Evers signs bill requiring schools to teach histories of Asian and Hmong Americans

Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read
Governor Tony Evers is shown here after signing a bill requiring the teaching of Asian American and Hmong American contributions and histories in K-12 curriculum. He signed the bill at a ceremony at Jones Elementary School in Wausau April 4.
Governor Tony Evers is shown here after signing a bill requiring the teaching of Asian American and Hmong American contributions and histories in K-12 curriculum. He signed the bill at a ceremony at Jones Elementary School in Wausau April 4.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A bill that the Wisconsin Legislature passed last month that requires public schools to include education on Asian American and Hmong American history is now law.

Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill April 4 in Wausau that expands current law — which already requires teaching the histories of American Indians, Black Americans and Hispanics — to include the histories of Hmong Americans and Asian Americans.

“The Hmong and Asian American communities are a critical part of our state’s history, culture, economy, and our future," Evers said in a news release. "It’s important that we celebrate our shared histories and honor the people who help make Wisconsin the state it is today."

The bill was introduced in 2023 and comes after similar previous bills had been introduced in 2020 and 2021 but did not get out of the Legislature.

Evers' signing of the bill comes in addition to proclaiming April to be Hmong Heritage Month "in accordance with national observances," the news release said.

In addition to the April 4 signing, Evers has also signed bills in the past related to the Hmong community.

In 2021, Evers signed a bill designating May 14 as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in Wisconsin. Last month, Evers signed a bill ensuring Hmong veterans can have their veteran status on their driver's license or identification card "by adding to the definition of 'veteran' any person who was admitted to the United States under the Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act," the news release said.

Yee Leng Xiong, the executive director of the Hmong American Center, said in a tweet April 4: "Today marks a historical and monumental moment as we come together to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event: Governor Evers signing the bipartisan bill to include Hmong and Asian American histories in the K-12 school curriculum! This will have an impact on generations to come!"

Democratic State Rep. Francesca Hong, from Madison, who was elected as the first Asian American state legislator in 2020, said in a tweet April 4: "Beyond words. Today, Governor Evers signed AB 232/ SB 240 into law. Now, every Asian American student in Wisconsin can look forward to learning about their heritage in the classroom. A massive, massive thank you to the bipartisan coalition that made this happen."

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers signs Asian American, Hmong American history bill into law