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ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2021
CEC 26 passes anti-Asian racism resolution
for public schools to implement citywide
BY NATALIE LOWIN
Community Education Council
(CEC) 26 has taken a stand against anti-
Asian racism in its recent approval of
a resolution urging for the implementation
of preventative measures citywide.
On Oct. 21, CEC 26 — which covers
the neighborhoods of Bayside,
Flushing, Little Neck, Douglaston,
Floral Park, Bellerose, Glen Oaks,
Queens Village and Jamaica — voted
to make mandatory anti-Asian racism
measures for schools.
Some of the reasons for the resolution
include a 223% surge of anti-Asian hate
crimes in New York City since the onset
of the COVID-19 pandemic, according
to a study by the Center for the Study of
Hate and Extremism, and the fact that
New York City public schools have about
170,000 students of Asian decent.
CEC 26 demands that Mayor Bill de
Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha
Porter take the following citywide actions
to prevent anti-Asian racism:
Adopting the provisions of the New
York State Senate Bill S6359A, introduced
by Senator John Liu, citywide.
The legislation would require public
elementary and high schools provide
instruction in Asian American history
and civic impact.
Implementing programs for public
schools citywide to acknowledge
the Asian-American Pacific Islander
(AAPI) heritage month by including
appropriate lesson plans and
celebrations.
Providing professional development
for teachers, parents and school
Queens residents hold a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes on March 6, 2021. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann
leaders in cultural awareness of the
AAPI community and its history.
Expanding workshops on implicit
bias training.
Creating more offerings of dual-language
programs and foreign language
programs in Asian languages.
Developing a system to report
incidents of bullying for those parents
whose primary language is not
English.
CEC 26 believes these changes are
necessary to cultivate a safe environment
for those of Asian descent.
The resolution was approved with
nine out of 10 members voting yes, and
just one member voting to abstain.
CEC 26 recognizes that the Asian
American community has endured
continued bigotry and xenophobia
since the founding of the nation, and
the American Psychological Association
has confirmed that the historical
racism experienced by Asian Americans
has caused suffering in the form
of psychological trauma, feelings of
societal invisibility and severe mental
health issues.
CEC recognizes that the issue is
particularly impactful for school-age
Asian American students, since they
are often reluctant to report bullying
due to language barriers.
Earlier this year, CEC 26 parents
submitted a petition to the mayor and
chancellor demanding school curriculums
citywide be more inclusive
of Asian American experiences and
contributions.
Vol. 87 No. 46 40 total pages
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