In 2020 and 2021, the United States has experienced increased Anti-asian violence. This violence has been a part of America’s history since its very beginning. So too, have been the triumphs, successes, and hard work of the Asian American Pacific Islander community. 

We are your neighbors, front-line workers, doctors, teachers, public servants. While Asian and Pacific Islanders have been building this country’s railroads, feeding its people, caring for patients, and creating some of its most innovative technology, much of America has turned a blind eye to this work and the people who are doing it. The ultimate culmination of this country-wide apathy has come in the form of erasure and violence.

In the month of May, Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, the country will celebrate our heritage and the work of the APA community. But the learning and celebration must last beyond a single month. For Americans to better know the history of this country, they must know the history of Asian and Pacific Islanders in America. 

It’s time for all Americans to understand the role of the APA community in the fabric of our country. By signing this pledge, I call on my state to add more Asian and Pacific Islander history to the state’s school curriculum. I also commit to educate myself about the struggles and triumphs of AAPI individuals, and celebrate AAPI voices in my community and workplace.