Illinois Schools to Teach Asian American History as TEAACH Act Gets Guv's Nod

The TEAACH Act ratified by the Illinois legislature in April and June respectively has been signed by the Governor.

For the academic year 2022-23, every public elementary and high school will have a unit on the Asian American history in Illinois and the Midwest as Governor JB Pritzker signed the TEAACH Act into law on 10 July.

We are setting a new standard for what it means to truly reckon with our history.

It’s a new standard that helps us understand one another, and, ultimately, to move ourselves closer to the nation of our ideals. https://t.co/9c7kfZ5ioC

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) July 9, 2021

What is the TEAACH Act?

The TEAACH, or Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, suggests teaching school students about the contribution of Asian Americans in the civil rights movement, government and diplomacy, art, science and various other fields.

The legislation builds on the progress the state has made in ensuring the content taught in Illinois classrooms reflects the diversity of the people who call Illinois home. With the recent rise in acts of violence and bigotry against the Asian American community, teaching students about rich culture and important contributions of the Asian American community throughout history will help combat false stereotypes.

Press Release from the Governors Office

Although the legislation mentions specific areas of study, the individual school boards are entrusted with deciding upon the curriculum. The Illinois State Board of Education will provide the schools with instructional material and also deliberate on the number of hours the subject needs to be taught for.

This TEAACH legislation will not only better educate all of our young minds about the contributions of Asian Americans and their communities and culture, but it will give our Asian Americans students a chance to learn about the experiences and stories they have a personal connection with. Illinois is now a leader for the entire nation, and it's our children, our future, who will be better because of it.

House Speaker Emanuel "Chris"  Welch (D-Westchester), The Press release by the Governor's Office

A Landmark for Inclusion

The legislation introduced in the House by State Senator Ram Villivalam and State Rep Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz aims to solve the problem of discrimination and racial hate through means of education. It aims to highlight the diversity of the population of Illinois and includes the Asian American community as part of the American history.

The TEAACH Act is a landmark act passed by the Illinois State. It came at a time when anti-Asian hate was at its peak during the coronavirus pandemic and now is a model for other states like California to build legislation upon. An important feature of the Act is that even though it asks for teaching of the racist past, it is modelled on the inclusion aspect. It is narrowed down to the Asian American community which makes it easier to legislate and implement.