Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill to Mandate Asian American History Lessons in Schools

The governor said the Hmong and Asian American communities are a ‘critical part’ of Wisconsin’s history.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks to supporters during an election night event at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, on Nov. 8, 2022. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed bipartisan legislation that will require Hmong and Asian American histories to be taught in K-12 schools.

Mr. Evers’s office stated that the bill ensures that Hmong and Asian American histories are preserved for generations to come, recognizing the contributions these communities have made to the state.

Wisconsin has the third-largest Hmong population in the United States. According to the Hmong American Center, around 50,000 Hmong Americans are living in many communities across the state.

“The Hmong and Asian American communities are a critical part of our state’s history, culture, economy, and our future,” Mr. Evers stated in a press release.

“It’s important that we celebrate our shared histories and honor the people who help make Wisconsin the state it is today,” the governor added.

Current Wisconsin law requires K-12 schools to teach black, Hispanic, and Native American histories. The new law adds Hmong and Asian American histories to this required curriculum.

The goal is to promote greater awareness and understanding of Hmong and Asian American histories, cultures, and traditions in Wisconsin.

“I’ve been proud to sign several key pieces of bipartisan legislation into law to recognize the contributions Hmong and Asian American folks have made to our state and our country, and this bill builds upon those efforts, ensuring the histories and stories of Hmong and Asian American communities are part of state curriculum for future generations,” Mr. Evers said.

Mr. Evers signed the bill at an elementary school in Wausau, Wisconsin, which is home to about 4,700 Hmong people.

Hmong Americans comprise about 12 percent of Wausau’s residents, making it the city with the highest per capita Hmong population in both the state and the United States.

The Wisconsin governor also signed legislation last month that will allow Hmong veterans to have veteran status on their driver’s license or ID.

Persecuted as an ethnic minority in their ancestral lands in China, the Hmong fled first to the mountains of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. There, tens of thousands fought for the United States in the Vietnam War.

When Communist regimes swept the region, they escaped to refugee camps in neighboring Thailand and, starting in the mid-1970s, resettled largely in California farm country, Minneapolis, and central Wisconsin.

The Hmong American Center stated that there are roughly 230,000 Hmong people residing in the United States, with the largest populations located in California (80,000), Minnesota (70,000), and Wisconsin.

A group of Lao and Hmong veteran soldiers who fought in Vietnam and Loas salute during a ceremony to dedicate a new Lao Hmong American War Memorial at Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno, Calif. Dec. 21, 2005. AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Craig Kohrluss, File

In July 2021, Illinois became the first state in the nation to sign a bill requiring a unit of Asian American history to be taught in public schools amid a surge in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office stated that educating students about the significant contributions of the Asian American community throughout history “will help combat false stereotypes.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.