Existing law requires the State Department of Education to incorporate materials relating to civil rights, human rights violations, genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teacher use, consistent with the subject frameworks on history and social science and other requirements. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, to consider providing for inclusion of, in its recommended history-social science curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, instruction on both (1) the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States and (2) examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States, as provided.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to incorporate materials relating to civil rights, human rights violations, genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teacher use, consistent with the subject frameworks on history and social science and other requirements. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, to consider providing for inclusion of, in its recommended history-social science curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, instruction on both (1) the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States and (2) examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States, as provided.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to incorporate materials relating to civil rights, human rights violations, genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teacher use, consistent with the subject frameworks on history and social science and other requirements. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, to consider including providing for inclusion of, in its recommended history-social science curriculum framework framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, instruction on both (1) the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States and (2) examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, Islanders in the United States, as provided.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to incorporate materials relating to civil rights, human rights violations, genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teacher use, consistent with the subject frameworks on history and social science and other requirements. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, to consider including in its recommended history-social science curriculum framework the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as provided.

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1354

Author: Mike Fong (D) and Ting (D), et al.

Amended: 4/3/23 in Assembly

Vote: 21

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/14/23

AYES: Newman, Ochoa Bogh, Cortese, Glazer, McGuire, Smallwood-Cuevas, Wilk

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/4/23 (Consent) - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Pupil instruction: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires, in the next revision of the history-social science curriculum framework (H-SS Framework), the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to consider the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of, and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires the California Department Education (CDE) no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of the executive director of the State Board of Education (SBE), to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of county office of education (COEs) for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American refugee experience by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.2 (a))
2. Requires the CDE no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of COEs for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Cambodian Genocide by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.4 (a))
3. Requires the CDE no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of COEs for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Hmong history and cultural studies by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.6 (a))
4. Provides that the Legislature encourages the instruction to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, consisting of an accurate history of the contributions of the Filipino American veterans who fought courageously in the United States Army for freedom and democracy in World War II under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. (EC 51221.3 (c)(1))
5. Provides that the Legislature encourages instruction in the area of social sciences, which may include instruction on the Vietnam War, including the “Secret War” in Laos and the role of Southeast Asians in that war. (EC 51221.4)

This bil:

1. Requires, in the next revision of the H-SS Framework, the IQC to consider the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of, and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
2. Requires when the H-SS Framework is next revised, on or after January 1, 2024, the IQC shall consider providing for inclusion, in that curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on both of the following:
   1. The historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
   2. Examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States, including, but not limited to, hate crimes committed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Finds and declares Asian Americans have made rich contributions to the history of the state and the country and have made significant individual and community contributions to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the country and how educating pupils on the history of Asian Americans in the country can help prevent and decrease discrimination and violence perpetrated against the Asian American community.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. According to the author “ Xenophobia is at an all-time high. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred blame against people of Chinese descent but has resulted in verbal and physical attacks against people of all Asian descent. Education of our youth is key to preventing recurrence of sentiments that Asians are foreigners and do not belong in the United States. AB 1354 will update our curriculum frameworks to include a more comprehensive perspective of the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States and the harm caused to this community due to anti-Asian sentiments throughout history.”
2. How Curriculum, Standards, Frameworks, and Model Curricula Are Created and Adopted. The Legislature has vested the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) and SBE with authority to develop and adopt state curricula and instructional materials. The IQC develops curriculum frameworks in each subject by convening expert panels, developing drafts, and holding public hearings to solicit input. Changes are frequently made in response to public comments. The SBE then adopts the frameworks in a public meeting. The SBE also adopts, in a public process, instructional materials aligned to those frameworks for grades K-8. School district governing boards and charter schools adopt instructional materials aligned to these standards and frameworks. This process occurs on a regular schedule, giving schools a predictable timetable to plan and budget for changes to the curriculum. Local adoption of new curricula involves significant local costs and investment of resources in professional development.

These existing processes involve practitioners and experts who have an in-depth understanding of curriculum and instruction, including the full scope and sequence of the curriculum in each subject and at each grade level, constraints on instructional time and resources, and the relationship of curriculum to state assessments and other measures of student progress.

