UPDATE

On December 16, 2022, the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released its Draft K-12 Social Standards for public review and comment. DC residents are encouraged to offer their feedback by the deadline, February 10, 2023. You can read the standards and submit comments at https://osse.dc.gov/page/social-studies-0.

In January 2023, students from Globalize DC’s Japanese Plus program, who had previously worked on the Japanese Tamago #Stop Asian Hate Project, reviewed the new draft standards in detail. On January 18, Chamiya Carnathan and Penelope Morris testified at the public meeting of the DC State Board of Education to share their objections to the new standards. Penelope said, “We realized that none of our recommendations were followed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and in many ways the standards have regressed in their inclusion of Asians and Asian Americans.” You can read their testimony here and here.

Here you can read their initial review of the Draft Social Studies Standards, dated February 1, 2023.

And here you can see their compilation of all the new K-12 draft social studies standards that mention Asia, Asians, or Asian Americans to assist in your own review.

We invite any DC resident or other interested person to add your voice to our students’ advocacy on behalf of more meaningful inclusion of Asia, Asians, and Asian Americans in the revised DC K-12 social studies standards. Contact sally@globalizedc.org if you are interested in getting involved in this project.

Background

Japanese Tamago students have decided to take a stand against anti-Asian/Asian American hate and violent attacks that have risen so sharply over the last year. The goal is to take a stand, to make student voices heard, and to make a difference.  

In the early part of 2021, Japanese Tamago students discussed the disturbing developments that were dominating the news, and created a planning committee that met weekly to come up with a proposal to share with the whole group. The full class discussed and agreed with the proposal. We used the occasion of the 2021 Sakura Matsuri and Japan Bowl, both sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, where so many people with a passion for Japan and Japanese culture gather, to share this concept with the public for the first time.

The Project

This will be an educational project designed to increase understanding of the issues and context around anti-Asian hate, including history and the connections between Asian American struggles and those of other communities. It will be designed to build empathy through personal stories and interviews, especially since many participants may not have their own direct experience or relationships with Asians or Asian Americans. Japanese Tamago students will be in a process of continual learning while sharing educational experiences (webinars, interviews) with others.

Japanese Tamago students will bring a unique perspective, as DC students and as representatives of the many people (young and old) who are interested in Asian language or culture, such as anime, K-pop, etc., but who may not have any prior personal connection to the lives of actual Asian Americans.  

First Step: DC Social Studies Standards Review and Recommendations for DC Schools

In 2021 the DC Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE), with guidance from the DC State Board of Education, began the process of revising DC’s social studies standards, which determine what is taught in PK-12 social studies classrooms in all DCPS and DC charter schools. Understanding this opportunity, a group of Japanese Tamago students decided to closely review the old social studies standards, to discuss and make observations, and then to collectively develop recommendations for better ways to teach DC students about Asia and Asian Americans. On June 2nd, at the SY2020-21 Japanese Tamago Final Presentation, these findings and recommendations were released to the public.

What You Can Do Now

If this issue matters to you and you wish to be involved or learn more, please fill out this short form so we can be in touch.

Thank you.