OPINION | Mazie Hirono's Bill for AAPI History is Exactly what America needs
By: Aditya Ambarisha
When asked to recall what they learned in history class at a young age, many adults struggle to give an accurate recollection of their studies. After all, 12 years and thousands of hours worth of dates, facts, and concepts tends to fade away over time without the pressure of tests to reinforce them. What people do remember, however, are ideas and laws that are fundamental to our nation’s very existence— things like the Emancipation Proclamation, Declaration of Independence, the Civil Rights Movement, and 9/11– things that our nationally standardized textbooks and curricula deem acceptable for young minds.
What remains largely forgotten is the history of minorities in America., Few speak of the multifaceted, horrific history of segregation and racial violence against AsianAmericans that has plagued our country and persists even today. From Wong Kim Ark being stripped of his birthright American citizenship after leaving the country to the lynching of 18 Chinese men in Los Angeles, Asian-Americans have endured discrimination centuries—yet these stories are rarely taught in schools.
The most common textbook used for both regular and AP U.S. History is the American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Encompassing 1,152 pages, it covers both World Wars, the Civil Rights movement and the nation’s founding, containing some of the most key events in national history. However, in the entirety of the textbook, less than 30 pages—just 2.6% of the textbook’s content—are dedicated to the struggles of Asian-Americans in gaining rights, equality and freedom in America, as well as the horrors and issues faced by many in the past— totaling 2.6% of the entirety of the textbook’s content. The lack of representation is glaring, given that Asian Americans make up 6.0% of the nation’s population and are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced S.1702, the Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act,in May of 2022. Co-sponsored by 11 lawmakers from across the nation, the bill is designed to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants funding eligible entities to carry out educational programs that explore the history of peoples of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent. These programs would cover their roles in the settling and founding of America, the social, economic, and political environments that led to the development of discriminatory laws targeting these groups, and their impact and contributions to the development and enhancement of American life, U.S. history, literature, politics, law, culture, and the nation’s overall development.
While the bill has yet to pass, this bill is groundbreaking because it tacklesaddresses two fundamental questions: What roles have AAPIs played in American history, and how have they been mistreated? Subconsciously, it becomes apparent that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders were mistreated by predominantly white lawmakers, but this proposal mandates the inclusion of Asian-American history in tests across the nation that are administered by the National Association of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Although this federal legislation remains pending, several states are taking action. For instance, in 2022, New Jersey became the second state to require AAPI history in public school curricula. Similarly, Connecticut has passed legislation mandating the teaching of AAPI history in public schools, set to take effect in 2025.
Critics may scoff at the seemingly meaningless notion of including more test questions and content lessons on the struggles and contributions of AAPIs in America. Yet for millions of young Americans of Asian origin, it’s not something that is taken lightly. Aptly put by Grace Lee Boggs at a civil rights rally in 1965, “If the history of nearly 20% of colored America isn’t taught at school… then what are those young colored folk learning about themselves?”
The urgency of this issue has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. AAPI-related racism has risen rapidly,with over 9,000 incidents of verbal, physical, and sexual harassment occurring since the start of the 2020. In this environment of friction against Asian-Americans, it's important to realize that we have to ensure that we are cognizant of struggles that Asians in America face, and that the introduction of AAPI history into history curriculum can ensure that the rate of attacks against Asian-Americans go down (as people learn more and all of that)
Asian-American history is American history. Learning about AAPI history creates a more well-rounded understanding of our nation’s past that will aid the pursuit racial equality in America,ensuring that nobody is treated differently based on the color of their skin.In the immortal words of Philip Vera Cruz, a Filipino-American labor leader, “Asian-Americans, like all other Americans, want to live and work in dignity, but our history shows that this has been a struggle we’ve had to fight for over and over again. Don’t let this happen. Every Asian is an American, and everyone belongs in this country.”
