State Senators Maria Collett and Nikil Saval will be introducing legislation that will commission and urge schools to incorporate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) curriculums and materials.
“As Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes to an end, our work to combat centuries of bias is just beginning,” Collett said in a press release. “I’ve received many messages from Asian American constituents expressing concerns about their safety in light of recent attacks, sharing their experiences with discrimination, and calling out for education to address prejudices before they take root. This legislation is a critical first step.”
The legislation is a companion to Rep. Patty Kim’s House Bill 1917, which would require the Department of Education to create an integrated curriculum that includes AAPI persons, history, and contributions to American society, as well as provide AAPI-related materials to schools. The bill would also commission a study by the State Board of Education to see how school districts in Pennsylvania are teaching AAPI curriculum across the state and ensure students are receiving robust instruction on AAPI history and social contributions.
Like Kim’s bill, the legislation is an effort to improve education and combat the recent surge in hate crimes against people of AAPI descent in the commonwealth.
"This legislation will begin to make visible the experiences of Asian Americans so that all of us can see—in each other’s experiences—our shared hopes, our shared struggles, and our shared joys,” Saval said in a press release. “It will begin to make visible the full history of Asian American history, that stretches back beyond the formal beginnings of the United States."
See also:
North Penn School Board Issues Statement Supporting Asian American, Pacific Islander Communities
Governor Wolf, Community Leaders Call for End to COVID-Related Discrimination