Model curricula were first developed in the 1990s to provide educators the means to teach about a topic in an in-depth manner voluntarily. At that time, few Internet resources were available for this purpose. Until 2016, only two model curricula were required to be developed.

Recent legislation has required the development of numerous model curricula. In 2021, the state changed the process for developing model curricula through the budget. COEs are now responsible for producing model curricula through open-source, accessible resources available to California schools. The IQC and SBE no longer develop or approves model curricula.

1. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Experiences During COVID-19. People of AAPI descent have been the targets of a disturbing rise in racially motivated hate crimes across the United States over the past year. Investigations of these crimes have linked their growth to discrimination connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic, combined with these hate crimes, has had powerful repercussions for AAPI communities and the education of AAPI students. An emerging body of data suggests that, for some AAPI families, these factors have created a reluctance to return their students to school as more districts offer in-person instruction, according to the California School Board Association (CSBA) research and policy brief, Asian American and Pacific Islander Students in Focus: Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The brief found that hate crimes against Asian Americans, fueled by discrimination surrounding COVID-19, have dramatically escalated since 2020 and have included instances of verbal and physical assault. Anti-AAPI hate crimes increased by 145 percent in 16 of the United States’ most significant cities in 2020. The cities with the most reported incidents between 2019 and 2020 were New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and Boston, MA. Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition addressing anti-Asian discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic has received nearly 6,603 firsthand reports of anti-AAPI hate over the past year. The number of words has significantly increased over the past three months, with 36 percent of the total reports occurring in 2021 alone. California accounted for 40 percent of self-reported hate crimes to Stop AAPI Hate between March 2020 and 2021. In Los Angeles County alone, 245 self-reported incidences of hate crimes were directed at the AAPI community through October of last year. When looking at anti-AAPI hate crimes reported to the police, the numbers are lower, but the percentage increases are striking in three of California’s largest cities. From 2019 to 2020, AAPI hate crimes reported to the police increased 114 percent in Los Angeles, 150 percent in San Jose, and 50 percent in San Francisco in the same timeframe.

1. H-SS Framework: Asian American History. The H-SS Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve was adopted by the SBE on July 14, 2016. Various chapters of the framework highlight Asian American History and contributions.

For example, chapter six, which focuses on students in grade 3, “may compare how Asian Lunar New Year is celebrated in their local communities and how it connects people today to traditions from the past. These types of classroom discussions and fun activities will help build a greater sense of community and understanding.”

Chapter seven, which focuses on student in fourth grade, explore how “different groups of immigrants decide to move to California. What were their experiences like when they settled in California? How were they treated when they arrived in California?” This includes the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, South Asians (predominantly Sikhs), and other immigrants of the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th. Students also explore the push-and-pull factors for California’s dramatic population increase in recent times, such as the state’s location in the Pacific Basin, the 1965 Immigration Act, which brought a new wave of Asian immigrants from Korea, India, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in addition to traditional Asian groups of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, the 1980 Refugee Act, the reputation of social and cultural freedom in the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the state’s historical ability to absorb new laborers in its diversified economy.

Additional content can be found throughout the H-SS Framework in chapters related to students in grades 6-12.

1. Model Curricula Projects. AB 167 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021) required the CDE in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, enter into contracts with COE or a or consortium of COEs to develop model curriculum related to following:
   1. Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum;
   2. Cambodian Genocide Model Curriculum;
   3. Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum; and
   4. Native American Studies Model Curriculum.

Work on these projects began in 2022 and will conclude September 2025. The model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American Refugee experience, Cambodian Genocide, and Hmong History and Cultural Studies, according to the provision of AB 167, are to be completed by September 1, 2024, and September 1, 2025, for the model curriculum related to Native American studies.

The CDE has entered into contract with a consortium of COEs to fulfill its statutory obligation. The Orange County Department of Education (OCDOE) has been tasked with developing model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum, Cambodian Genocide Model Curriculum, and Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum. The Humboldt COE, San Diego COE have been tasked to jointly develop the model curriculum related to Native American Studies Model Curriculum.

1. Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum: Asian American History and Contribution. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, adopted by the SBE in 2021, contains several model lessons in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Each lesson identifies themes, disciplinary areas, ethnic studies values, and principles alignment, and content standards alignment (primarily in history-social science and English language arts). The lessons also identify connections to the H-SS Framework adopted by the SBE in 2016 and in some cases the curriculum frameworks in English Language Arts/English Language Development and Visual and Performing Arts.

The 2016 H-SS Framework also delves into this interdisciplinary field by analyzing the history and culture of a single, historically racialized group in the United States, including a course on African American, Asian American, or Chicana/o and Latina/o history. The courses focus on the historic struggle of communities of color, taking into account the intersectionality of identity (gender, class, sexuality, among others), to challenge racism, discrimination, and oppression and interrogate the systems that continue to perpetuate inequality. The courses call for an in-depth comparative study of the history, politics, culture, contributions, challenges, and current status of two or more racial or ethnic groups in the United States.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 6/27/23)

AAPI Equity Alliance

API Equality-LA

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Southern California

Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association Community Education Foundation 

Asian Youth Center

California Association for Bilingual Education 

California Faculty Association

California School Boards Association

California Teachers Association

Center for Asian Americans in Action

Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment 

Center for the Pacific Asian Family

Chinatown Service Center

Chinese for Affirmative Action

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities 

Faith and Community Empowerment

Foundation for Asian American Visibility

Korean American Coalition - Los Angeles

Little Tokyo Service Center

Los Angeles County Office of Education

National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse

Sikh Coalition

South Asian Network

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond

Stop AAPI Hate

Thai Community Development Center

Torrance Unified School District

OPPOSITION: (Verified 6/27/23)

None received

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the AAPI Equity Alliance, “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPIs across the country have shared more than 11,000 reports of hate with Stop AAPI Hate. About 40% of reports come from California. A vast majority of reports do not involve a crime, let alone a hate crime, and instead involve harassment, bullying, shunning, and discrimination. California has the largest population of Asian Americans and second largest population of Pacific Islanders in the United States. While Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have made rich contributions to both our state and our country, they have faced anti-Asian and anti-indigenous backlash and discrimination throughout our country’s history and continue to face hate today. Education of our youth is key to addressing the root causes of anti-AAPI hate, such as the “perpetual foreigner” trope portraying Asians and Asian Americans as forever outsiders who do not belong in the United States. Accurate and complete AAPI representation in educational materials and media will contribute to a more inclusive environment for students, affirm AAPI’s place in society, and combat harmful stereotypes. AAPI Equity Alliance is proud to stand in strong support of AB 1354.”

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/4/23

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Cervantes, Chen, Connolly, Megan Dahle, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Holden, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Ward, Weber, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Flora, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Wallis, Wicks

Prepared by: Kordell Hampton / ED. / (916) 651-4105

6/28/23 14:13:46

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Josh Newman, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Bill No: Hearing Date: June 14, 2023

Subject: .

SUMMARY

This bill requires, in the next revision of the history-social science curriculum framework (H-SS Framework), the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to consider the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of, and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Existing Law:

Education Code (EC)

1. Requires the California Department Education (CDE) no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of the executive director of the State Board of Education (SBE), to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of county office of education (COEs) for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American refugee experience by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.2 (a))
2. Requires the CDE no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of COEs for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Cambodian Genocide by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.4 (a))
3. Requires the CDE no later than March 1, 2022, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, to enter into a contract with a COE or a consortium of COEs for the purposes of developing a model curriculum related to the Hmong history and cultural studies by September 1, 2024. (EC § 33540.6 (a))
4. The Legislature encourages the instruction to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, consisting of an accurate history of the contributions of the Filipino American veterans who fought courageously in the United States Army for freedom and democracy in World War II under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. (EC 51221.3 (c)(1))
5. The Legislature encourages instruction in the area of social sciences, which may include instruction on the Vietnam War, including the “Secret War” in Laos and the role of Southeast Asians in that war. (EC 51221.4)

ANALYSIS

This bill requires, in the next revision of the H-SS Framework, the IQC to consider the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of, and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

