Requires the commissioner of education to establish Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and civic impact curriculum or instructions…

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic66
• Republican4

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why John Liu says this is needed

As Asian Americans continue to experience an unprecedented surge of scapegoating, discrimination, hatred, and racist violence, it is more important than ever to integrate Asian American history into New York State's public school curricula as a means to help dispel the ignorance and negative stereotypes that have remained prevalent in modern culture. Content related to Asian American history, heritage and culture on both the regional and national levels is often absent from curriculum in New York State schools. Combined with generations of intolerance, this absence has greatly contributed to the lack of knowledge and understand- ing of Asian Americans, particularly in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which was repeatedly mischaracterized as the "China Virus," and "Kung Flu," by leaders such as President Donald Trump. Asian Americans experienced a more than a 300% increase in hate crimes in the wake of such divisive rhetoric during the pandemic. Notable cases like Yao Pan Mao, Christina Yuna Lee, and the attacks of three Sikh men on one block in Queens were just some examples of the many anti-Asian hate crimes that dominated the headlines on a regular basis. As historian and author Erika Lee writes, "Stereotypes of Asian Ameri- cans as spies, terrorists, inassimilable foreigners, or model minorities dominate the ways in which entire communities are viewed and understood. Similarly, without a full and honest assessment of America's long histo- ry of anti-Asian racism, contemporary hate crimes are often character- ized as random and isolated incidents rather than an expression of systemic racism targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders." "And as novelist Min Jin Lee wrote in 2022, "Ever since Asians began arriving in the United States, they have been met with hostility and rejection, often sanctioned by state and federal legislation. The sad part is that so little has changed. "Back in the '70s and '80s, the West feared the growth of Japan; as China became a superpower, Sinophobia rose, too. Since 9/11, Islamopho- bia and attacks against Sikhs and Hindus have been unrelenting. Now the Covid pandemic and demagogy have brought more waves of hatred. "Do I reasonably expect another person or a government body to keep me safe in some perfect way? I can't say that I do. That has not often been my experience." Integrating the Asian American experience into the public school curric- ulum would not only allow Asian American children the chance to finally see themselves reflected accurately in American history, but it is a critical step in dismantling the endless barrage of anti-Asian stere- otypes that categorize Asian Americans as either the perpetual foreig- ners or the seemingly-benign but equally destructive model minorities. Further, it is imperative that educators and administrators have access to the necessary guidance to successfully implement this essential inte- gration, and that the legislature and public are aware of the curric- ulum's implementation across the state. To that end, the.commissioner will develop professional development materials for educators and admin- istrators as well as solicit feedback from schools to compile a report summarizing the implementation of the curriculum, including school districts' capacity to do so, the number of students, teachers and schools that have engaged with the materials developed by the commis- sioner, and any other efforts of schools to implement this curriculum.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.