HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Hate crimes against Asian Americans are up 150 percent since last year.
In Howard County, the schoolboard voted through a proclamation aimed at ending Asian hate and discrimination at a young age.
“They like make gestures at me because they aren’t educated you know kids don’t know better, but that shouldn’t be the norm," said Howard High student Tia Yu. "We should educate children to let them understand this isn’t okay.”
Ping An Tang, a senior at Centennial High School said the hate is deep rooted and existed before the recent rash in violence.
He hopes that people learning about different people helps to make society better as a whole.
“All of the facets of who they are and what them as a person," Tang said. "This includes culture, this includes their own background and the way that they are. I think it’s really important, culture specifically you need to understand the history and rationale for how people think speak and act.”
Roughly one in four students in Howard County is Asian American.
Jean Xu, the President of the The Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County teamed up with other groups and drafted a proclamation for the school board to consider.
Thursday night the school board agreed to dedicate classroom time to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders studies and include struggles and accomplishments that they’ve made.
The board also declared May, Asian American and Pacific Islanders Month.
“There are deeply rooted issues against Asian Americans," Xu said. "There is hate that many Asians have endured in the past.”
With a hope that the young students don’t feel like so many before them have.
“If more people like learned about different cultures than if they knew the backgrounds of others they wouldn’t disrespect," said Trisha Dhawan a student at Mount View.
