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UCLA online textbook gives voice to Asian American, Pacific Islander history and cultures
The free digital textbook includes chapters, archival photos and videos to help educators teach more than 50 topics on AAPI history and culture.
On Saturday, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center launched a $12 million multimedia textbook providing high-caliber AAPI history and culture resources for educators nationwide.
Developed over eight years, the project aims to counter persistent stereotypes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as passive bystanders in American culture and politics.
The editorial team condensed 150 topic ideas into 50 chapters, featuring diverse stories including Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian American woman elected to Congress, and Mamie Tape.
President Donald Trump and some states target DEI initiatives, which critics liken to indoctrination in K-12 classrooms, creating obstacles for scholars promoting the resource.
Seeking $5 million in private donations, authors plan to add chapters on a rolling basis, which educators say will be vital for teaching marginalized histories.