1. Requires when the H-SS Framework is next revised, on or after January 1, 2024, the IQC shall consider providing for inclusion, in that curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on both of the following:
   1. The historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
   2. Examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States, including, but not limited to, hate crimes committed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Finds and Declares Asian Americans have made rich contributions to the history of the state and the country and have made significant individual and community contributions to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the country and how educating pupils on the history of Asian Americans in the country can help prevent and decrease discrimination and violence perpetrated against the Asian American community.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author “ Xenophobia is at an all-time high. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred blame against people of Chinese descent but has resulted in verbal and physical attacks against people of all Asian descent. Education of our youth is key to preventing recurrence of sentiments that Asians are foreigners and do not belong in the United States. AB 1354 will update our curriculum frameworks to include a more comprehensive perspective of the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States and the harm caused to this community due to anti-Asian sentiments throughout history.”
2. How Curriculum, Standards, Frameworks, and Model Curricula Are Created and Adopted. The Legislature has vested the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) and SBE with authority to develop and adopt state curricula and instructional materials. The IQC develops curriculum frameworks in each subject by convening expert panels, developing drafts, and holding public hearings to solicit input. Changes are frequently made in response to public comments. The SBE then adopts the frameworks in a public meeting. The SBE also adopts, in a public process, instructional materials aligned to those frameworks for grades K-8. School district governing boards and charter schools adopt instructional materials aligned to these standards and frameworks. This process occurs on a regular schedule, giving schools a predictable timetable to plan and budget for changes to the curriculum. Local adoption of new curricula involves significant local costs and investment of resources in professional development.

These existing processes involve practitioners and experts who have an in-depth understanding of curriculum and instruction, including the full scope and sequence of the curriculum in each subject and at each grade level, constraints on instructional time and resources, and the relationship of curriculum to state assessments and other measures of student progress.

Model curricula were first developed in the 1990s to provide educators the means to teach about a topic in an in-depth manner voluntarily. At that time, few Internet resources were available for this purpose. Until 2016, only two model curricula were required to be developed.

Recent legislation has required the development of numerous model curricula. In 2021, the state changed the process for developing model curricula through the budget. COEs are now responsible for producing model curricula through open-source, accessible resources available to California schools. The IQC and SBE no longer develop or approves model curricula.

The committee on March 15, 2023, adopted the joint Assembly and Senate curriculum policy of 2023-24 that discourages the introduction of policy bills that propose to require, or require consideration of, modifications to state curriculum frameworks to require that specified content be taught or to require the development of new model curricula.

This bill does not violate the joint curriculum policy as it requires the IQC to consider the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of, and examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

1. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Experiences During COVID-19. People of AAPI descent have been the targets of a disturbing rise in racially motivated hate crimes across the United States over the past year. Investigations of these crimes have linked their growth to discrimination connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic, combined with these hate crimes, has had powerful repercussions for AAPI communities and the education of AAPI students. An emerging body of data suggests that, for some AAPI families, these factors have created a reluctance to return their students to school as more districts offer in-person instruction, according to the California School Board Association (CSBA) research and policy brief, Asian American and Pacific Islander Students in Focus: Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The brief found that hate crimes against Asian Americans, fueled by discrimination surrounding COVID-19, have dramatically escalated since 2020 and have included instances of verbal and physical assault. Anti-AAPI hate crimes increased by 145 percent in 16 of the United States’ most significant cities in 2020. The cities with the most reported incidents between 2019 and 2020 were New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and Boston, MA. Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition addressing anti-Asian discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic has received nearly 6,603 firsthand reports of anti-AAPI hate over the past year. The number of words has significantly increased over the past three months, with 36 percent of the total reports occurring in 2021 alone. California accounted for 40 percent of self-reported hate crimes to Stop AAPI Hate between March 2020 and 2021. In Los Angeles County alone, 245 self-reported incidences of hate crimes were directed at the AAPI community through October of last year. When looking at anti-AAPI hate crimes reported to the police, the numbers are lower, but the percentage increases are striking in three of California’s largest cities. From 2019 to 2020, AAPI hate crimes reported to the police increased 114 percent in Los Angeles, 150 percent in San Jose, and 50 percent in San Francisco in the same timeframe.

1. H-SS Framework: Asian American History. The H-SS Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve was adopted by the SBE on July 14, 2016. Various chapters of the framework highlight Asian American History and contributions.

For example, chapter six, which focuses on students in grade 3, “may compare how Asian Lunar New Year is celebrated in their local communities and how it connects people today to traditions from the past. These types of classroom discussions and fun activities will help build a greater sense of community and understanding.”

Chapter seven, which focuses on student in fourth grade, explore how “different groups of immigrants decide to move to California. What were their experiences like when they settled in California? How were they treated when they arrived in California?” This includes the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, South Asians (predominantly Sikhs), and other immigrants of the second half of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth. Students also explore the push-and-pull factors for California’s dramatic population increase in recent times, such as the state’s location in the Pacific Basin, the 1965 Immigration Act, which brought a new wave of Asian immigrants from Korea, India, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in addition to traditional Asian groups of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, the 1980 Refugee Act, the reputation of social and cultural freedom in the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the state’s historical ability to absorb new laborers in its diversified economy.

Additional content can be found throughout the H-SS Framework in chapters related to students in grades 6-12.

1. Model Curricula Projects. AB 167 (Committee on Budget) Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021 required the CDE in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, enter into contracts with COE or a or consortium of COEs to develop model curriculum related to following:
   1. Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum;
   2. Cambodian Genocide Model Curriculum;
   3. Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum; and
   4. Native American Studies Model Curriculum.

Work on these projects began in 2022 and will conclude September 2025. The model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American Refugee experience, Cambodian Genocide, and Hmong History and Cultural Studies, according to the provision of AB 167, are to be completed by September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025, for the model curriculum related to Native American studies.

The CDE has entered into contract with a consortium of COEs to fulfill its statutory obligation. The Orange County Department of Education (OCDOE) has been tasked with developing model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum, Cambodian Genocide Model Curriculum, and Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum. The Humboldt COE, San Diego COE have been tasked to jointly develop the model curriculum related to Native American Studies Model Curriculum.

1. Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum: Asian American History and Contribution. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, adopted by the SBE in 2021, contains several model lessons in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Each lesson identifies themes, disciplinary areas, ethnic studies values, and principles alignment, and content standards alignment (primarily in history-social science and English language arts). The lessons also identify connections to the H-SS Framework adopted by the SBE in 2016 and in some cases the curriculum frameworks in English Language Arts/English Language Development and Visual and Performing Arts.

The 2016 H-SS Framework also delves into this interdisciplinary field by analyzing the history and culture of a single, historically racialized group in the United States, including a course on African American, Asian American, or Chicana/o and Latina/o history. The courses focus on the historic struggle of communities of color, taking into account the intersectionality of identity (gender, class, sexuality, among others), to challenge racism, discrimination, and oppression and interrogate the systems that continue to perpetuate inequality. The courses call for an in-depth comparative study of the history, politics, culture, contributions, challenges, and current status of two or more racial or ethnic groups in the United States. The H-SS Framework encourages

1. Related Legislation

SB 1363 (Nielsen, 2022) would have encouraged schools to adopt a course of study related to AAPI History for grades 1-6 and 7-12 within the social sciences area. This bill was held in Assembly Education Committee.

SB 369 (Nyguyen, 2023) specifies that the model curriculum related to the Vietnamese American refugee experience include the period from the Vietnam War and the Fall of Saigon in 1975 to the year 2000 and modifies the model curriculum on the Cambodian Genocide to instead focus on Cambodian culture, history, heritage, and the Cambodian American refugee experience by September 1, 2024.

SB 895 (Nguyen) Chapter 686, Statutes of 2018 requires the IQC to develop and submit to the SBE, and requires the SBE to adopt, modify, or revise, the following model curricula: (1) relative to the Vietnamese American refugee experience that includes, but is not limited to, curriculum on the fall of Saigon in 1975, (2) relative to the Cambodian genocide, and (3) in Hmong history and cultural studies. This bill is in the Assembly Education Committee.

