02/08/2024 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

         SB 131-ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:34:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI announced  the consideration  of  SENATE BILL  NO.                                                              
131 "An Act  requiring education in the history  and contributions                                                              
of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:34:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON,  District G, Alaska  State Legislature,                                                              
Juneau, Alaska,  as sponsor for  SB 131, she provided  the sponsor                                                              
statement:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sponsor Statement                                                                                      
                        Senate Bill 131                                                                                         
           Asian American/ Pacific Islanders Program                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Bill  131  requires  schools  in  the  State  of                                                                   
     Alaska   to  educate   students  on   the  history   and                                                                   
     contributions    of   Asian   Americans    and   Pacific                                                                   
     Islanders.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     This  curriculum will  be  established  and provided  by                                                                   
     each  school  district  for   students  in  kindergarten                                                                   
     through grade  12. The contributions of  Asian Americans                                                                   
     and  Pacific  Islanders  are  aplenty  and  need  to  be                                                                   
     taught  in schools.  In addition to  teaching about  the                                                                   
     contributions  of  the  two  communities,  schools  will                                                                   
     also  educate  students  on the  cultural  and  economic                                                                   
     diversity  of  the  communities. May  is  Asian  Pacific                                                                   
     American History  Month and was established as  a way to                                                                   
     commemorate  the  immigration   of  the  first  Japanese                                                                   
     individuals  to  the  US in  1843.  There  are  numerous                                                                   
     sister cities  between Japan and Alaska. Closest  one to                                                                   
     Juneau is Nemuro,  Japan. It is an ocean  facing fishing                                                                   
     port.  As  early  as 1788  there  were  Filipino  seamen                                                                   
     contacting  Alaskan  Natives.  As Alaska  developed  our                                                                   
     natural resource  industries, there was a  steady stream                                                                   
     of  Filipino   immigrant  workers.   May  is  also   the                                                                   
     anniversary    of    the    Transcontinental    railroad                                                                   
     completion  where  most  of  the  workers  were  Chinese                                                                   
     Immigrants.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Although   we  are  recognizing   Asian  Americans   and                                                                   
     Pacific Islanders  as a group,  they are very  different                                                                   
     and  have  their  individual  traditions,  culture,  and                                                                   
     ways of  life. It  is important to  teach our youth  the                                                                   
     differences    within   these    cultures   and    their                                                                   
     significance to our country.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:37:51 PM                                                                                                                    
LUMA DIAZ, Staff, Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska State                                                                       
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis                                                                   
for SB 131:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                 Sectional Analysis for SB 131                                                                                
         Asian American and Pacific Islanders Programs                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1: AS  14.30 is amended by adding  a new section                                                                 
     to  article  10  which will  require  schools  to  teach                                                                   
     students  about the history  and contributions  of Asian                                                                   
     Americans  and  Pacific  Islanders.   Each  school  will                                                                   
     establish  a program  that is specific  to the  history,                                                                   
     contributions, culture  and economic diversity  of Asian                                                                   
     Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:38:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked if there is a test requirement or a way to                                                                 
ensure students are studying this type of education.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:39:01 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON replied that the requirement is not                                                                        
currently included in SB 131.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:39:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MERRICK expressed concerns about other types of                                                                         
curriculum getting bumped and stated that there is already a                                                                    
packed curriculum.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:39:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  replied that it is her  understanding SB 131                                                              
would not remove curriculum.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:39:41 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MERRICK  asked if  it  would be  a  part  of the  history                                                              
curriculum.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:39:42 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON replied yes.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:40:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened invited and public testimony.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:40:20 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:42:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   KAWASAKI  reconvened   the  meeting   and  heard   invited                                                              
