The history of Asian Americans is rarely taught much in U.S. history class at any phase in K-12 education.
Maybe someone might throw an eggroll party in junior high and discuss the Chinese Exclusion Act. But it’s more likely that the subject is just excluded from curricula all across America.
Even in college, the exposure to Asian history as American history and not as “ethnic studies” is rare. Maybe there’s an incidental reference to Chinese Americans building the railroad.
And, generally, that’s it.
U.S. history? We’ve got wars to discuss.
Still, if you want to understand how some of our best colleges and universities have become 20, 30, even in excess of 40 percent Asian American then you need a basic history lesson.
We’re not talking international students now, but Asian Americans.
