Hirono, Jayapal Reintroduce Legislation Requiring Data Disaggregation for AANHPI Students

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced the All Students Count Act of 2023, legislation that would require more comprehensive and equitable disaggregation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) student data in K-12 schools, helping to ensure that AANHPI student groups are better accounted for and supported by schools across the country. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“In Hawaii, we especially understand the importance of diversity and how it impacts the experiences of our communities,” said Senator Hirono. “Without data disaggregation, it’s harder for our schools to address the unique needs of our students. Every keiki deserves to be seen and supported by our education system—this bill will help ensure they are.”

“As someone who came to this country alone, at 16, with nothing in my pockets – I deeply understand the unique challenges in the US education system that immigrant communities face and persist for generations after,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “Our students deserve visibility at all levels. By ensuring that the Department of Education, state education agencies, and school districts collect and report data for a minimum of 15 Asian American and six Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subgroups, we can work to close the education gap in our communities.”

School districts, state education agencies, and the federal government have made significant progress in disaggregating and improving data on K-12 student achievement for major racial and ethnic groups, including “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.” However, these two categories collapse dozens of distinct ethnic groups, each with unique histories and varying access to social and economic opportunities, making it difficult to identify or address disparities between students from those unique ethnic subgroups.

The All Students Count Act of 2023 would support equitable access to education by ensuring that the student data collections capture the diverse experiences of AANHPI children. Specifically, the bill would:

• Require the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies, and school districts to collect and report disaggregated data for a minimum of 15 Asian American and 6 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subgroups; and
• Direct the Institute of Education Sciences to assess statistical methods that will maximize reporting for these groups.

In addition to Senator Hirono, the bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

In the House, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).

The All Students Count Act of 2023 has also been endorsed by over 70 organizations, including: Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE); American Federation of Teachers; Asian American Progressive Student Union (AAPSU); Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW); Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland, College Park; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of New Jersey (AAPI NJ); Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies; Asian Prisoner Support Committee; Asian Texans for Justice; Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia; Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association; Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc.; Coalition of Asian American Leaders; Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; Educated Men with Meaningful Messages (EM3); Empowering Pacific Islander Communities; Hmong Innovating Politics; Hmong National Development, Inc.; Institute for Civic Education in Vietnam; Japanese American Citizens League (JACL); Lao Mutual Assistance Association; Mekong NYC; National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse; National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE); National Council of Asian Pacific Americans; OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates; Pacific Asian Counseling Services; PIVOT-The Progressive VIetnamese American Organization; Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK); SEAC Village; Southeast Asian American Education Coalition; Southeast Asian Resource Association; Southeast Asian Resource Association; Southeast Asian Resource Association; Step Forward Foundation; Stone Soup Fresno; Stop AAPI Hate; The Cambodian Family; The Sikh Coalition; Vi?tUnity Bay Area; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association; Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO); The Fresno Center; United Cambodian Community; Laotian American National Alliance; UCLA Asian American Studies Center; Hmong National Development, Inc.; Hmong American Partnership; NAKASEC; Teach For America; Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants; Legacies of War; National Disability Rights Network (NDRN); AAPI Data; Woori Juntos; Khmer Girl in Action; National Association of Social Workers; National CAPACD; SEARAC; A Christian Lifestyle-L?i S?ng Tin Lành; Motivational Parent; DC Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; VietUnity; Lao Assistance Center of MN; Iu Mien Community Services; Khmu National Federation, Inc (KNF); Vietnamese American Roundtable; Providence Youth Student Movement.

The full text of the bill is available here. A one-pager is available here.

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