No Hint of Rioting During My...  •  Yoon's Fate Should Be a Key...  •  Pitcher Kumar Rocker’s Histo...  •  American Kids to Learn AAPI...  •  Breast Cancer Rates Rising F...  •  Major Carmakers in Full Pani...  •  Elon's Peeve Takes on Don's...
No Hint of Rioting D...  •  American Kids to Lea...  •  Pitcher Kumar Rocker...  •  Yoon's Fate Should B...  •  Breast Cancer Rates...
                                                             

Subscribe

Subscribe Now to receive Goldsea updates!

  • Subscribe for updates on Goldsea: Asian American Supersite
Subscribe Now

American Kids to Learn AAPI History on Online Platforms
By Najla Zaidi | 10 Jun, 2025

Several online platforms offer resources for teaching Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history, catering to K-12 educators and broader audiences.

A slew of online resources is now providing educators the tools they need to teach AAPI history in K through 12 classrooms across the country.

The landmark Illinois TEAACH Act, passed in 2021, mandated the inclusion of Asian American history in public elementary and high school curriculums in the state.  Then a report released in 2023 found all 50 states along with the District of Columbia have either laws in place or bills that have been introduced that set requirements and or standards for either Asian American Studies or ethnic studies.

As states have adopted this legislation, educators are faced with a new challenge, finding standards-aligned materials to effectively teach AAPI history across all grade levels.  This is where the online platforms enter and there are several excellent sources to choose from.

The Asian American Foundation’s (TAAF) AAPI History Hub is a first-of-its-kind online educational platform designed to provide K-12 educators with access to hundreds of high-quality, classroom-ready curricular resources covering Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history.   With over 54 new lesson plans, guides, and classroom tools from leading education partners and school districts such as Asian American Voices for Education, AAPI New Jersey, Diversify Our Narrative, Sikh Coalition, and the New York City Department of Education, the program is designed to guide and deepen educator engagement.

“The AAPI History Hub is more than a collection of lesson plans, it’s a movement to make sure every student sees themselves in American history,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “This new version builds on our commitment to help educators teach with confidence, accuracy, and cultural relevance.”

The AAPI History Hub is a collective project funded by The Asian American Foundation and co-created with key partners and contributors, including The Social Studies Accelerator, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Chicago, The Asian American Education Project, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, and The DataFace.

“Belonging starts with learning,” said Chen.  “When AANHPI students see themselves represented in the curriculum, and their peers learn about the profound impact that Asian Americans have had on this country, we can cultivate a sense of shared humanity,” he added.  “We believe the AAPI History Hub will help equip educators to foster that feeling of belonging and inclusion in classrooms across the country.”

TeachAAPI is a platform dedicated to providing early learning resources and activities that introduce young learners to AAPI cultures and stories.  The organization aims to foster understanding and broaden perspectives through play-based learning.  TeachAAPI was founded in 2021 by a group of impassioned parents who came together during the height of anti-Asian sentiment triggered by the pandemic. 

Their founders decided to create systemic change in the perception of Asians in America through enhancing AAPI education in schools across the country.  Their goal is to provide all children with tools to understand and advocate for themselves and their peers, to break the cycle of racism.  TeachAAPI supports educators and students nationwide, including those in public schools, private schools, and homeschooling.

Established in 1997, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) works to ensure the representation and inclusion of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the Smithsonian’s collections, research, exhibitions, and programs. 

These contributions encompass an extensive collection of online lesson plans, interactive activities, and multimedia materials, all tailored to various grade levels and subjects. Educators can access primary source documents, museum exhibits, and expert-curated content, allowing them to enhance their classroom instruction and engage students in rich, real-world learning experiences.   Educators no longer must take their students to the Smithsonian as the online platform brings the museum and all its resources right to the classroom itself.

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has produced Asian Americans, which is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold perspective on a history that matters today, now more than ever.  The docuseries is expressed through intimate and personal lives, where it cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played in shaping the nation’s story.  These are the stories most Americans and American students of all races have most likely never been exposed to. 

The Wing Luke Museum has created curriculum sets to blend Asian and Pacific Islander histories into social studies, language arts, and history courses designed to meet Common Core, Washington State Social Studies Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR), and Grade Level Expectation (GLE) standards by grade level.  The curriculum helps steer student comprehension, analysis, and personal connection to history and contemporary social studies using literature, oral histories, multimedia resources, and virtual interaction with historical objects.

The need for inclusive history has never been greater.  A recent Stanford Report shows US textbooks portray Asians in a limited and negative light.  An analysis shows only 1% of sentences contained any mention of Asians or Asian Americans and most of the references were related to war and foreign affairs rather than contributions to society.  In addition, 40% of Americans see Asian Americans as more loyal to their country of origin than the US and 1 in 4 say they have no primary relationship with an Asian American such as a neighbor coworker or friend.

According to TAAF’s 2025 STAATUS Index, nearly 80% of Americans support specific initiatives aimed at uplifting Asian American communities, with 41% backing legislation requiring Asian American history be taught in schools.  Americans rank knowledge of Asian immigrant histories (66%), facts about discrimination (52%), and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander cultural traditions (49%) as top topics for public schools to teach.

The STAATUS Index also found that 63% of Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in their day-to-day lives and fear they will be victims of discrimination in the next five years, yet 48% of Americans believe Asian Americans are treated fairly, the highest level in five years.  The disconnect underscores how urgently we need education that reflects the lived experiences of Asian Americans.

“When AANHPI students see themselves represented in the curriculum, and their peers learn about the profound impact that Asian Americans have had on this country, we can cultivate a sense of shared humanity,” Chen added.

Educators use online resources to teach AAPI history.

Articles

Asian American Success Stories