History

Timeline

2007: MAAEA hosted a Boston Public Schools "Evening with the Superintendent" community event for incoming superintendent Carol Johnson. Professor Peter Kiang from UMass Boston gave an informative presentation on "Education and Boston's Asian American Communities." UMass Boston student, Son-Ca Lam, gave a moving performance on her experiences as an immigrant student in Boston Public Schools. A panel of 4 BPS students ended the night by sharing personal experiences as Asian American students of diverse backgrounds.

2008: MAAEA co-sponsored with the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service a book discussion on "The Seduction of Common Sense: How the Right has Framed the Debate on America's Schools" by Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, author, educator, and activist.

2009: MAAEA members Pam Chu and Gabriela Fullon presented at Free Minds Free People Conference.

2010: MAAEA members Sarah Chang, Kristina Danahy, Dzung Nguyen, Jessica Tang and Chris Tsang present at a BAASIC Conference titled "Representin' on the Front Lines: Why We Do It as APA Educators". Panelists spoke on the importance of Asian Americans becoming educators.  

2010: MAAEA competed (and won!) in the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) grill off.

2010: MAAEA co-sponsors "Fighting Anti-Asian School Violence: The Philadelphia Story" to discuss the events surrounding the Dec 3, 2009 attacks on two dozen Asian American youth at South Philadelphia High School while school-personnel looked on.  The Asian American students, supported by the community, organized, marched and met with unresponsive school administration. Panelists included principals in Philadelphia and local activists including Helen Gym (Asian Americans United), Cecilia Chen (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and students from South Philadelphia High school.

2012: MAAEA represents at the 2nd Annual Boston Area Educators for Social Justice Conference at the the Curley School in Jamaica Plain, Boston. 

2014: MAAEA hosts a panel discussion "The Untold Story of Asian American Immigrant Students" and gathering at Josiah Quincy Elementary School during the 40th anniversary of school busing in Boston to highlight the history and effects of busing and public education within the Asian American community. Over 100 people were in attendance. Featured speakers were Bak Fun Wong (former JQUS principal), Lorrayne Shen (author of college thesis regarding effect of Boston busing and the power of immigrant women organizing in the Chinese community), Peter Kiang (Director and Professor of Asian American Studies at UMass Boston) and Thuy Truong (Teacher at Holland Elementary School).

2014: MAAEA members Selena Tan and Go Sasaki presented at the Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Conference (BAASIC). 

2015: MAAEA hosted a Lunar New Year Social gathering.

2015: MAAEA hosted a 200 person event to welcome and inform incoming Superintendent Tommy Chang about the Asian American population in Boston Public Schools.

2016: A MAAEA bikeathon team biked at the Chinese Youth Initiative (CYI) Bikeathon.

2016: MAAEA educators go on a political tour of Boston Chinatown with Professor Andrew Leong, Esq. 

2018: MAAEA competed in the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) grill off. 

2018: MAAEA members testify at the State House in support of data disagreggation for Asian Americans. 

2020: MAAEA hosts Asian American educator gatherings via Zoom at the start of the pandemic. Educators use Theater of the Oppressed Forum Theatre techniques to address pressing situations in their classrooms. 

2020: MAAEA hosts a virtual viewing of Ancestors in the Americas, a film by Loni Ding.

2020: MAAEA members speak against School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto for making racist remarks against Asian American families during a School Committee meeting. 

2020-21: MAAEA has a series of meetings to pressure Central Office Staff in Boston Public Schools to advocate for Asian American families and students.

2021 MAAEA members Sunny Pai and Go Sasaki testify during School Committee meeting in support of exam school admission changes. MAAEA issues a statement with other Asian American groups in Massachusetts to support the changes. 

2021 MAAEA members press the school committee in testimony and in meetings to have School Committee be interpreted in various languages of BPS families. 

2021 MAAEA did a series of pilot workshops to address the needs of families in the Greater Boston area. MAAEA educators partnered with BCNC to first offer the workshop to Cantonese speaking parents from Boston, Quincy and Malden. Over 10 MAAEA educators participate in over a series of 4 workshops for families.

2021 MAAEA members cohosted a virtual political education workshop with Boston Public Schools Ethnic Studies to teach about the Opium Wars and their relationship with Boston elites during Asian American Heritage Month.

2022: MAAEA member Rosann Tung served on the Boston Public Schools Exam School Committee to revise the admissions process for exam schools. 

2022: MAAEA presented at a workshop for teachers through the Asian/Asian American Educator Mentorship Program (AEMP).

2022 MAAEA members advocated for Lunar New Year as a holiday in various school districts. 

2021 MAAEA received an MCIA grant to analyze school climate data in Boston Public Schools.

2022 MAAEA received a Jinny Chalmers grant to plan an event for BPS high school Asian American youth to discuss school climate survey data. MAAEA members Rosann Tung and Go Sasaki hire four student organizers from four different BPS high schools and regularly meet to plan the event. 

2022-23 MAAEA members Go Sasaki, Katie Li and Jean Wu partnered with Citizen for Public Schools (CPS) to host a 3 part series entitled "Making the Invisible Visible: Asian Americans in Public Education." Session 1: "What are the Real Experiences of Asian Americans in Public Education?: Asian Americans Give Voice to their Lived Experiences in Public Schools." Session 2: “It’s NOT Because of ‘Asian Culture’ that Asian Americans are Invisible: Busting Stereotypes and Framing Realities of Asian American Well Being.” Session 3: Do Schools and Educators Have the Will to Serve Asian Americans?: A Discussion of Proven Interventions and What is Needed to Initiate and Sustain Them."