The history curriculum taught in public schools across the United States is disproportionately Eurocentric. From a young age, children learn about white presidents, white innovation and white victors. For children who belong to ethnic minority groups, these narratives painfully obscure the ones experienced by our ancestors. Any history we do learn about our own people involves our supposed savagery, backwardsness or inability to govern ourselves which justifies why white forces came in to "save" us.

I was eighteen when I was able to take an Asian American history class. Eighteen. A legal adult. I know others who didn't have access to that kind of education until much later, if at all.

The effect that such Eurocentric perspectives have on children, especially children of color, is detrimental to their self-esteem and confidence. Who could blame them if they are persistently taught that the victors are always white and their groups are insignificant? 

In addition, when only one kind of perspective is taught, we are not getting the full picture of history. There have been many other players that have performed incredible feats in the past, not just the white ones we learn about in history class. The history curriculum we currently offer to American children is inaccurate and inadequate because it is presented as objective truth but is in biased in nature when we consider who wrote the history, who disseminated it, who was disadvantaged because of it and which stories are omitted from the textbooks. 

Illinois recently became the first state to require Asian American history to be taught in public schools– both elementary and high school. It is currently the only state with this kind of policy in place. While we commend this step in the right direction, as a nation, we need to do better. 

Please sign this petition to show your support for a more accurate and diverse picture of history and help us raise more informed, anti-racist and confident generations to come!