AB 2016 (Alejo) Chapter 327, Statutes 2016, requires the IQC to develop, and the SBE to adopt, a model curriculum in ethnic studies, as specified. The bill also encourages school districts and charter schools to offer an ethnic studies course based on the model curriculum for students in grades 9-12.

SUPPORT

AAPI Equity Alliance
API Equality-LA
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Southern California
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association Community Education Foundation 
California Association for Bilingual Education 
California Faculty Association
Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment 
Chinatown Service Center
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Faith and Community Empowerment
Foundation for Asian American Visibility
Los Angeles County Office of Education
South Asian Network
Stop AAPI Hate
Torrance Unified School District

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

Date of Hearing: April 26, 2023

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Chris Holden, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1354

Author:(Mike Fong) – As Amended Ver:April 3, 2023

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), when it next revises the history-social science curriculum framework, on or after January 1, 2024, to consider including (a) the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States; and (b) examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, including hate crimes committed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Minor and absorbable one-time General Fund costs to the California Department of Education (CDE) to revise the history-social science curriculum framework to include information outlined in this bill.

According to CDE, the content that the bill calls largely is included in existing state curriculum documents, and the additional specifics related to the COVID-19 pandemic can easily be added.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. The author states:

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred blame against people of Chinese descent and has resulted in verbal and physical attacks against people of all Asian descent. Education of our youth is key to preventing recurrence of sentiments that Asians are foreigners and do not belong in the United States. AB 1354 will update our curriculum frameworks to include a more comprehensive perspective of the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States and the harm caused to this community due to anti-Asian sentiments throughout history.

1. Background. The IQC is a state advisory body responsible for advising the State Board of Education on matters related to curriculum and instruction. Among other activities, the IQC develops California’s curriculum frameworks for schools. Curriculum frameworks provide guidance to schools for implementing the standards adopted by the State Board of Education.

The IQC is set to review and adopt a new history-social science curriculum framework in 2024. The last adoption was in 2016. In that adoption, the history and contributions of Asian Americans appear in various places. For example, the framework includes Asian history and contributions including the role of Chinese and Japanese laborers in California’s early mining, agricultural, and industrial economies. The framework also includes the history of the various anti-Asian exclusion acts. The framework also includes more recent history.

1. Related Legislation. ACR 18 (Mike Fong) of this legislative session urges all schools to ensure that Asian American history and contributions are included in their curricula, alongside those of other communities of color. The resolution is pending in the Senate Rules Committee.
2. Prior Legislation. SB 895 (Nguyen), Chapter 686, Statutes of 2018, requires the IQC to develop a model curriculum for voluntary use by schools on the Vietnamese American refugee experience, a model curriculum on the Cambodian genocide, and a model curriculum on Hmong history and culture.

AB 2864 (Chau), Chapter 648, Statutes of 2016, requires that, the IQC, when it revises and adopts the curriculum framework for history-social science on or after January 1, 2017, consider including instruction on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the contributions of Chinese Americans to the establishment of the transcontinental railroad.

Analysis Prepared by: Natasha Collins / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 12, 2023

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Al Muratsuchi, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1354 (

