[Sample Letter 1]
Dear California Department of Education,
My name is [Gildong Hong ] and I am a [ parent in __ school district / teacher at __
School / community member in the city of __, California.]
I oppose the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum in its current form, unless the CDE incorporates lesson plans on Korean Americans into the draft adopted in November 2020 by the IQC. Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies must be inclusive and equitable.
California recognizes Korean Americans through two resolutions. Hangul Day was passed on October 19, 2019 and recognizes the Korean American community as “an integral part of mainstream American society” that has “made important contributions as Californians in the fields of finance, technology, law, medicine, education, sports, media, the arts, the military, and government, as well as in other areas.” California also recognized Korean American Day on January 13, 2020 by passing Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 142, which declares that “with diligence, fortitude, and an enduring belief in the American dream, Korean immigrants have helped to turn emergent areas within the State of California into thriving and respectable communities, while raising their children to be productive Korean Americans.”
I firmly believe that the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum should include Korean American studies in its Asian American studies section. Thank you for your consideration
Sincerely yours,
[Your name]
[Sample Letter 2]
Dear California Department of Education,
It is exciting to see that the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum is moving forward. I do believe that a required course in Ethnic Studies has the potential to improve crosscultural understanding and to address the racism that we are witnessing throughout the United States. While there are many diverse Asian groups in America, I believe the Ethnic Studies Curriculum needs to be extended to include more Asian communities that live throughout California. I am particularly concerned that study of Korean Americans has been excluded.
The Korean American community has long helped shape the American landscape through its activities, contributions, and more. For example, we cannot discuss the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest without referencing Korean Americans and the ethnic conflicts that arose during that period, and how this contributed to the violence and marginalization of minority groups. This incident implies a significant lesson for unity and solidarity among minority groups. It was also a turning point for many Korean Americans to realize the importance of civic engagement. Korean American experiences and interethnic relations would be very
powerful topics for California students to learn how to cooperate with each other in the diverse community of California.
The Korean American community’s presence, impact, and history are significant and an important part of ethnic studies education. To exclude the Korean American community in the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum would be to ignore a major part of California’s and America’s heart and soul. Thus, I firmly believe that the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum should include Korean American studies in its Asian American studies section. To leave out Korean Americans is yet again another act of marginalization and discrimination. Thank you
for your time.
Sincerely,
Name:
[Organization]
[parents in ____School District]: