OLYMPIA, Wash. — Parents, students and organizations advocating for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AA & NH PI) testified in front of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee this morning, urging lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 5574.  SB 5574 seeks to mandate the integration of AA & NH/PI history into K-12 public school curricula across Washington state.

A coalition of nearly 60 organizations dedicated to serving AA & NH/PI communities, along with their allies, have united in support of the bill, emphasizing the need to teach this essential history in schools. Currently, seven states in the U.S. have laws requiring Asian American history education.

Angelie Chong, director of the Washington chapter of Make Us Visible, a key advocate behind the bill, emphasized the importance of acknowledging the historical contributions of Asian American pioneers to both Washington state and U.S. history.

“It does not create a new curriculum, it does not create a new graduation requirement,” Chong explained. “It’s basically saying ‘We belong here. We are a part of American history too.'”

Make Us Visible highlighted the urgent need for AA & NH/PI history education in the face of anti-Asian hate crimes.  Chong noted the inclusion of Asian American history in public school classrooms would help foster a sense of belonging for students who have experienced racism, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unless we learn about the contributions of people like Wong Kim Ark, who is the reason we’ve established birthright citizenship in the U.S. or Patsy Mink who is the co-author of Title Nine, we remain invisible,” Chong said.

If passed, the new bill would require AA & NH/PI history to be integrated into the state’s learning standards by September 2028, with teachers beginning instruction for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade starting in the 2029-2030 school year.

However, the bill has sparked some debate.  Casey Brown, a contract lobbyist with the Association of Washington School Principals, expressed concerns during the hearing regarding the potential burden on educators. While Brown agreed with the significance of teaching AA & NH/PI history, he suggested that such lessons should remain an optional addition to classroom curriculum.