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:43:14 PM                                                                                                                    
JEFF  CHEN, representing  self,  Anchorage,  Alaska, testified  in                                                              
support  of SB 131.  He said  he grew  up as  a third culture  kid                                                              
(TCK), which  means he  was raised  in a  culture other  than what                                                              
his parents experienced.  He said he does not  recall being taught                                                              
Asian  American   curriculum  in  school  until   college.  During                                                              
childhood, behaviors  and stories  are learned from  families, but                                                              
people learn  about each other from  teachers at school,  which is                                                              
where  similarities  and  differences  are  negotiated  and  where                                                              
friends  are met.  It  is also  a  place where  assumptions  about                                                              
others, bullying, and  racism have a ripple effect.  As a child of                                                              
immigrants,  he wanted to  fit in  and didn't  care about  his own                                                              
roots, which is  a common experience for minority  students across                                                              
the country.  However, he now feels  pride for his  Asian American                                                              
background.  Learning about  each other and  oneself is  important                                                              
for  identity   development,  builds   respect,  and   fosters  an                                                              
understanding about  different races  and ethnicities. He  said as                                                              
an adult, he  worked with youth in schools across  Alaska, brought                                                              
students  to   the  legislature,   and  has  helped   youth  think                                                              
critically and  lovingly about  who they are  and where  they come                                                              
from  and I  know that  makes a  positive  impact on  youth. As  a                                                              
journalist and  producer, he  has helped to  share the  stories of                                                              
Asian  Alaskans, such  as Representative  Thelma Buchholdt,  Asian                                                              
and  Pacific Island  cannery  workers  who helped  build  Alaska's                                                              
world-class  fisheries. These  stories  matter and  deserve to  be                                                              
taught in  history. Although a  reflection of historical  pain, it                                                              
is important  to include  legislation like  the Chinese  Exclusion                                                              
Act. In 2022,  he received a Rasmussen Foundation  award to create                                                              
a photo exhibit  that explores the stories of  Taiwanese Alaskans.                                                              
He offered  to contribute  his work  to the  curriculum should  SB
 pass. When  people intentionally learn about  each other, they                                                              
grow as a community.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:46:30 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. CHEN  added that Juneau  was a sister  city to  Chia Yi, where                                                              
his family is from.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:47:38 PM                                                                                                                    
ULUAO  AUMAVAE,  Chief  Equity   Officer,  Office  of  Equity  and                                                              
Justice, Anchorage,  Alaska, testified  in support  of SB  131. He                                                              
said it  is important  that the AAPI  program is included  because                                                              
of its historical  importance in the U.S. It would  also cover the                                                              
commitment  to  inclusivity,  which   helped  found  the  country.                                                              
Alaska  has   a  connection   to  its   sister  cities   and  this                                                              
legislation   would   demonstrate   the  state's   commitment   to                                                              
partnerships  across  the  world.  It  would  also  diversify  the                                                              
portfolio  for  school  districts  so  students  can  learn  about                                                              
individuals who  live in Anchorage  and across Alaska, as  well as                                                              
different cultural traditions.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:49:47 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  asked the  Chief Equity  Officer if  that is                                                              
an official position of the municipality.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:50:0 PM                                                                                                                     
MR. AUMAVAE replied that it is an official position.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:50:36 PM                                                                                                                    
JOONSUK  PARK,  Consul  General,  Consulate  of  the  Republic  of                                                              
Korea, Anchorage,  Alaska, invited testimony  for SB 131.  He said                                                              
American history  encompasses the story of immigrants  from around                                                              
the world seeking  freedom and prosperity. The  legacy of freedom,                                                              
diversity,  and inclusivity  in  the United  States has  blossomed                                                              
into the spirit  of democracy. Many nations oppose  these precious                                                              
democratic  values. Since  its independence  in  1776, the  United                                                              
States has  constantly advanced  the political idea  of pluralism.                                                              
Although  all  forms of  discrimination  against  minorities  have                                                              
been   shaped  through   milestones  such   as  the   Emancipation                                                              
Proclamation  of 1863 and  the Civil Rights  Act of  1960, schools                                                              
educate future  generations about  America's remarkable  progress.                                                              
However,  AAPI have  not been  equally recognized  in history.  He                                                              
spoke to the  first wave of seven thousand Korean  immigrants that                                                              
came to Hawaii.  More than two million Koreans reside  in the U.S.                                                              
AAPI  have  brought  rich  cultures   and  diversity  to  American                                                              
society  and  consistently  contribute  to  its  development.  The                                                              
percentage of  AAPI before  1970 was less  than one  percent. Now,                                                              
they represent  eight percent  of the  population. He  opined that                                                              
the contribution  of AAPI should  be taught in Alaska  through the                                                              
passage of SB 131.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:58:00 PM                                                                                                                    
KIYANA FONUA, representing  self, Anchorage, Alaska,  testified in                                                              
support  of  SB  131.  She  said  she  would  like  to  see  equal                                                              
representation for  Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders,  and Asian                                                              
Americans  in school  curriculum  to  educate students  about  the                                                              
cultures of  people who live  within Anchorage, in  the community,                                                              
and across  the state.  She suggested  emphasizing the  importance                                                              
of teaching Native  Hawaiian history truthfully.  The education of                                                              
core values,  histories,  and traditions  in history could  inform                                                              
the next generation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:59:27 PM                                                                                                                    
MAVIS BOONE,  representing self,  Anchorage, Alaska,  testified in                                                              
support  of SB  131. She  said she  is  Samoan and  serves as  the                                                              
Director  of  Programs  for  the   Pacific  Community  of  Alaska.                                                              
According  to  the  census,  Alaska   is  home  to  18,668  Native                                                              
Hawaiian  and Pacific  Islanders,  which  increased  from 2010  by                                                              
67.4 percent.  SB 131  is an  important first  step to  ensure the                                                              
education system  reflects all of  people's histories,  creates an                                                              
inclusive and enriching  learning environment to  promote personal                                                              
and  academic growth.  Acknowledgment  and  celebration go  beyond                                                              
representation and  also involve fostering empathy  among students                                                              
and  educators.  She expressed  her  belief  that  it is  time  to                                                              
embrace diversity  in Alaska, so people understand  each other and                                                              
each individual culture and can work together in unity.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:01:22 PM                                                                                                                    
TAFILISAUNOA  TOLEAFOA,  representing  self,  Executive  Director,                                                              
Pacific  Community  of  Alaska, Anchorage,  Alaska,  testified  in                                                              
support  of SB  131. She  said she  is originally  from Samoa  and                                                              
speaks  today  on  behalf  of the  Pacific  Community  of  Alaska.                                                              
School district  data demonstrates that Tagalog,  Mung, and Samoan                                                              
are in  the top  five languages  spoken in  homes. Including  this                                                              
measure as requirement  would help kids see themselves  in history                                                              
and  know   that  their  ancestors,   who  were   often  silenced,                                                              
contributed to  the history  of the U.S.  SB 131 would  elevate an                                                              
understanding  of  these  communities.  She said  she  would  like                                                              
people  from these  communities  to  participate  in creating  the                                                              
curriculum to  ensure the  truth is spoken  into power,  and shine                                                              
light on falsified history.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:04:40 PM                                                                                                                    
LORI  PICKETT,   Executive  Director,  Alaska   Literacy  Program,                                                              
Anchorage,  Alaska, testified  in support  of SB  131. She  stated                                                              
AAPI communities  in Alaska  make people  stronger and  healthier.                                                              
There is great  value in teaching children about  the rich history                                                              
and vital contributions they have made and continue to make.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:05:55 PM                                                                                                                    
LUSIANA   HANSEN,   CEO,   Polynesian   Association   of   Alaska,                                                              
Anchorage,  Alaska, testified  in support  of SB  131. She  stated                                                              
her belief  that SB  131 is long  overdue and  there is  no reason                                                              
AAPI should  be excluded  from the  curriculum. Some other  states                                                              
already  have similar  legislation  in  place. According  to  data                                                              
from 2020,  there is  a population  of about  77,366 AAPI  people.                                                              
Thirty-nine  thousand are  registered voters.  It is important  to                                                              
establish AAPI  history and  language of  AAPI in curriculum.  She                                                              
collaborated  with AAPI  communities  to bring  awareness to  this                                                              
issue.  The many  contributions  from these  communities make  the                                                              
state a better place  to live. Students learn from  each other and                                                              
could help combat  harmful language toward different  cultures. SB
  could  also   bring  an  educational  understanding   of  how                                                              
different communities have been historically categorized.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:12:03 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI closed  public and [invited] testimony  and held SB
 in committee.