Rhode Island is on track to become the fourth state to require AANHPI history be taught in public schools
The state of Rhode Island is on track to become just the fourth state to require Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history be taught in public elementary and secondary schools. The House voted 66-to-1 for a bill introduced by Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, a Cranston Republican. The only lawmaker to vote against the bill was Rep. John Edwards, a Democrat.
“Asian Americans over the past two years have really suffered from a lot of anti-Asian bias and anti-Asian hate,” Fenton-Fung said. “While this is not going to cure that overnight, this is the first step in improving that culture.”
The education bill states, “Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian American history, including the history of Asian Americans in Rhode Island and the Northeast, as well as the contributions of Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th century onward. These events shall include the contributions made by individual Asian Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. The studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers.”
The Senate has unanimously approved a companion bill introduced by Senator Sandra Cano, a Pawtucket Democrat. The bill will now head to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk for consideration.
Rhode Island is poised to join New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois in requiring at least one unit of Asian American studies in their public school curriculum. In May, New York City also announced a new pilot program that will require Asian American and Pacific Islander history be taught in select schools. After receiving teacher feedback on the pilot program, the curriculum will then be rolled out to all New York City grade levels and all schools in the fall of 2024.
