Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act

This bill, titled the Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act, would authorize federal grants and require updates to national education programs to incorporate and emphasize the histories, contributions, and experiences of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). Specifically, it directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that cover AANHPI settling and founding in America, the discriminatory laws and current events tied to these communities, and their impact and contributions to American life, history, literature, economy, law, and culture. In addition, the bill would amend several provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 to ensure AANHPI history is included in American history instruction, teacher training, national academies, national activities, and national assessments (NAEP). The findings portion underscores the importance of representing AANHPI histories accurately and addressing past and ongoing discrimination, stereotypes, and underrepresentation. In short, the bill aims to elevate AANHPI history as a core part of United States history education, provide funding to implement such programs, and revise federal education provisions to ensure curricula, teacher preparation, national activities, and nationwide assessments consistently reflect AANHPI histories and contributions. It also seeks collaboration with cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center to provide resources for educators and students.