Delaware codifies Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander commissions along with groundbreaking education bill

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Delaware Latino leaders had been worried about the possible elimination of the Delaware Hispanic Commission (DHC), but legislation signed by Gov. John Carney Thursday morning has officially codified the commission into state law.

Similarly, leaders of the state’s Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders community have been advocating for better representation. Carney also signed legislation today creating the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission as well as mandating that the groups’ history — and the history of all racial and ethnic groups — be included in Delaware’s K-12 curriculum.

The Delaware Hispanic Commission was created by former Gov. Jack Markell through an executive order but was not officially part of state law until Carney’s bill signing today.

“Senate Bill 286 was a bill to make the Hispanic Commission of Delaware a part of the statute…, so now it’ll go on as part of the law of the state of Delaware,” Carney said, while also highlighting the importance of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission under House Bill 322. “I think both of these celebrations are recognition of the diversity that’s so important here in Delaware and across the country.”

DHC Chair Carlos de los Ramos said the legislation will offer vital protection and ensure equal standing for the Latino community alongside other established commissions.

“By codifying the commission we are protecting the commission for the future of [the] political environment that may be happening here in Delaware,” he said. “We are protecting the voice of the Latino community here in Delaware.”

De Los Ramos also expressed support for the progress made for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, noting that some members are also part of the Hispanic commission. He said he hopes for future collaboration between the commissions, recognizing their shared interests and cross-sectional influences.

“We want to connect, that’s what diversity and inclusion means. We want to work together with all the commissioners across the state of Delaware,” he said. “Latinos racially, and ethnically there’s a lot of cross-work with us. And we in the Hispanic community are so diverse. We have Asian members as part of a Latino Community.”

Aligning with DHC’s vision for greater representation, advocate Devin Jiang spearheaded the creation of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission under HB 322.

“[The commission] will advise the governor and members of the General Assembly on policy issues, but is a platform that provides state level representation for a community and helps us promote more cultural awareness throughout the state,” Jiang said. “I think the principle goal of this commission moving forward is to find ways to bring together and unite all the Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the state…[and] center our voices whenever we make recommendations.”

As the Asian American and Pacific Islander commission begins to take shape, Jiang recommends starting with a comprehensive count of Asian American and Pacific Islander residents in Delaware, followed by an assessment of the community’s most critical issues.

“There are a lot of issues that this commission can examine a lot of intersectional issues:  healthcare, education, business,” he noted.

Jiang’s activism led him to co-found the Delaware chapter of Make Us Visible, where he played a crucial role in advocating for the inclusion of Asian American contributions in schools. This effort helped make Delaware the seventh state to mandate Asian American and Pacific Islander history in education with SB 297, which requires a more inclusive approach to teaching all racial histories.

“Make Us Visible is so happy that we are the seventh state in the country to pass this legislation requiring Asian American history,” he said. “It has been a process of community engagement harnessing the voice of our community, advocacy, education, working together with our different stakeholder groups [and] our elected officials.”

The bill has been signed — now the next step is its implementation.

“That’s just the first step, there’s a lot of work to be done: building relationships with school districts, supporting our teachers, making sure that the curriculum goes into our classrooms and that every student has access to it,” he said. “As Americans, we have a shared heritage and the purpose is to cultivate pride and to highlight their unique experiences, cultures and histories that make them who they are and collectively what makes us Americans.”

Figures such as George ‘Yod’ Dupont, a Thai immigrant who fought in the Civil War, and Sylvia Rivera, a key advocate for transgender people of color, could be featured in the curriculum that’s being developed.