The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) celebrates the passage of bills by the New Jersey State Assembly and Senate that establish a requirement for all New Jersey public schools to teach Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history at all grade levels. SALDEF joined Make Us Visible New Jersey, a coalition of students, parents, and educators, to successfully advocate for AAPI studies. With these laws, New Jersey will become the second state in the country to include AAPI history in their curriculum.
“The members of our Asian American/Pacific Islander community have contributed so much to our state and nation,” said Governor Murphy. “By teaching students about the history and heritage of our AAPI community, we can ensure that the diversity of our state is reflected in our curriculum and create a more tolerant and knowledgeable future for New Jersey. I am proud to sign these bills into law.”
“The most effective tool to combat anti-Asian and anti-immigrant hate is to teach all students that the Asian American story is part of the American story,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “Through SALDEF’s years of work, we have seen the impact that education has at all ages. These bills are a signal that the stories and contributions of the one million AAPI New Jerseyans matter. Moreover, for the 144,500 AAPI K-12 students in New Jersey, an inclusive curriculum will ensure that they see themselves as part of the American story and the story of New Jersey, with outcomes ranging from improved mental health to reduced bullying.
“We thank Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, and Senator (former Assemblyman) Gordon Johnson for their leadership on this important issue. We further thank the bills’ co-sponsors in the Assembly and Senate for hearing our community’s concerns. We are very happy that the bills passed unanimously, and that Governor Murphy has signed them, in a strong show of support for our communities by state leadership. We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor, the Legislature, and local counties and townships in New Jersey to better serve our communities,” continued Gill.
The Asian American and Pacific Islander Curriculum Bill, NJ-S4021/A6100, and the Commission on Asian American Heritage in the Department of Education (DOE) Bill, NJ-S3764/A3369, were passed by the Senate (39-0) and Assembly (78-0) in late December and early January. With Governor Phil Murphy signing these two bills into law, New Jersey has become just the second state in the nation to require schools to include an AAPI-focused history curriculum.
SALDEF will continue to work with educators in New Jersey to develop a curriculum that is representative of AAPI history and inclusive of the Sikh and South Asian experience in the state. If you are interested in being a part of this project, please contact us.