I always dreaded learning U.S. history. Although I knew how important it was, and is, to study it, I simply felt the course was "boring." When I took U.S. history during my junior year of high school, I honestly questioned why I had to learn the material again. Was learning it over and over throughout elementary and middle school not enough? "What more is there to learn?" was a question that constantly lingered in my mind as I sat through each lecture about our founding fathers, the Constitutional Convention, the Declaration of Independence, slavery in America, the Civil Rights Movement, etc. Even though I now acknowledge that I actually did learn more information that year, I still don't fully understand why we "only" studied the same few historical events over and over.
On May 11th, PBS released a three part docu-series called Asian Americans. The series shares the experiences, contributions, and hardships of Asian Americans throughout U.S. history. It uses personal stories of different Asian Americans to convey various aspects of the Asian American experience. As an Asian American myself, I was really excited to watch it and learn more about my heritage. I encourage everyone, not just Asian Americans, to watch this docu-series.
After watching Asian Americans, it became extremely clear to me how little I knew, and know, about the history of my own people. Although I did learn about the Transcontinental Railroad, The Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Japanese Internment Camps in school, there is still a lot I do not know.
Today, I wouldn't deny that learning history is important. Without an understanding of our past, it would be impossible for society to grow. As the saying goes, "history repeats itself," so it's important to learn from both our mistakes and our successes. However, what watching Asian Americans taught me was that it's even more important to learn about the history of your own people because only then will you have a "true" understanding of your identity.
Saves to say, Asian Americans taught me SO much about the Asian American experience. I didn't know of the ample historical events that were linked to the role Asian Americans have in U.S. civilization today. It never occurred to me that there were so many historical events that support how Asian Americans were, and are, seen as perpetual foreigners. The foundation of Asian American representation in media was something I lacked knowledge in.
I was completely unaware of the important contributions Filipino immigrants made in the agricultural industry by working on plantations in Hawaii during the early 1900s. The names Anna May Wong and Patsy Mink were foreign to my ears (look them up, they're pretty cool!). Justice for Vincent Chin was a movement I had never even heard of. It was the first time I learned of the murder of Latasha Harlins and the subsequent Los Angeles Riots of 1992. These are just some of the many things I learned through the docu-series.
Maybe I'm just ignorant for not having heard of these events, people, etc. prior to watching Asian Americans, but that does not take away from the fact that the U.S. history curriculum I was taught excluded so many important parts of the true story of our country. Of course not everything that has happened throughout U.S. history can be taught just during our K-12 education, but the curriculum I experienced definitely can be changed to be more reflective both of students and the actual foundation of the U.S. What's even more pressing is that I'm confident this is not a unique experience to me. This definitely does not only apply to Asian American history, and it is unlikely it is only a problem in my public education.
I remember learning U.S. history in grades four, five, eight, and junior year of high school. However, the first time I recall ever learning about some aspect of Asian American history was in eighth grade. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Asian American history can definitely be introduced in fourth and fifth grade too. What message are we sending our students when we don't include them in the curriculum? We are essentially telling those students that their history just is not as important– that they did are not part of U.S. history. It does not deserve to be learned from the beginning of your historical education.
It is also important to note that the level of diversity in a school system should not influence what is taught in a curriculum– all stories should be shared no matter what. Teaching a variety of experiences of different groups of American society (i.e. Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx in America, etc.) is valuable in all settings– even if a district is not as diverse. Learning different groups' stories and histories helps build cultural awareness, empathy, and understandings of differences among people.
Including more aspects of U.S. history in curriculums not only paints a more accurate image of our nation's history, but it also helps students develop a stronger sense of identity. When you see yourself in what you're learning, there's a sense of warmth that envelops you because you realize the history of your people is valid and important. Gaps get filled and pieces finally click. The seemingly endless list of questions gets shorter, and the isolation you feel regarding your experience calms. You develop a much stronger understanding of why people like you are viewed the way they are. You feel acknowledged.
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