Author:Mike Fong) – As Amended Ver:April 3, 2023

SUBJECT: Pupil instruction: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

SUMMARY: Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to consider providing for inclusion of, in its recommended history-social science curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, instruction on the contributions of, and discrimination perpetrated against, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the IQC, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, on or after January 1, 2024, to consider providing for the inclusion, in that curriculum framework, evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials including both of the following:
2. The historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States; and
3. Examples of racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, including, but not limited to, hate crimes committed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires that, when the State Board of Education (SBE) revises and adopts the curriculum framework for history-social science on or after January 1, 2017, it consider providing for the inclusion, in that curriculum framework, evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the contributions of Chinese Americans to the establishment of the transcontinental railroad. (Education Code (EC) 51226.3)
2. States the intent of the Legislature to provide accurate instructional materials to schools on the internment in the United States of persons of Japanese origin and its impact on Japanese American citizens, the Armenian genocide, and the World War II internment, relocation, and restriction in the United States of persons of Italian origin and its impact on the Italian American community. (EC 52740)
3. Establishes the California Civil Liberties Public Education Act, for the purpose of sponsoring public educational activities and the development of educational materials to ensure that the events surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of citizens and permanent residents of Japanese ancestry will be remembered, and so that the causes and circumstances of this and similar events may be illuminated and understood. (EC 13000)
4. Requires students, commencing with students graduating in the 2029–30 school year, to complete a one-semester course in ethnic studies, as specified. (EC 51225.3)
5. Requires local educational agencies (LEAs) and charter schools with pupils in grades 9 to 12, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, to offer at least a one-semester course in ethnic studies. (EC 51225.3)
6. Requires the CDE, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the SBE, by specified dates in 2022, enter into contracts with a county office of education (COE) or a consortium of COEs for the purposes of developing separate model curricula related to the Vietnamese American refugee experience, Cambodian Genocide, and Hmong history and cultural studies. Requires that the designated COE or consortia of COEs to work with the California History-Social Science Project and Teaching California to ensure that the curriculum is accessible and compatible with its platform. (EC 33540.2, 33540.4, 33540.6)
7. Designates October 25 of each year as Larry Itliong Day, encourages public schools to conduct exercises remembering the life of Larry Itliong, recognizing his accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state. (EC 37222.18)

FISCAL EFFECT:

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author states, “Xenophobia is at an all-time high. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred blame against people of Chinese descent and has resulted in verbal and physical attacks against people of all Asian descent. Education of our youth is key to preventing recurrence of sentiments that Asians are foreigners and do not belong in the United States. AB 1354 will update our curriculum frameworks to include a more comprehensive perspective of the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States and the harm caused to this community due to anti-Asian sentiments throughout history.”

Asian American history and contributions in Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, adopted by the SBE in 2021, contains several model lessons in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Each lesson identifies themes, disciplinary areas, ethnic studies values and principles alignment, and content standards alignment (primarily in history-social science and English language arts). The lessons also identify connections to the History-Social Science Curriculum Framework adopted by the SBE in 2016, and in some cases the curriculum frameworks in English Language Arts/English Language Development (adopted in 2014) and Visual and Performing Arts (adopted in 2020). Model lessons in Asian American studies are titled:

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Model Minority Myth
• Cambodian Americans - Deportation Breaking Families Apart
• Chinese Railroad Workers
• Little Manila, Filipino Laborers, and the United Farm Workers (UFW)
• Hmong Americans - Community, Struggle, Voice
• Indian Americans: Creating Community and Establishing an Identity in California
• The Japanese American Incarceration Experience Through Poetry and Spoken Word - A Focus on Literary Analysis and Historical Significance
• Korean American Experiences and Interethnic Relations
• The Immigrant Experience of Lao Americans
• Historical and Contemporary Experiences of Pacific Islanders in the United States
• South Asian Americans in the United States
• Vietnamese American Experiences - The Journey of Refugees

Asian American history and contributions in History-Social Science Curriculum Framework. The history and contributions of Asian Americans appear in many places in the History-Social Science Curriculum Framework adopted by the SBE in 2016. For example, the 4^th grade chapter, entitled, California: A Changing State, explores the questions:

• Why did different groups of immigrants decide to move to California?
• What were their experiences like when they settled in California?
• How did the region become a state, and how did the state grow?

The following excerpts from the 4^th grade chapter specifically discuss Asian American history and contributions:

