Asian American Officials Press for AAPI History, Holidays in Schools
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Several Asian American elected officials and representatives from various organizations within the community are appealing to Westchester school districts to include Asian-American history into their curriculum and add two holidays to school calendars.
County Legislator David Imamura (D-Irvington) said given the increasing presence of the Asian community in Westchester, it’s time for schools in the county to incorporate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) history into their lessons and to accommodate the observance of the holidays Eid and the recently celebrated Diwali.
Starting in 2024, the Lunar New Year, typically celebrated in late January or the first half of February, is a statewide school holiday. New York City public schools will be closed for the recently celebrated Diwali starting next year as well.
“When Korean grandmothers are assaulted on the streets of White Plains and Filipino women are viciously assaulted in the lobbies of their Yonkers apartment buildings, our community must take a stand to ensure Asian American history is taught to our children and Asian American holidays are celebrated and recognized as part of this effort,” Imamura said.
He and other organizations have planned to send letters to every school district in the county to make the request, although there is currently no mechanism to force a district to make those changes, he said.
Joining last Wednesday’s press conference outside of the Westchester County building was Assemblyman Nader Sayegh (D-Yonkers), who also called on school officials to add the curriculum and the two additional holidays. Sayegh said with Asia comprised of 48 countries, there is a wide assortment of cultures and holidays locally, including community members from the Indian peninsula, the Far East and Middle East.
“It becomes very crucial, whether we are legislators or educators or community activists, to recognize that our children’s future depends on a quality education that is reflective of our cultural heritage, our race, our ethnicity and our tradition, and recognizing the important of celebrating not only Diwali but lunar holidays and Eid holidays as we respect and celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah and Three Kings,” Sayegh said. “It becomes really a necessity and a right that every child and every citizen deserves.”
Regarding observance of Diwali and Eid, concerns have been raised about the tight calendar, which requires 180 days of instruction each school year and to have those instructional days within the time period where the district will receive state aid for the entire school year.
However, the Ardsley School District, one of the few Westchester school systems to observe the holidays, has been able to accommodate the extra days and include Asian American history in the curriculum, said Dr. Vikas Agrawal, an Ardsley Board of Education trustee.
“I think it’s a great step,” Agrawal said. “My kids love it; I love it and we have community support, and hopefully we can all follow the example of Ardsley, and I’m really proud of it.”
Without having off for the major holidays, it is difficult to celebrate and observe with family, when homework needs to be done and there is a hectic time of year, Edgemont High School senior Janice Lin said.
Marjorie Hsu, co-chair of the county’s Asian-American Advisory Board, said as an immigrant growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens, she had no idea that Chinese workers were instrumental in building the transcontinental railroad, that Asians first stepped on American soil in 1587 and that Filipino fishermen established a village in Louisiana in the late 1700s. Hsu came to the United States as a young child with her family.
Studies have shown that of all the ethnic groups in the U.S., Asian-Americans have the lowest sense of belonging regardless of whether they are new arrivals or have been in America for generations, Hsu said. Understanding the history and observing the holidays also leads to greater understanding.
“Let’s enhance our curriculum so that every Westchester classroom is teaching our Asian American history and celebrating our cultural traditions,” she said.
State Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers), chair of the Senate’s Education Committee, said it’s very difficult to pass legislation mandating curriculum. The state has a history of letting local school boards make decisions for their communities on courses of study and holidays. The state Education Department has to establish standards and materials, she said.
A bill passed the state Senate mandating Asian American curriculum but has stalled in the Assembly, Mayer said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
