Ill. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is congratulated by lawmakers after delivering his first budget address to a joint session of the llinois House and Senate at the Illinois State Capitol on February 20, 2019 in Springfield, Illinois. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Pool/Getty Images)
Illinois has become the first state to mandate publicly-funded schools teach Asian-American history. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) recently signed House Bill 376 into law, citing the importance for the next generation to learn about Asian-American history amid a rise in hate crimes against the community.
“We are setting a new standard for what it means to truly reckon with our history. It’s a new standard that helps us understand one another, and, ultimately, to move ourselves closer to the nation of our ideals,” said Pritzker.
Today, we are reaffirming our commitment to creating more inclusive classrooms by making Illinois the first state in the nation to require Asian American history be taught in public schools. pic.twitter.com/Sv7fETNhd1
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) July 9, 2021
The bill requires schools to teach students the Asian community’s contribution to American society and highlight their role in the “economic, cultural, social and political development of the United States.”
The bill comes after nearly 4,000 hate crimes were reported targeting Asian-Americans during 2020.
Source: One America News Network
