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AAPI History is now required in Florida education, here’s how I did it. A conversation with Oscar. Recorded 5/11/23
On May 9, MUVFL legislation to include AAPI history in our K-12 curriculum was signed into law. This has been a community effort over the past 2 years.
This is a unifying bill that has brought diverse communities together. We had 75 bi-partisan co sponsors from Florida, across religions, and races, and ethnicities.
Our initial stand-alone bill passed the House with unanimous support and we went through every committee in the House and Senate unanimously.
I’ve been grateful for the support from Floridians across the state and although this has been challenging, getting to the finish line is a major accomplishment.
This legislation will benefit Florida students in grades K-12 by teaching all histories together. By including AAPI history in K-12 education, alongside current required curriculum such as African American history, Holocaust education, and Hispanic contributions, we can all benefit from a more inclusive and accurate understanding of our shared history. Our histories are intertwined and cannot be told without one another.
Progress isn’t made in a day, it’s incremental. It happens one step at a time. In Florida, this has meant working across the aisle and compartmentalizing for me personally. It has not been easy, but it is necessary if I want to see change.
It has been a difficult 2 years of uncomfortable conversations and volunteering time I didn’t always have. It is healthy and necessary to celebrate progress when there is so much happening that is negative.
We can’t advocate for one another if we aren’t a part of the conversation. Now that this bill has passed, we are a part of the conversation.
I’m grateful that we have taken a huge step forward in helping ensure American history will be taught accurately. Celebrating this win does not diminish or push aside any of the very real struggles we face in Florida. However, because of this bill, we can stand stronger in solidarity with all communities whose stories have not been told.
Looking ahead, MUVFL will continue to work with diverse communities to ensure all FL K-12 schools and districts have access to curriculum that reflect all our histories and contributions.
If you want to hear the behind the scenes stories of how this bill became a law, listen on! Take your time, as Oscar and I chat for almost an hour and a half, and it still doesn’t share all of the work that went into making this happen.
Thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me from day one. I appreciate you.
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Discussed in this episode:
THE SIFU MIMI CHAN SHOW CREDITS Host: Mimi Chan Intro Music: Mike Relm
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