Statement from Committee of 100 on the State of New Jersey Requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander History to be Taught in Public Schools

New York, NY (January 19, 2022) — Committee of 100 President Zheng Yu Huang issued the following statement today regarding New Jersey’s new legislation  requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history to be taught in public schools starting in the 2022-2023 school year. New Jersey also passed legislation that will establish the Commission for Asian American Heritage within New Jersey’s Department of Education.

The new legislation makes New Jersey the second state in the nation to enact stand-alone legislation requiring students to learn about AAPI history, after Illinois enacted similar legislation in 2021.

“Committee of 100 congratulates New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Acting Commissioner of Education Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, and the State of New Jersey for passing new legislation requiring that Asian American and Pacific Islander history be taught in all public schools. For centuries, Chinese Americans and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made tremendous contributions to the growth and development of the United States. Now more than ever, it is critical to discuss the contributions – and challenges – that the AAPI community faces. Our hope is that state government and education leaders will follow in the footsteps of Illinois and New Jersey with their own laws and requirements that Chinese American and AAPI history be taught in all public schools across the United States.”

In early 2021, Committee of 100 released a commissioned report “From Foundations to Frontiers,” which looked at 175 years of Chinese American contributions, information of which has never been taught in public schools. The report can be downloaded for free at  https://contributingacrossamerica.economist.com/.