North Carolina Advocates Push for Asian American Education, Hate Crime Bills
Asian American advocates rallied at the state capitol to push lawmakers on education reform and hate crime prevention measures affecting North Carolina’s 300,000-plus AAPI residents.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — Asian American advocates and lawmakers urged the North Carolina General Assembly Wednesday to pass legislation that incorporates AAPI contributions into school curricula and addresses hate crimes during the annual Asian American Advocacy Day.
North Carolina Asian Americans Together organized the press conference to promote two key pieces of legislation aimed at addressing educational gaps and community safety concerns for the state’s growing Asian American population.
House Bill Targets Educational Inclusion
The advocacy group worked with lawmakers to introduce House Bill 835, “Learning AAPI Contributions in Schools.” The legislation would ensure the inclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions in American history curriculum, including their work on the transcontinental railroad and Civil Rights Movement.
Rep. Ya Liu (D-Wake) said the measure has gained traction at the local level. “In one of the high schools in my district, Green Hope High School, the history teacher started to teach a course on AAPI history, which is so popular that it will be one of the elective courses in Wake County,” Liu said.
Growing Asian American Population
More than 300,000 Asian Americans live in North Carolina, according to Carolina Demography. Asian Americans represent one of the fastest growing communities in both the state and across the South.
Phuong Tran, communications director at North Carolina Asian Americans Together, said the organization celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. The group was founded to provide a voice in the state policy arena for the needs of Asian communities.
“Too many people felt invisible, spoken about or to, but not with,” Tran said. “So we set out to change that, and over the past decade, we built a multilingual state infrastructure for civic participation.”
Decade of Advocacy Work
North Carolina Asian Americans Together has worked to address what advocates describe as a lack of representation and understanding of Asian American experiences in state policy and education. The organization has focused on creating pathways for civic engagement among Asian American communities throughout North Carolina.
The advocacy day represents the group’s ongoing efforts to engage with state lawmakers on issues affecting Asian American residents. The press conference highlighted both educational reform and hate crime prevention as priority areas for legislative action.
The bills come as Asian American communities nationwide have reported increased concerns about discrimination and violence, prompting calls for enhanced protections and greater cultural understanding through education.
