Arizona State Superintendent/Arizona Department of Education:

In recent years, Arizona public schools have made strides toward providing a more inclusive and diverse curriculum to K-12 students. There has been a notable improvement in providing access to books that expose students to literature that includes both racial and cultural diversity. However, we want to
propel these efforts forward to include multiracial representation to create a truly diverse educational experience that reflects all students in Arizona’s K-12 public schools. Every student deserves a world where they can see themselves in the pages of a book.

In 2022, Arizona became the 20th state in the nation to proclaim June 7-14 as Multiracial Heritage Week. This proclamation was in response to the increasing multiracial population within the state and the importance of acknowledging the multiracial demographic. Additionally, more than 33.8 million Americans, approximately 1 in 10, identify as being of two or more races, and the multiracial population has increased nationally by 276% from 2010 to the 2020 United States Census Bureau.

As more and more students identify as multiracial, it is important that they also have opportunities to see themselves represented in books and that they not be excluded. We also believe that including multiracial books will multiracial characters, stories, and experiences will also foster classroom
conversations resulting in a more accepting and understanding environment for all.

As a result, we specifically ask that the current state curriculum be reviewed, and the addition of 1-2 multiracial books are included in the curriculum for elementary, middle school, and high school grades in Arizona. Through this petition, we hope that this is the start of a new conversation that includes multiracial representation in Arizona’s public-school education.