NextSharkNextShark.com

New Jersey on its way to becoming the second state to mandate teaching of AAPI history

New Jersey on its way to becoming the second state to mandate teaching of AAPI history

New Jersey is on its way to becoming the second state to require public schools to teach Asian American history.

December 21, 2021
SHARE
New Jersey is on its way to becoming the second state to require public schools to teach Asian American history as an approved bill heads to the governor’s desk.
The state legislature approved the bill on Tuesday after it passed the Senate earlier in December and the General Assembly on Monday. Governor Phil Murphy is set to sign the bill, according to NBC News.
Supporters of the bill hope New Jersey follows Illinois, which signed its own bill into law earlier this year.
New Jersey is home to one of the largest populations of AAPI in the U.S.
Kani Ilangovan, the Indian American founder of AAPI education advocacy group Make Us Visible New Jersey, said the bill affirms a sense of belonging and safety in the U.S.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

“It’s very sad, but during the pandemic, there’s been a huge rise in anti-Asian violence, and we feel education is the best antidote to hate,” he said.
Ilangovan created Make Us Visible New Jersey earlier in 2021 after the country saw an uptick in anti-Asian hate.
Assemblyman Raj Mukherji and state Sen. Vin Gopal sponsored the bill.
“What I didn’t learn was about people who look like me, those who were from the AAPI community that have had significant contributions to our great country we live in today,” Gopal said. “I am proud to sponsor legislation that can help kids who look like me know that they can be anything.”
Mukherji emphasized the importance of the bill following the increase of anti-Asian hate since the start of the pandemic.
“Hate comes from a place of ignorance, and if we can educate our young people about the Asian American immigrant experience, about our history, we will not only be teaching them, but we will be building empathy,” Mukherji said.
Murphy created the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission in the Department of State in November for “developing policies to address the social and economic needs of the growing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in New Jersey.”
A commission will work in tandem with the New Jersey Department of Education to help apply the curriculum into schools across the state.
Featured Image via New Jersey Office of the Governor (left), Wikimedia Commons/Lowlova (CC-BY SA 4.0) (right)
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Jiselle Lee

      Jiselle Lee is a contributor at NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.