NY State Senate Bill S5963

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
In Committee
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- Passed Assembly
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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 23, 2023	referred to education

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S5963 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6579
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §801-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S6359, A7260

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the board of regents to identify and integrate into the history curriculum material that reflects Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history for all students in public elementary, middle and high school for all public school grades.

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S5963

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public
elementary schools and high schools to provide instruction in Asian
American history and civic impact

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require public schools to integrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian,
and Pacific Islander history into history or social studies curriculum

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 directs the board of regents to identify and integrate curric-
ular material that reflects Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific
Islander history. Also directs the commissioner to provide technical
assistance in the development of curricula on Asian American, Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander history and civic impact and to provide
suitable course materials.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

As Asian Americans continue to experience an unprecedented surge of
scapegoating, discrimination, hatred, and racist violence, it is more
important than ever to integrate Asian American history into New York
State's public school curricula as a means to help dispel the ignorance
and negative stereotypes that have remained prevalent in modern culture.

Content related to Asian American history, heritage and culture on both
the regional and national levels is often absent from curriculum in New
York State schools. Combined with generations of intolerance, this
absence has greatly contributed to the lack of knowledge and understand-
ing of Asian Americans, particularly in light of the recent COVID-19
pandemic, which was repeatedly mischaracterized as the "China Virus,"
and "Kung Flu," by leaders such as President Donald Trump.

Asian Americans experienced a more than a 300% increase in hate crimes
in the wake of such divisive rhetoric during the pandemic. Notable cases
like Yao Pan Mao, Christina Yuna Lee, and the attacks of three Sikh men
on one block in Queens were just some examples of the many anti-Asian
hate crimes that dominated the headlines on a regular basis.

As historian and author Erika Lee writes, "Stereotypes of Asian Ameri-
cans as spies, terrorists, inassimilable foreigners, or model minorities
dominate the ways in which entire communities are viewed and understood.
Similarly, without a full and honest assessment of America's long histo-
ry of anti-Asian racism, contemporary hate crimes are often character-
ized as random and isolated incidents rather than an expression of
systemic racism targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."

"And as novelist Min Jin Lee wrote in 2022, "Ever since Asians began
arriving in the United States, they have been met with hostility and
rejection, often sanctioned by state and federal legislation. The sad
part is that so little has changed.
"Back in the '70s and '80s, the West feared the growth of Japan; as
China became a superpower, Sinophobia rose, too. Since 9/11, Islamopho-
bia and attacks against Sikhs and Hindus have been unrelenting. Now the
Covid pandemic and demagogy have brought more waves of hatred.

"Do I reasonably expect another person or a government body to keep me
safe in some perfect way? I can't say that I do. That has not often been
my experience."

Integrating the Asian American experience into the public school curric-
ulum would not only allow Asian American children the chance to finally
see themselves reflected accurately in American history, but it is a
critical step in dismantling the endless barrage of anti-Asian stere-
otypes that categorize Asian Americans as either the perpetual foreig-
ners or the seemingly-benign but equally destructive model minorities.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5963
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  LIU,  CHU,  COONEY,  THOMAS, GOUNARDES, KAVANAGH,
   STAVISKY, COMRIE, HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  public
   elementary  schools  and  high schools to provide instruction in Asian
   American history and civic impact
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 801-b
 to read as follows:
   § 801-B. CURRICULAR MATERIALS OF STUDY IN ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWA-
 IIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HISTORY AND CIVIC IMPACT.  1.  THE  BOARD  OF
 REGENTS  IS AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO IDENTIFY AND INTEGRATE CURRICULAR
 MATERIAL THAT REFLECTS ASIAN  AMERICAN,  NATIVE  HAWAIIAN,  AND  PACIFIC
 ISLANDER  HISTORY.  SUCH  MATERIAL  OF  STUDY  SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL
 STUDENTS IN EACH GRADE OF EVERY PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PUBLIC  MIDDLE
 SCHOOL  AND  PUBLIC  HIGH  SCHOOL  AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE
 HISTORY OR SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM OF SUCH SCHOOLS. INSTRUCTION  SHALL
 BE  PROVIDED  BY  THE  TEACHERS  EMPLOYED  IN  THE SCHOOLS THEREIN. SUCH
 INSTRUCTION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO,  INSTRUCTION  IN
 THE FOLLOWING:
   A.  THE  HISTORY OF DIASPORA OF ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND
 PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN NEW YORK AND THE NORTHEAST;
   B. THE MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES THAT IMPACTED THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE
 HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES;
   C. THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN,  AND
 PACIFIC  ISLANDER  COMMUNITIES  IN  GOVERNMENT,  THE  ARTS,  HUMANITIES,
 SCIENCE AND THE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT  OF
 THE UNITED STATES;
   D.  THE  STRUCTURES  AND HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT HAVE LIMITED OR HARMED
 THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER AND OTHER  HISTOR-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06038-02-3

 S. 5963                             2
 
 ICALLY  MARGINALIZED  COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CIVIL
 RIGHTS MOVEMENT; AND
   E.  THE  SOLIDARITY  BETWEEN  ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC
 ISLANDER AND OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES  ESPECIALLY  AS
 IT PERTAINS TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
   2.  THE  COMMISSIONER, SHALL PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSIST IN
 THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION OF CURRICULAR MATERIALS FOR SUCH COURSES
 OF STUDY WHICH SHALL BE AGE APPROPRIATE AND DEVELOPED ACCORDING  TO  THE
 NEEDS  AND  ABILITIES OF STUDENTS AT SUCCESSIVE GRADE LEVELS IN ORDER TO
 PROVIDE UNDERSTANDING, AWARENESS, SKILLS, INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO AID
 IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC  ISLAN-
 DER HISTORY AND CIVIC IMPACT.
   3.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  MAKE  AVAILABLE TO ALL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY
 SCHOOLS, MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE  SUITABLE  CURRIC-
 ULUM  MATERIALS TO AID IN THE INSTRUCTION OF STUDENTS IN ASIAN AMERICAN,
 NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HISTORY AND CIVIC IMPACT AND SHALL
 PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING SUCH COURSES OF STUDY.
   4. COMPLETION OF A HISTORY OR SOCIAL STUDIES  COURSE  THAT  INTEGRATES
 ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER CURRICULAR MATERI-
 AL  SHALL  CONSTITUTE  AN AFFIRMATION BY STUDENTS OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO
 RESPECT THE DIGNITY OF ALL RACES AND PEOPLES AND TO FOREVER ESCHEW EVERY
 FORM OF DISCRIMINATION IN THEIR LIVES AND CAREERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S5963

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

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Co-Sponsors

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Details

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S5963

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Co-Sponsors

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Details

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S5963 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments