West Cook News

In response to the targeted attacks on the Asian-American community in Georgia, Illinois lawmakers discussed a proposal to require an Asian American history curriculum in schools.

That proposal became House Bill 376, which requires public elementary and high schools to include a unit of instruction in its curriculum studying the events of Asian American history.

The legislation is on third and final reading garnered the approval of the lower chamber of the Illinois General Assembly on Apr. 14.

For sponsor Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), the attacks and the subsequent action taken by her colleagues, it is personal.

"I applaud Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz's bill HB 376, which requires every public school to teach Asian American history," House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch (D-Hillside) said in an April 14 Facebook post. "As we see increased acts of hate against the Asian community, it's important our kids learn about their history. Thank you to the Asian American Caucus. We have your back."

Gong-Gershowitz, who is an attorney by profession and the second Asian-American to serve in the Assembly following Theresa Mah, said her family faced discrimination and deportation under the Chinese Exclusion Act.

“I knew nothing of my family’s history or the shared experiences of other Asian American families that are woven into the fabric of American society,” the lawmaker told WSIL.

“I first learned of the Chinese Exclusion Act and studied the constitutionality of incarcerating Asian Americans in the 1940s when I was in law school.”

Gong-Gershowitz added that she wants students to understand Asian-American history when there is increasing discrimination and abuse, stating what school districts choose to teach in their classrooms matters since empathy comes from understanding.

A gunman opened fire on three Atlanta-area spas on Mar. 16, killing eight people.

Six of the casualties were Asian women, prompting speculation that the incident was race-based.