act was primarily authored by Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz and received great support from Asian American representatives in the Illinois legislature, including representatives Teresa Mah and Ram Villivalam. The bill also gained support from African American and Latino legislators, as well as from the Jewish community. According to Representative Gong-Gershowitz,"'Asian American history is American history. Yet we are often invisible. The TEAACH Act will ensure that the next generation of Asian American students won't need to attend law school to learn about their heritage. Empathy comes from understanding. We cannot do better unless we know better. A lack of knowledge is the root cause of discrimination and the best weapon against ignorance is education."

New Jersey
In 2022, New Jersey became the second state to require Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in public school curriculum after Governor Phil Murphy signed bill S4021/A6100 into law. The bill was primarily authored by state senator Vin Gopa l. On the same day, Governor Murphy also signed another law (S3764/A3369) that will establish a Commission for Asian American Heritage within the state’s Department of Education to help develop curriculum guidelines for public and nonpublic schools in the state. These legislative acts were taken partly due to the activism of Make Us Visible-New Jersey (MUV-NJ), a grassroots organization that advocated for curricular reform to combat anti-AAPI hate. For example, members of MUV-NJ sent an open letter to Governor Murphy and the New Jersey legislature stating that "our collective ignorance about AAPI history is not only dangerous for AAPI students, but also a clear disservice to all students who are growing up in an increasingly diverse, interconnected, and globalized society and economy." The bills received great support from Asian American activists in New Jersey.

Connecticut
In 2022, Connecticut passed legislation mandating the teaching of AAPI history in public schools, which takes effect in 2025. Notably, Connecticut is the first state to pass this mandate with state funding, allocating more than $140,000 to developing curricula on Asian American history. This legislation came in part from the activism of the Connecticut state chapter of Make Us Visible, who has advocated for the teaching of AAPI history and worked to create a state curriculum. In particular, Jason Chang, an associate professor and director of the Asian and American Studies Institute at the University of Connecticut, has led the creation of the curriculum with the Connecticut state department of education.

Rhode Island
In 2022, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee signed legislation manding public elementary and secondary schools to include a unit of Asian American, Native Hawaii, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) history in their curriculum. The curriculum will also include AA and NHPI history in Rhode Island and the Northeast as well as the contributions of AA and NHPIs to civil rights.

Other states
In 2023, Florida became the first Republican-led state to require AAPI history instruction in primary and secondary schools after activism from Florida's chapter of Make Us Visible. Make Us Visible also has chapters at many other states in the US, which have continued to work towards the integration of Asian American experiences into K-12 curriculum. In New York, state senator John Liu and assembly member Grace Lee have introduced a bill mandating Asian American history to be included in the state curriculum.