Asian American Curriculum Project

Asian American Curriculum Project
Name	Asian American Curriculum Project
Formation	1970s
Type	Nonprofit educational publisher
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Areas served	United States
Focus	Asian American studies, multicultural education, K–12 curriculum

Asian American Curriculum Project is a nonprofit educational publisher founded to increase representation of Asian American histories and cultures in K–12 instructional materials. The organization developed textbooks, picture books, teacher guides, multimedia resources, and curricula intended for use in public school classrooms, community programs, and libraries. Operating from Minneapolis with national distribution, it has sought to bridge gaps in mainstream materials about communities such as Chinese American, Japanese American, Korean American, Filipino American, Vietnamese American, South Asian American, and Pacific Islander peoples.

History

The organization emerged amid the social movements of the late 1960s and 1970s, when activists in the Civil Rights Movement, Asian American Movement, and student organizations at campuses such as University of Minnesota and San Francisco State University advocated for ethnic studies programs. Early founders included community educators, activists, and authors influenced by figures associated with the Third World Liberation Front strikes and advocates who had worked on ethnic studies curricula alongside leaders from groups like Chinese Progressive Association and Korean American Coalition. Initial publications responded to curricular gaps exposed by events such as the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the immigration transformations after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Over subsequent decades the organization published resources addressing the experiences of immigrants linked to events like the Vietnam War, the Philippine–American War legacy, and displacement associated with the Partition of India.

Mission and Programs

The stated mission emphasizes accurate representation of Asian American histories and contemporary experiences, aiming to serve educators influenced by standards adopted in states such as California, New York, and Minnesota. Programs have included teacher-training workshops delivered in partnership with institutions like Smithsonian Institution, curriculum development projects connected to libraries such as the Library of Congress, and summer institutes hosted with universities including University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University. The organization has developed age-differentiated programs for preschool through secondary classrooms, responding to legislative frameworks like Every Student Succeeds Act where applicable and aligning materials with assessments used in districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools.

Publications and Educational Materials

Publications span picture books, biographies, lesson plans, posters, and audiovisual kits. Notable biographical treatments have focused on figures who appear in broader American and Asian diasporic narratives such as Yuri Kochiyama-era activists, civil rights-era contemporaries linked to Grace Lee Boggs, community leaders reminiscent of Fred Korematsu and educators with profiles similar to Emma Gee. Educational readers have addressed migration histories related to the Gold Rush, labor movements illustrated by links to the Chinese Exclusion Act era, and wartime experiences connected to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Materials incorporate primary-source packets featuring documents akin to those held in archives like National Archives and Records Administration and oral histories of families comparable to collections at the Japanese American National Museum.

The press has also produced culturally specific resources for languages and literatures tied to figures in the Tagalog literary tradition, poets linked to the Nuyorican milieu for comparative units, and translations reflecting authors similar to Amy Tan and Vikram Seth insofar as literary representation in classrooms. Curricula frequently include teacher guides modeled on standards utilized by organizations such as the National Council for the Social Studies and examples of scaffolded lessons paralleling resources from the Annenberg Foundation media projects.

Impact and Reception

Educators, librarians, and community organizations have cited the materials for filling curricular voids in ethnic representation across states including Washington (state), Massachusetts, and Hawaii. Academic reviewers in journals tied to Asian American Studies programs and education faculties at institutions like Yale University and Stanford University have noted the Project’s role in shaping K–12 instruction about diasporic histories, while critics in some cases urged deeper engagement with intersectional frameworks advocated by scholars connected to bell hooks-style critiques and intersectionality work associated with scholars influenced by Kimberlé Crenshaw. The organization’s resources have been adopted in museum education programs at venues such as the Wing Luke Museum and historical exhibits curated by staff from institutions like the Museum of Chinese in America.

Funding and Governance

Funding historically combined foundation grants, sales revenue, and individual donations; major philanthropic supporters have mirrored portfolios similar to those of the Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and regional funders that support cultural projects. Governance has typically included a board composed of educators, authors, librarians, and community leaders with affiliations to entities like Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Teaching Tolerance (Learning for Justice), and local school committees. Financial oversight and nonprofit filings align with regulations overseen by state authorities in Minnesota and reporting practices common to nonprofits reviewed by auditors servicing organizations such as United Way affiliates.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations span academic, cultural, and community partners. The Project has worked with university ethnic studies departments at institutions like University of California, Los Angeles, cultural centers such as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and advocacy groups including Japanese American Citizens League and Chinese American Museum. Book distribution and curricular dissemination have leveraged networks of public libraries including the New York Public Library system and nonprofit distributors that cooperate with school districts exemplified by Denver Public Schools. Cross-cultural exchanges and joint programming have been conducted with Pacific Islander organizations and South Asian community groups that maintain ties to institutions like the South Asian American Digital Archive.

Category:Asian American organizations