WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Grace Meng (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), introduced the Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act, bicameral legislation to promote the teaching of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history in schools across the country.
“Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history is critical to gaining a better understanding of the discrimination and prejudice endured by the AANHPI community, as well as our community’s many accomplishments,” said Senator Hirono. “As diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be attacked by the Trump administration, this legislation would help to increase awareness of the history, contributions, and experiences of the AANHPI community. I am proud to reintroduce the Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act with Representative Meng to give our students a better understanding of the roles the AANHPI community has played in history and help dismantle harmful stereotypes and discrimination.”
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have made and continue to make immeasurable contributions to our nation, including in sports, arts, government, science, business, and military service. However, the K-12 education system and social studies textbooks have poorly represented how AANHPIs have played pivotal roles in shaping America for the better. In a recent survey, 42% of respondents were unable to name a famous Asian American, and 42% were unable to name a famous Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
The Teaching AANHPI History Act requires Presidential and Congressional Academies’ grant applicants and recipients to include Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian history as part of their American history and civics programs offered to students and teachers. Every year, hundreds of teachers and students attend these academies, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, for an in-depth study of American history and civics.
The bill would also encourage the inclusion of AANHPI history within national and state tests administered through the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and promote collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center to develop innovative programming.
This legislation has been endorsed by over 25 organizations including AAPI New Jersey, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), APA Justice, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Asian Pacific Islander American Scholars (APIA Scholars), Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Committee of 100, Educators for Excellence, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), Fred T. Korematsu Institute, Indian Diaspora Council, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), National ACE, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, PFLAG National, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Southern Poverty Law Center, Stop AAPI Hate, The Sikh Coalition, and United Chinese Americans (UCA).
In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
In the House, this resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Ed Case (D-HI), Judy Chu (D-CA), Gilbert Cisneros (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Al Green (D-TX), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), George Latimer (D-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Dave Min (D-CA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Derek Tran (D-CA), Juan Vargas (CA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Nikema Williams (D-GA).
The full text of the legislation is available here.
Senator Hirono has long advocated on behalf of AANHPI communities in Hawaii, the U.S., and Pacific Island nations and territories. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono reintroduced a package of bills focused on mental health awareness for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in observance of May as National Mental Health Awareness Month and AANHPI Heritage Month. The package included a resolution recognizing May 10th as National AANHPI Mental Health Day, as well as the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025 to increase awareness and access to mental health care throughout the AANHPI community. She also introduced a bicameral, bipartisan resolution to mark May 2025 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The resolution recognizes the significant contributions that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have made to this country. In September 2024, Senator Hirono joined her colleagues in sending a letter to former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young, urging OMB to take additional action to assist federal agencies in incorporating revised standards that would help expand demographic reporting requirements and ensure that diverse communities are better reflected in federal datasets. By implementing increased data disaggregation through these revisions, federal agencies would be able to better understand more communities, including the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities that encompass over 70 ethnicities.
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