Teach Armenian-American History and Armenian-American Studies

We believe education is important for empowering our community and for helping to create more equitable futures for all in the United States. Armenian-American Studies must be taught in classrooms across the country and Armenian-American Studies must be supported by federal, state, and local institutions. We believe Ethnic Studies is vital to addressing issues of social injustice and inequality.

Our children deserve to see their histories reflected and uplifted in their classrooms. Our community in the United States and abroad is under attack, and residents of the U.S. must learn about our lives, histories, and issues.

As Armenian-Americans, we believe it is imperative that Armenian-American Studies is included curriculum, along with all West Asian-American and Asian-American Studies. 

Campaigns

• Teach Armenian-American Studies California

Update: We won! After organizing every day for two solid years, Armenian-American Action Network and ANCA-WR secured Armenian-American Studies in the Model Ethnic Studies curriculum for all K-12 students in the State of California.

• Teach Armenian-American Studies New York City

anchored by the Educational Justice Task Force of Armenian-American Action Network. To join the “Teach Armenian-American Studies NYC” coalition please fill out the form here

Background:

The New York City Department of Education is currently deciding on an Ethnic Studies Mosaic Curriculum for its public school students. This model will be taught to New York City students and is the product of years of advocacy by Ethnic Studies educators and practitioners.

Armenian-American Studies and all West Asian-American Studies must be included in New York’s Mosaic. West Asian-American Studies is Asian-American Studies and is part of the next generation of exciting and empowering work within Ethnic Studies.

TAKE ACTION

• Use the Hashtags on all Social media Platforms: 

  #TeachArmenianAmericanStudiesNYC 
  #AANYC
  

• Send a Personal Letter to “Tell the New York City DOE to Include Armenian American Studies in the new Mosaic Curriculum HERE!

The New York City Department of Education is seeking feedback from scholars, educators, and parents invested in our childrens’ future! Use our link to send a message to the Department of Education on why you think it's important for our children to learn Armenian-American History in their classrooms. We successfully included Armenian-American Studies in the California Ethnic Studies Curriculum. Now let’s do it in New York! 

Armenian-American Studies and all Ethnic Studies is important for all. 

Letter text: 

I [insert name], an Armenian-American or ally, welcome the New York City Department of Education’s call for feedback on its exciting new Mosaic Curriculum. We call on the NYCDOE to include the voices of Armenian-Americans in New York City and reflect our long, vibrant histories and experiences in NYC public education. 

I write to you today firmly in support of the NYCDOE Mosaic Curriculum, the calls of Asian American scholars to include West Asian American Studies, and the inclusion of Armenian-Americans within that curriculum. 

We thank you for your efforts and know how important inclusive education is to our children. Students need to see themselves in their curricula, and Armenian-Americans have long histories of racialization, immigration, refugeehood, as well as legal, educational and linguistic marginalization. Ethnic Studies helps young students make sense of their realities, and our students deserve to be included in sustaining and culturally relevant lessons that reflect our stories. 

We thank you for asking for feedback from the community in this important work for our children and generations to come. I urge you to hear community voices calling for the inclusion of West Asian American experiences within Ethnic Studies, and the necessity of Armenian-American histories within that experience, and bring in Armenian-American Studies scholars with this expertise to build that curriculum. 

• Part of an organization? Sign-on to our letter to the NYC DOE now

  • Read the letter and sign on here