Asian American and Pacific Islander education to be part of Florida K-12 curriculum

ORLANDO, Fla. - Many are excited that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) education will be part of the K-12 curriculum. Advocates said it could help to cut down on AAPI hate.

Mimi Chan talks about being the inspiration for the movie Mulan. We’ve seen her in action at her martial arts studio, but now she’s exhausted from a real-life fight in Tallahassee that has pushed AAPI education in schools. 

"It is now a requirement in Florida to include AAPI history in our curriculum." 

This comes after many attacks against Asian Americans nationwide since the coronavirus pandemic took place. 

"Because of the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes over the last several years, education is the number one solution." Educate others about Asian Americans to crack down on attacks.

Chan is the director of the organization Make Us Visible Florida –  a group of parents, teachers, and students excited to see AAPI history in the classroom. "Learn about other Asian Americans who have been essential in building this country."

That includes Lou Gim Gong, a Chinese horticulturist from Florida. 

"[He] developed a cold-resistant orange, so that strand is now the Valencia Orange."

"It means a lot to me because, as an Asian American student, I’ve never had any lessons on Asian American history," said student Colin Poon.

Chan said it will take three to five years to incorporate this into history lessons.  It will not include the history of China or other world studies.