Promoting Social Justice Through Professional Development Workshops

Integrating Asian American History in K-12 Education

Abstract

The underrepresentation of Asian Americans in the K-12 history curriculum remains a significant issue (An, 2020; Kiang, 2004; Kim, 2022; Rodríguez, 2018, 2020; Zhang et al., 2023), with limited coverage beyond WWII incarceration and early Chinese immigrant experiences (An, 2020, Noboa, 2012). This narrow portrayal neglects the diversity and contributions of Asian Americans, perpetuating stereotypes and anti-Asian hate, especially post-pandemic (Choy, 2022). This professional development workshop aims to raise awareness among K-12 history teachers about these deficiencies and provide strategies to teach Asian American history effectively. Using Vella’s (2002) principles of dialogue education and following the 4-A learning sequence, this article demonstrates how to design a workshop session that promotes a more inclusive and accurate historical representation of Asian Americans for K-12 history teachers.