California to include key Chinese American history in state curriculum

California Governor Jerry Brown signed a historic bill Tuesday which would make the state curriculum include two important chapters from Chinese American history.

The AB2864 bill, introduced by California State Assembly member Ed Chau, means California has formally recognized two key chapters in the history of Chinese Americans in an academic setting -- Chinese Americans' contributions to the Transcontinental Railroad, and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

"It commemorates the memory of those brave souls who lost their lives and served as pioneers in paving the way for Asian Americans," said Chau during an email interview with Xinhua through his campaign.

He hopes this new bill will ensure young Californians from various cultural backgrounds see this not just as part of Chinese Americans' history, but also of California's.

"It is crucial for the mainstream society to recognize this piece of our history if we are to move forward as a whole," Shurong Ma, a Chinese immigrant who came to California 45 years ago, told Xinhua. "I really appreciate the signing of this new bill."

While there are about 1.5 million Chinese Americans living in California, and millions in Chinese investor money pouring in from overseas, the attitude toward the Chinese immigrants in California has not always been the same.

Chinese Americans back in the old days were not treated as respectfully as they are nowadays, Ma said. "Many of us had to take jobs that nobody would take, work in conditions that nobody would work in."

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 has left many early Chinese Americans facing unfair treatment and even discrimination. It was the first major law to single out and forbid a specific ethnic group, the Chinese, from immigrating to, and becoming naturalized citizens of the United States.

As part of the newly signed bill, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act will also be included in the future California curriculum, thus completing the important "Chinese American experience" as Chau said.

Others hope this overdue bill will inspire the remaining U.S. states to include Chinese American history in their schools' textbooks.

"It is long overdue," said Daniel Deng, a California law practitioner. "But it is never too late to remember the history." Endi