• “Students analyze the contributions of Chinese and Japanese laborers in the building of early California’s mining, agricultural, and industrial economies and consider the impact of various anti-Asian exclusion movements. Hostilities toward the large Chinese labor force in California grew during the 1870s, leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and future laws to segregate Asian Americans and regulate and further restrict Asian immigration. The Gentlemen’s Agreement in 1907, singling out Japanese immigrants, further limited Asian admissions to the United States.”
• “Students examine the various ways that Asian Americans resisted segregation and exclusion while struggling to build a home and identity for themselves in California. In explaining a charged and sensitive topic like exclusion, teachers should emphasize the importance of perspective and historical context. Using multiple primary sources in which students investigate questions of historical significance can engage students and deepen their understanding of a difficult and complex issue. Historical fiction, such as Laurence Yep’s Dragon Gate, may also be utilized. To help guide their investigation, students may consider the following questions: Why did people migrate? Why did some migrants face opposition and prejudice?”
• “Students explore the relationship between California’s economic and population growth in the twentieth century and its geographic location and environmental factors. They determine the push-and-pull factors for California’s dramatic population increase in recent times such as the state’s location in the Pacific Basin, the 1965 Immigration Act, which brought a new wave of Asian immigrants from Korea, India, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in addition to traditional Asian groups of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, the 1980 Refugee Act, the reputation of social and cultural freedom in the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the state’s historical ability to absorb new laborers in its diversified economy. Students examine California’s growing trade with nations of the Pacific Basin and analyze how California’s port cities, economic development, and cultural life benefit from this trade. They learn about the contributions of immigrants to California from across the country and globe, such as Dalip Singh Saund, an Indian Sikh immigrant from the Punjab region of South Asia who, in 1957, became the first Asian American to serve in the United States Congress...”

Hate crimes against AAPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2021 report by the California School Boards Association, AAPI Students in Focus: Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

The impact of the pandemic on AAPI communities combined with a rise in hate and discrimination has had a direct effect on the willingness of families and their students to return to in-person instruction. Large proportions of Asian American families across the United States and California are choosing to keep their students in distance learning, even as more districts return to in-person instruction.

As of February 2021, the Institute of Education Sciences estimates that only 15 percent of fourth-grade Asian American students were receiving in-person learning, the lowest percentage of any demographic group in the United States. This is as compared to over 50 percent of white students, 32 percent of Hispanic students, and 28 percent of African American students. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students participate in in-person instruction at a slightly higher rate of 26 percent. While the state does not track in-person participation by race/ ethnicity, early data suggests that California appears to follow the national trend of AAPI families hesitant to send their students back to in-person instruction. Many school districts across the state have surveyed students’ families to gauge interest in different types of instruction, such as in-person, digital-only, or a hybrid schedule. In the Sacramento City Unified School District, 53 percent of all respondents chose in-person learning instead of distance learning. However, only about a third of Asian American households indicated that they planned to send their students back to school this year, which is the lowest of any racial/ethnic group.

Arguments in support. Stop AAPI Hate writes, “It is essential to educate young people to address the root causes of anti-AAPI hate, such as dismantling the ‘perpetual foreigner’ stereotype that portrays Asians and Asian Americans as forever outsiders who don't belong in the United States. Providing accurate and comprehensive AAPI representation in educational resources and media will create a more inclusive atmosphere for students, reaffirm the importance of AAPIs in society, and challenge harmful stereotypes.”

Related legislation. ACR 18 (Mike Fong) of the 2023-24 Session urges all schools to ensure that Asian American history and contributions are included in their curriculum, alongside those of other communities of color.

SB 1363 (Nielsen) of the 2021-22 Session would have encouraged schools to adopt a course of study related to AAPI history for grades 1 to 6 and 7 to 12, within the social sciences area. This bill was held in the Assembly Education Committee.

AB 2684 (Chau), Chapter 648, Statutes of 2016, requires that, when the SBE revises and adopts the curriculum framework for history-social science on or after January 1, 2017, the SBE consider providing for the inclusion, in that curriculum framework, evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the contributions of Chinese Americans to the establishment of the transcontinental railroad.

SB 895 (Nguyen), Chapter 686, Statutes of 2018, requires the IQC to develop a model curriculum on the Vietnamese American refugee experience, a model curriculum on the Cambodian genocide, and a model curriculum on Hmong history and culture.

AB 167 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021, requires the CDE to, no later than March 1, 2022 enter into contracts with a COE or a consortium thereof for the purposes of developing model curricula related to the Vietnamese American refugee experience, the Cambodian genocide, and Hmong history and culture by September 1, 2024. 

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

AAPI Equity Alliance
API Equality-la
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association Community Education Foundation
Asian Youth Center
California Association for Bilingual Education
Center for Asian Americans in Action
Center for The Pacific Asian Family
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Little Tokyo Service Center
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse
South Asian Network
Stop AAPI Hate
Thai Community Development Center
Torrance Unified School District

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087