16 MAY 13, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
NYC’s #1 Source for Political & Election News
Meng bill promotes teaching of
Asian Pacifi c American history
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
In an eff ort to help combat continued
bigotry and hate against Asian
Americans, Congresswoman Grace
Meng announced on Tuesday, May 4,
that she is reintroducing legislation
to promote the teaching and learning
of Asian Pacifi c American history in
schools across the United States.
The Teaching Asian Pacifi c American
History Act (H.R. 2283) seeks to
provide an understanding of the history,
contributions and experiences of
Asian Pacifi c Americans to help eliminate
the discrimination and prejudice
that the Asian American community
has been forced to endure not just over
the past year, but for decades.
These teachings include the many
critical achievements and vast
contributions that those of Asian and
Pacifi c Islander descent have made to
the U.S., and the struggles and racism
that has long been directed toward
Asian Pacifi c Americans.
For generations, according to Meng,
Asian Pacifi c American history has
been poorly represented or excluded
from the K-12 education system and
social studies textbooks.
“Asian Pacifi c American history is
an integral part of American history,
and this must be refl ected in what
our children learn in school. Asian
Americans have always been seen
as invisible or as foreigners,” Meng
said. “We have grown up with people
questioning whether we’re American
enough, and we’ve endured slurs and
jokes about our appearance and our
food. And even if we were raised or
born here, many still tell us to ‘go back
to our country,’ and make ignorant and
xenophobic remarks such as telling us
that we speak English well.”
According to Meng, the effort
should not be limited to the Asian
Pacific American community, and
that all communities of color must be
better represented in the history lessons
taught to students, and expanding
school curriculums.
The Teaching Asian Pacific
Congresswoman Grace Meng is reintroducing the Teaching Asian Pacifi c
American History Act. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann
American History Act would require
grant applications from Presidential
and Congressional Academies to include
Asian Pacifi c American history
as part of their American history and
civics programs off ered to students
and teachers. Every year, hundreds
of teachers and students attend these
academies, which are funded by the
U.S. Department of Education, for an
in-depth study in American history
and civics. Presidential Academies
are designed for teachers seeking to
strengthen their knowledge of American
history, and Congressional Academies
for students who aim to enrich
their understanding of the subject.
Meng’s bill is pending before the
House Committee on Education and
Labor. The congresswoman is also an
original cosponsor of the Black History
is American History Act (H.R. 1394), a
similar measure introduced by Rep.
Joyce Beatty (D-OH) that aims to promote
the teaching of Black history in
schools.
Rajkumar unveils bill to establish Diwali as school holiday
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Diwali would be established as a
school holiday in New York City
under legislation introduced by
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar.
The holiday would be observed
in school districts with significant
populations that celebrate Diwali
and honor the cultural heritage of
hundreds of thousands of South
Asian New Yorkers who celebrate
the holiday.
“As the first Hindu-American
and South Asian-American woman
elected to state office in New York,
I take special pride in advocating
for new American communities, including
those that celebrate Diwali,”
Rajkumar said. “The South Asian,
Indo-Caribbean, Hindu, Sikh, Jain
and Buddhist communities are a vital
part of our city’s gorgeous mosaic,
contributing to every sector of our
society. It is long past time to honor
their vibrant cultural heritage by
making Diwali a school holiday, as
community leaders have advocated
for years. The time has come.”
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is
celebrated by people of multiple
faiths, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains
and Buddhists. A major festival in
South Asia and in Indo-Caribbean
countries, Diwali celebrates the
triumph of light over darkness, good
over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
During the holiday, families
decorate their homes and illuminate
them with lights, and partake in family
feasts and gift-giving. Hundreds
of thousands of New Yorkers with
South Asian and Indo-Caribbean
Heritage celebrate the festival.
“The thousands of Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist and Jain families who celebrate
Diwali deserve to mark the
Festival of Lights as a complete unit
with their children,” Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards
said. “But this is about more than
just a religious commemoration;
it’s about the validation of entire
communities who for far too long
have fought for equal recognition.
Queens is proud to join Assemblywoman
Rajkumar and all our elected
officials who have signed onto this
piece of legislation, which must be
passed and signed into law as soon
as possible.”
Read more on PoliticsNY.com.
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar introduced legislation that would make
Diwali a school holiday across the city. QNS fi le photo
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