At the start of the new year, the Senate and Assembly voted to pass bills S4021/A6100, and S3764/A3369, which call for the Asian American and Pacific Islander history to be incorporated into the New Jersey public school curriculum with the assistance of a heritage commission in the Department of Education. The passage of these bills is extremely important to me and many of my fellow AAPI peers, because our history in this country is not well known, and often overlooked.
At school, topics that pertain to Asian Americans are infrequently discussed. This leads to a lack of knowledge and understanding of my peers’ AAPI history and culture. Because of this, views of the AAPI community can be narrow, which can cause stereotypes.
I had my first experience with stereotypes against Asian Americans at age 7. Children on my school bus used thin eye expressions while saying “Chinese Eyes” and “Japanese Eyes.” At the time I had thought it was some joke. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized what those words had meant.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I had my second major run-in with AAPI discrimination. While I was in my backyard, a man walked past the fence and spat at me. I was frozen with shock. Looking back, not even saying a word only made me fit into the Model Minority myth.
During the AAPI Heritage Month of 2020, I watched a PBS documentary: “Asian Americans.” I learned that the first wave of Asian immigrants arrived in the continental U.S. in the 1850s; Chinese Americans toiled in the transcontinental railroad, which built the foundation of U.S. industrialization; Filipino American labor groups helped Mexican-American civil rights activists in their protests for farmers rights; and people like Grace Lee Boggs and Yuri Kochiyama were frontrunners in causes such as abolition and liberation. These facts were never taught in school.
Learning so much about AAPI history in the U.S. really opened up my eyes. Stereotypes such as the Yellow Peril and Perpetual Foreigner are completely false. I wrote an essay proposing that AAPI history and contributions be included in the school curriculum. The essay was quoted and showcased at an Asian American United Coalition webinar where documentary producer Renee Tajima-Peña was a guest speaker.
When I learned that a grassroots movement, Make Us Visible NJ, was trying to push bills S4021/A6100 and S3764/A3369 into New Jersey’s senate and assembly agendas, it felt like a dream coming to life. To support this noble cause, I called into Senate President Sweeney and Assemblywoman Lampitt’s offices, and sent written testimony in support of these bills. I also decided to testify in-person in front of the Senate Education Committee.
On Dec. 16, the testimony room in the State House was filled to the brim. Every chair was occupied by either legislators, reporters or other testifiers. As I was called up to the front of the room where the Senate Education Committee sat, butterflies fluttered through my stomach. Being the only kid testifying, I felt like I was surrounded by lions.
Eventually, the butterflies settled down. I held my head high and delivered my speech. The Committee unanimously passed Bill S3764. I no longer felt like prey, rather I felt like a lion with pride. I was taking ownership of my heritage, and paving a road for the future. I was showing everyone that the AAPI community has been here before and since the founding of the U.S.
Since the pandemic, there have been 10,000+ reported AAPI hate episodes, a glaring issue that has to be solved. Events similar to the killing of Vincent Chin 40 years ago should not still be occurring. The passing of these bills is a massive milestone in the long journey of ending anti-Asian hate and racism.
Just because the AAPI history will be added to school curriculum doesn’t mean racism towards AAPI communities will automatically go away. We young activists must continue pushing for AAPI voices and voices of other minority groups to be heard, and for racism to be combated. Together, we can be the change that is needed to halt the increase of hate crimes, and promote inclusion. We can’t let history repeat itself.
Bryan Zhao is a 7th grade student and Hopewell resident.
Bryan Zhao.,
