New York: To expand education and confront the rise in bias crimes against people of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) descent, State Senators Maria Collett (D-12 Montgomery) and Nikil Saval (D-1 Philadelphia) have introduced Senate Bill 839 to incorporate AAPI curriculums and materials at Pennsylvania schools.
“I’ve received many messages from constituents expressing safety concerns given the rise of attacks on Asian Americans since COVID and calling for education to address these prejudices before they take root,” said Senator Collett. “This bill is an important first step to make sure our education system reflects all of our peoples’ histories.”
According to the most recent Stop AAPI Hate National Report, Pennsylvania ranked seventh for hate incident reports filed between March 2020 and December 2021. Florida, ranked eighth, became the latest state to pass AAPI-inclusive curriculum legislation into law in May 2023.
“Every student in our Commonwealth deserves the opportunity to see their heritage honored as part of the broad fabric of the American experience,” said Senator Saval. “When we are granted occasion to learn about each other’s lives, families, and histories, we begin to see how much we share, and how deep our stake is in a world that supports all of us. It is only then that we can stand together, in solidarity, and work to build that world.”
Meanwhile, Saval, who is Indian American, said every student deserves the chance to “see their heritage honored as part of the broad fabric of the American experience.”
“When we are granted occasion to learn about each other’s lives, families, and histories, we begin to see how much we share, and how deep our stake is in a world that supports all of us,” he said. “It is only then that we can stand together, in solidarity and work to build that world.”
