# Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act

This bill requires schools to include the history and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in their history curriculum. Right now, many American history classes focus heavily on European American history and African American history, but often leave out or minimize the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. This bill aims to change that by making sure students learn about these groups' experiences, achievements, and impact on the country.

The bill affects students, teachers, and school districts across the country. Students will learn about topics like Chinese immigration and the building of the transcontinental railroad, Japanese American internment during World War II, the Vietnam War and its impact on Southeast Asian refugees, Native Hawaiian culture and sovereignty, and the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to science, business, arts, and politics. Teachers will need to incorporate these topics into their existing history classes, which means developing new lesson plans and finding educational materials about these communities.

For school districts, this means updating curriculum standards and potentially providing teacher training to ensure these histories are taught accurately and respectfully. The bill doesn't necessarily require creating entirely new classes, but rather weaving these stories into the broader American history narrative so students get a more complete picture of the country's past. This is particularly important for Asian American and Pacific Islander students who may see their own communities' histories reflected in what they learn at school, as well as for all students who benefit from understanding the full diversity of American history.

Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act

Hirono, Mazie K.

Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Asian Pacific American history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Asian Pacific American history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Asian Pacific American history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Asian Pacific American history is not a required component of American history for either academy.) In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's Asian Pacific American Center. The bill also requires the inclusion of Asian Pacific American history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.