Finding Their Voices: Asian American Pacific Islander Representation in Middle School Studies

Asian American history has been misrepresented or omitted from the overall narrative of American history in standards, textbooks, and curricula. The problem was that Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) perspectives were missing and underrepresented in the middle school social studies curriculum in Wisconsin. Framed by Ladson-Billings’ culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how middle school social studies teachers integrated the voices of AAPI identities into the curriculum. The research questions probed how middle school teachers met state statutes on including multicultural voices and how they included AAPI perspectives in social studies. Twelve semistructured interviews with middle school social studies teachers were analyzed using descriptive, thematic coding. Applying the CRP framework, five themes emerged to explain how teachers integrated these perspectives. The inclusion of diverse voices was noted as a struggle due to obstacles within the dominant narrative including the influence on the enacted curriculum, the curation of materials, and the application of strategies and artistry. These results support positive social change by drawing attention to the exclusion of AAPI perspectives. Subsequent addition of these voices to curriculum may transform how marginalized voices are included in all parts of society so students experience a robust, inclusive social studies curriculum, helping a diverse democracy thrive in future generations. Keywords: Culturally responsive pedagogy, Asian American Pacific Islander, middle school education, diversity and inclusion. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/15-3-07 Publication date: December 30th 2025