Filed bill would require Asian American and Pacific Islander history to be taught in schools

By Caden DeLisa |

The piece of legislation amends a previously-adopted series of statutes that details requirements to teach historically significant events across history, including the history of the United States, the history of the Holocaust, and African American history.

If passed, adopted curricula would involve teachings of contributions made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society, as well as cultural elements and immigration history.

“Required instruction [includes] the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including immigration, citizenship, civil rights, identity, and culture” reads the filing. “Instructional materials shall include the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society.”

According to AAPI Data, the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnic groups in Florida are: Indian (185,991), Filipino (151,376), Chinese (125,469), Vietnamese (82,048), Korean (42,579), and Japanese (27,599).

According to the data, Plasencia’s district which covers portions of Orange County has one of the highest concentrations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the state.