We’re proud to be part of an important project, funded by a $3.5 million grant from the Spencer Foundation. It will explore how communities like ours have advocated for the inclusion of Asian American studies in K-12 schools and how different curricular mandates—including New Jersey’s law—are being implemented.
AAPI New Jersey’s Teach Asian American Studies (TAAS) initiative will collaborate with education, ethnic studies, and policy scholars on their research while strengthening our efforts to bring Asian American history and contributions to all NJ students by developing new resources and professional development opportunities. This work will be instrumental in unlocking how education can be used as a powerful tool against racism, bias and exclusion.
Teach Asian American Stories will partner with Dr. Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, and Dr. Sohyun An of Kennesaw State University to better understand how New Jersey is implementing its curriculum mandate, which went into effect in 2022. These efforts include TAAS’ New Jersey fellowship program—the first-of-its-kind in the country—that trains public school teachers how to integrate Asian American history into their curricula through a cross-racial and intersectional lens so they can then become teacher-trainers themselves.
Now in its second year, TAAS has taught more than 1,500 teachers in New Jersey and—through the fellowship—has graduated six TAAS Ambassadors who are prepared to deliver professional development workshops in their school districts and across the state.
Launched in 2022, Teach Asian American Stories has reached over 137 school districts (roughly 20% of New Jersey’s 600+ school districts) through its fellowship program, professional development workshops, programs like Love Your Lunch, book donations, and more. TAAS recently developed a classroom map of Asian American history and contributions in New Jersey (accompanied by complementary lesson plans), published the New Jersey Companion Guide to NYC Department of Education’s free Hidden Voices textbook, and piloted a two-day K-12 Culturally Responsive Lesson Plan Development Workshop. This public-private partnership is funded in part by the State of New Jersey and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and The NJ Council of Humanities.
