Chicago City Wire

With the lack of opportunities to learn about the contributions of their communities, students struggle to connect with their roots, Grace Pai stressed in her speech during the signing of the TEAACH Act.

Pai, Executive Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, worked with legislators to cease Asian hate.

“Representative Gong-Gershowitz and I presented the bill before the house education committee less than 24 hours after the horrific Atlanta mass shooting where 6 Asian-American women were murdered,” she said. “It is not enough to respond to hate incidents after they have occurred.”

Anti-Asian incidents have been happening throughout the country, striking fear into the community.

“This has been a difficult year for the Asian American community,” Pai stated. “We have faced increased racial violence especially related to COVID-19, and we have navigated the challenges of the pandemic like all other communities. The TEAACH Act was one way that our community came together to fight for a long-term solution to combat the discrimination and harmful stereotypes that can lead to violence.”

According to Pai, the legislation will directly impact over 100,000 Asian-American students across Illinois, and she finds that vital.

“We must be proactive and teach our youth to build bridges across lines of difference,” she stated. “Education alone will not solve racism but it is an important first step."

The signing of House Bill 376, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History or TEAACH Act, made Illinois the first state in the country to require a unit of Asian-American history to be taught in public schools.

Gov. J.B Pritzker signed the bill and enacted it into law on July 9. It will be effective on Jan. 1, 2022.

“Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asia American history, including the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th century onward,” the measure stated.