Make Us Visible

Our Make Us Visible coloring book has found its way into the hands of these three governors, and much activity around Asian American history education has been happening in their states: In Pennsylvania, Make Us Visible PA volunteers are working to get HB 779/SB 839 passed to require the teaching of AAPI history in their K-12 public schools. They hope this bill makes it all the way to Governor Josh Shapiro's office. In Virginia, Make Us Visible VA volunteers worked to include a state budget amendment that provides $100,000 to develop an Asian American history curriculum. Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the budget into law last month. In Oregon, Make Us Visible OR volunteers are working to ensure that the implementation of HB 2845 includes the teaching of Asian American history. HB 2845 is a K-12 ethnic studies bill that was passed in 2017. Governor Tina Kotek was the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives at the time. Want to be part of the advocacy activity in these states or our other state chapters? Go to https://lnkd.in/eyY2HWKD to fill out a volunteer interest form. #MakeUsVisible #ColoringBook #EducationalResource

Last month was an exciting time for our educational resources! We released several free resources to make Asian American history and stories more accessible. Go to https://lnkd.in/eyY2HWKD to access resources from both us and BrainPOP. #MakeUsVisible #EducationalResources

Last month was a busy time for us with lots of events celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We appreciate the many opportunities we had to share our mission of integrating Asian American history in K-12 classrooms. Thank you to the many organizations that invited us to their events! The Metropolitan Museum of Art Financial Times Girl Scouts of Greater New York McKinsey & Company Velvet.Co Áwet New York AARP AARP California BSE Global Robinson+Cole Smithsonian Institution White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum #MakeUsVisible #AsianPacificAmericanHeritageMonth

We are excited to announce that Delaware Senate Bill 297 has passed! This bill was led by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend and House Member Sophie Phillips, the only AANHPI member of the Delaware General Assembly. SB 297 requires the inclusion of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history as well as other racial, ethnic, and cultural histories in Delaware's K-12 classrooms. On May 21, 2024, SB 297 passed unanimously in the Delaware Senate. It then passed unanimously in the Delaware House of Representatives on June 26, 2024. After this bill is signed by the Governor, Delaware will become the 7th state to require AANHPI history in K-12 classrooms, after IL, NJ, CT, RI, FL, and WI. Make Us Visible is proud to have led efforts in 5 of these states. Thank you to everyone involved in bringing inclusive education to Delaware! Devin Jiang Yunfei Lou, MAS #MakeUsVisible #Delaware #AANHPI #AANHPIHIstory

Last month during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, three of our state chapters hosted community launch events. These were fun opportunities for families, educators, and neighbors to come together and share food and conversation about the importance of incorporating Asian American history into their states' K-12 classrooms. Also, our new MUV x National Park Service coloring book debuted at the events! MUV SC held their event in Columbia, MUV NY held theirs in Scarsdale, and MUV PA's was in Harrisburg. Interested in being part of the conversation as a volunteer for one of our 24 state chapters? Go to https://lnkd.in/eyY2HWKD to fill out a volunteer interest form. #MakeUsVisible #Community #AsianPacificAmericanHeritageMonth

We're halfway through the year, and we've introduced Asian American history education bills in 8 states so far. This isn't possible without the hard work and dedication of state chapter volunteers 👏 We believe teaching Asian American history serves as a long-term preventative measure against hate and bullying. It cultivates empathy, belonging, and pride, helping all Americans see ourselves as having an important stake in our shared heritage and country. We envision a future where Asian American history is taught in K-12 schools in all 50 states. If you want to be part of making this vision a reality, join our movement by donating, volunteering, or starting a state chapter. Go to https://makeusvisible.org to get started #MakeUsVisible #AsianAmericanHistory

Our third coloring book is printed and ready to be shared! Created in collaboration with National Park Service, the coloring book features 25 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander historic figures and communities significant to National Park sites. A free digital download is available at https://lnkd.in/eY-zivE4 If you'd like a complimentary physical copy, email hello@makeusvisible.org. Thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraiser to print the coloring book. Thank you to ADMERASIA, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, and Pacific Historic Parks for partnering with us to create it! #MakeUsVisible #NationalParkService #EducationalResource

At Make Us Visible, we've teamed up with Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum (NAPAM) to gather support for the creation of the National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Over the past two months, we've collected letters from 213 elected officials across 17 states expressing their support for a Smithsonian museum to share and honor the vibrant cultures and histories of our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. These letters will be delivered to Congress. In 2022, Congress passed a law establishing a commission to create a report on how to make this museum a reality. Once established, this bi-partisan commission will have 18 months to develop and present their report. Congress will then need to authorize the creation and funding of the museum before site selection and construction can begin. The Museum faces a long road ahead. Fortunately, Friends of NAPAM are a group of citizens who’ve passionately taken on the task of keeping the momentum going on this effort. You can learn more about the Museum’s progress and how you can get involved at https://friendsofnapam.org. #ISupportNAPAM #AANHPIHeritageMonth

Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our nation's military. Thank you to all military members and their families for your service. These are the Asian American and Pacific Islander figures featured in our coloring books who were called to serve their country through military service. Learn more about them through a digital download of the coloring books, available for free at https://lnkd.in/eY-zivE4 #MakeUsVisible #MemorialDay

As part of Robinson+Cole’s ongoing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Town Hall series, the firm hosted a program entitled “Bringing Asian American History to K-12 Schools: A Visit with Make Us Visible,” in recognition of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. During the town hall, Make Us Visible Co-founder and Executive Director Kate Lee discussed the organization’s efforts to empower local communities to become more civically engaged and politically active through advocacy ensuring the inclusion of Asian American history in K-12 classrooms. Kate shared how the grassroots coalition of parents, students, teachers, and neighbors came together, their recent accomplishments, and shared some pages from the Make Us Visible Coloring Book series highlighting Asian American history across the country. https://makeusvisible.org/ #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth #StopAsianHate #AAPIMonth #AsianAmerican #CelebrateAAPI