S. 1844 — Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History Act of 2025

This section states 27 congressional findings recognizing the historical contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the United States; the Eurocentric focus and stereotypical portrayals in K-12 curricula and textbooks; a history of racist immigration laws and policies (e.g., Page Act of 1875, Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Immigration Acts of 1917 and 1924, Executive Order 9066); military service and sacrifices (e.g., Pacific Islanders' high enlistment and casualty rates); and ongoing issues including the model minority myth, hate crimes, and intertwined civil rights struggles.

This section revises the American history and civics education program (20 U.S.C. 6661(a)) to require that American history—which funds grants and activities to improve K-12 instruction in history, civics, and government—shall include Asian Pacific American history. It makes conforming revisions throughout related programs, including (1) the Presidential and Congressional Academies for American History and Civics (20 U.S.C. 6662), which provide professional development for teachers and students; (2) national activities (20 U.S.C. 6663), which support model programs, clearinghouses, and other efforts; and (3) the National Assessment of Educational Progress framework for American history (20 U.S.C. 9622), to similarly require inclusion of Asian Pacific American history. The section also requires the academies to collaborate with the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center to provide programs and resources for educators and students.