New State Laws Are Shaping AAPI Education in America

A push to mandate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in K-12 public school curriculums is gaining traction across the country with the hope of one day meaningfully integrating AAPI experiences into the breadth of America’s historical narrative, as per a recent Associated Press (AP) article.

AAPI history has almost completely been absent in the U.S. education system, creating a significant gap that allows racial stereotypes to otherwise persist in ignorance. The rise in anti-Asian hate and violence that developed during the pandemic only further underscores a growing need to combat xenophobia and dismantle the "perpetual foreigner" myth.

Illinois became the first state to mandate Asian American history into law in July 2021, with New Jersey and Connecticut following quickly in 2022. According to the AP, approximately a dozen states now have statutes requiring some form of AAPI curriculum.

These new lessons cover topics such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans, the legal fight for birthright citizenship exemplified by Wong Kim Ark, and the achievements of figures like architect Maya Lin. In states like Connecticut, this history is being included in classes throughout the entire school year instead of siphoning them within a single "heritage month" approach.

While the initiative has faced challenges in some areas, particularly concerning the broader national debates about teaching race, proponents emphasize that the core mission remains accuracy. “Almost every person who teaches content of this nature does not do it in a way to say, ‘Here’s all the injustices of the world,’” Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, said. “The call to action is ‘You need to now look at this information, and you need to decide what it means.’”

Advocates consider the adoption of these laws to be a powerful, crucial step toward an education system that fully recognizes and integrates the histories of all Americans, and it's one that is long overdue.

Photo by Kenny Eliason/Unsplash.