Colorado Social Studies Standards
In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 19-1192 concerning the Inclusion of Matters Relating to American Minorities in the Teaching of Social Contributions in History and Civil Government in Public Schools. Members of the Colorado AANHPI for Action coalition were involved in different areas of the curriculum building that would ensure minority histories were taught in Colorado public schools.
After the submission of the new Social Studies Standards, the Colorado Board of Education returned a redlined version of the document that crossed out several mentions of Asian Americans, and excluded Pacific Islanders overall. Several other communities, namely the LGBTQIA+ community, was also crossed out. Then started the long journey of petitioning and advocating for the inclusion of our histories that included several letters signed by over 50+ AANHPI organizations, and culminated in the Colorado Board of Education meeting on November 10, 2022.
The coalition mobilized several leaders and organizations over the topic, and University of Denver Professor Mike Hoa Nguyen produced a letter with comprehensive amendment proposals. To view the letter in its entirety with each specific amendment request, please click here. During the Colorado Board of Education meeting, NHPI activist Shauna Medeiros-Tuilaepa, gave a moving testimony regarding the need to include Asian and Pacific Islander American histories. As a result of our efforts, the Colorado Board of Education officially re-included Asian Americans, and added Pacific Islanders to the standards.
The work was truly a comprehensive community effort with contributions and signers from the following organizations:
Action Against Hate
Ascent Inclusion Consulting, LLC
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado
Asian American Pacific Islander Democrats of Colorado
Asian Avenue Magazine
Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado
Asian Corporate Entrepreneurs Leaders (ACEL)
Asian Chamber Foundation of Colorado
Asian, Indian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Giving Circle
Asian Pacific Development Center
Asian Real Estate Association of America, Great Denver Chapter
Asian Roundtable of Colorado
Asian Girls Ignite
Au Malama Polynesian Dance Arts
Aurora Asian/Pacific Community Partnership
Chamorro (Guam) in Colorado Community Group
Chuukese in Colorado Community Group
Change Matrix
Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network
Colorado Asian Pacific United
Colorado Dragon Boat
Colorado Fijian Community Group
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Colorado Ohana for the Mainland Hawaiians and Hawaiians at Heart
Colorado Ohana Style Home Group
Community Organizing for Radical Empathy
Denver Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission
Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission
Empowerful Changes, LLC
Far East Center
Hālau Kalama Non Profit Organization
Hawaiians Living in Colorado Community Group
Japanese Arts Network
Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado
Kusima Kitchen
Little Saigon Denver
Mānava o Polynesia
Marshallese in Colorado Community Group
Mile High Japanese American Citizens League
The Nathan Yip Foundation
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado
No Ke Aloha, Inc
Palauan in Colorado Community Group
Pani Popo Productions
People’s Advisory Board for New Educational and Economic Goodwill
Piʻilani Civic Club of Colorado
Rocky Mountain Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy Chapter
Sakura Foundation
Samoan Golf Association
Samoan in Colorado Community Group
South Asian Democrats of Colorado
South Asian Bar Association of Colorado
Tehaniʻs Hula Colorado
Toelupe Law Office, LLC
Tokelauan in Colorado Community Group
Tongan in Colorado Community Group
Vietnamese Community of Colorado
