Kindergartner helps lead advocacy for AAPI inclusion, education in Delaware
By Bryan Ke
A kindergartner’s heartfelt advocacy is at the forefront of legislative efforts to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) inclusion in Delaware.
Key points:
- Austin Lou, a kindergartner from West Park Place Elementary School, is supporting his father, Yunfei Lou, and University of Delaware student Devin Jiang, who are lobbying for AAPI inclusion and education in the state.
- Their efforts are centered around two bills: House Bill 322, which aims to create a state AAPI commission, and Senate Bill 297, which seeks to expand K-12 programs for all racial, ethnic and cultural groups.
The details:
- “I believe everyone in Delaware should learn about the vast cultures and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities,” Austin said, as per 6abc Action News. “I’m proud of my heritage, but sometimes I can feel invisible.”
- Lou, a Christina School District board member, and Jiang, a public policy student, co-founded the Delaware chapter of Make Us Visible last fall to push for the inclusion of AAPI history in the state’s K-12 curricula.
- A father of two, Lou moved from Qingdao, China, to Lewes, Delaware, as a child in 1996. He has faced struggles with his identity, occasionally asking himself, “Why do I still not completely feel that I am part of this country?”
- Jiang, meanwhile, realized that Asian Americans must speak out after seeing the community “crumble for the first time” during the pandemic.
- HB 322, sponsored by Rep. William Bush (D-District 29), aims to establish a nine-member commission made up of community leaders from various Asian backgrounds. The commission will provide recommendations to promote the welfare of AAPI communities to the state and foster interest in the historical and cultural backgrounds of AAPI communities, as well as their economic, political, social and artistic contributions.
- SB 297, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Townsend (D-District 11), requires the Department of Education to update content standards and regulations using a non-exhaustive list of racial, ethnic and cultural groups. It previously focused solely on AAPIs.
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