Tallahassee, FL — Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) and Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) have filed HB281/SB490, legislation to require the teaching of Asian American and Pacific Islander history in Florida public schools.
“Asian American history is American history,” said Representative Eskamani. “And yet for far too long, the contributions of the AAPI community in Florida and throughout the country have been invisible. Instead, there’s been a rise of hate towards Asian-Americans, and our hope with this legislation is to combat that hate with education and empathy.”
Required topics that will be covered under HB281/SB490 include the Asian Americans advancing civil rights and the contributions Asian Americans have made in government, the arts, sciences, economics and politics.
“The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is a rich story that weaves into the fabric of our nation, but that story has gone untold in many of our schools,” added Senator Linda Stewart. “This bill would elevate AAPI history and ensure that Florida’s students receive a fuller and more inclusive education on the journey of Asian Americans and their contributions to American society.”
According to US Census data about 3% of Florida’s population identifies as Asian American, and Central Florida is home to a thriving AAPI community. The blossoming of this legislation originated from the leadership of Mimi Chan, the State Lead for a coalition called Make Us Visible Florida.
“We deeply believe that by educating our youth about the history of Asian Americans, we can create a more inclusive Florida, where our differences are celebrated instead of feared,” said Chan. “We are hopeful that this bill will help to educate our youth, teach them of the journey that AAPI people have undertaken and the contributions that they have made to our society, to create a compassionate, welcoming, inclusive environment. We are grateful to Representative Anna V. Eskamani and Senator Linda Stewart for their leadership and support of the AAPI community in writing this bill.”
Stop AAPI Hate — the nation’s leading coalition documenting and addressing anti-Asian hate and discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic — has reported a spike in Asian American discrimination. In July, Illinois became the first state to require the teaching of AAPI history. Representative Eskamani and Senator Stewart are hoping Florida will be next.