Growing up in rural Ohio, April Yee, who is Asian American, rarely saw herself in the history lessons in school.
Yee, who works with the Asian American Foundation, is part of the Asian American Pacific Islander History Hub , which recently launched an educational database to provide K-12 teachers access to curricular materials to teach Asian American and Pacific Islander history.
The hub offers lessons from various periods of AAPI history in America. From the origin of the term “ Asian American ” and Filipino Farm Workers rights and solidarity to Asian American social justice leaders , the database has almost 300 resources.
It’s an effort that’s taken The Asian American Foundation eight months to complete. Yee said the foundation began to conceptualize the database last fall when they heard educators were interested in teaching AAPI history, but were unaware of where to begin researching material.
How does the AAPI History Hub work?
Anyone navigating the hub can find educational material from different points of American history through its directory . Information is organized by keywords, topics, grade level, ethnicity of focus, date published and time period. To save information and take notes, the website requires users to create a free account.
Each resource is categorized by how it can be included in classroom teachings. The hub includes lesson plans, teaching guides, books, films and other types of academic sources.
According to a study the foundation conducted this year, 55% of Americans are unable to name a historical event in Asian-American history. This is where the hub seeks to provide visibility for AAPI communities.
“The AAPI History Hub creates a solution to this problem by providing a dynamic, easy-to-use database of vetted, classroom-ready resources,” a news release stated.
Founders believe the hub will assist educators incorporate AAPI history in their curriculum. By providing more opportunities to teach AAPI history, it will give AAPI youth a chance to see themselves in the classroom curriculum.
“When AANHPI students see themselves represented in the curriculum, and their peers learn about the profound impact that Asian Americans have had on this country, we can cultivate a sense of shared humanity,” said Norman Chen, the president and chief operations officer of the Asian American Foundation, in a news release. “We believe the AAPI History Hub will help equip educators to foster that feeling of belonging and inclusion in classrooms across the country.”
In California, K-12 teachers are required to expand their curriculum to include more Asian American and Pacific Islander history. Lawmakers and community members told the Sacramento Bee that teaching AAPI history “combats anti-Asian hate at its roots.”
The database plans to expand its collection by adding videos, locally-focused materials, data maps displaying the AAPI student population and policy efforts, said Yee. The hub hopes to become a community space for teachers to share examples of AAPI history lessons.
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