LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Students in Lee County may add more culture to their curriculum as the district is looking to pass a proclamation that will name May 2021 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
The vote is set to happen at Tuesday's school board meeting.
The proclamation says students will learn about the contributions Asian Americans have made to the United States.
Well, it's about time they do it because I know the universities have had that. I've met with the director at FGCU and they do have plans for celebrating the Asian heritage as a part of their curriculum," Pearl Cruz, President of Cultural Affairs for the Asian Professional Association of Southwest Florida
Cruz says this past year has been hard on Asian-Americans as hate crimes skyrocketed last year.
There were nearly 3800 reports of discrimination in the U.S. with complaints of verbal harassment and physical assault.
To combat the hate, Congress passed the Anti-Asian Hate Bill that will speed up the rate at which law enforcement can investigate hate crimes.
Cruz did say that the impact of the national bill will be felt here in Southwest Florida.
