History and social studies curriculums in New York public schools could soon expand to become more diverse and inclusive, with many advocates and community leaders saying it’s about time.
State Senator John Liu (SD-16) and Assemblymember Grace Lee (AD-65) have co-sponsored a bill mandating the inclusion of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) curriculum in social studies or history courses at public elementary, middle, and high schools across New York state.
Liu said that the new curriculum would directly address the fact that “Asian Americans have been scapegoated for everything from global pandemics to economic recession to international conflicts” and the way to eradicate anti-Asian hate for the long term is by educating students “so that they understand that Asian Americans have been a part of building America as much as anybody else has been.”
