Why Should Delaware Care?
Gov. John Carney enshrined protections for Delaware’s growing Latino and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in state law during the final months of his administration. It protects those publicly funded and supported commissions into the future and makes it harder to dissolve the bodies in the future.
Gov. John Carney signed a trio of bills last month to bolster the state’s Latino and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as he concludes his governorship tenure.
Delaware became the seventh state in the U.S. to adopt Asian American history requirements through legislation on Sept. 26, when Carney signed Senate Bill 297. The law requires the integration of Asian American and Pacific Islander history into Delaware K-12 classrooms.
“Asian American history is American history,” said Devin Jiang, co-director of Make Us Visible Delaware, a local advocacy group. “We’re just telling an inclusive history that reflects the contributions of Americans whose stories are traditionally untold.”
Make Us Visible Delaware was an integral part of getting the legislation passed and signed into law. The group is an advocacy organization focused on the inclusion of Asian American history, experiences and contributions in K-12 classrooms.
The bill was described as a preventative measure to “guard against racist rhetoric and violence” toward Asian Americans. Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.
In 2022, there were roughly 41,501 Delaware residents who identified as Asian alone with roughly 86 Delawareans identifying as native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Delaware Hispanic Commission was codified by the state, making it a permanent body supported by state resources. | PHOTO COURTESY OF GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
That same day, Carney signed House Bill 322 into law, establishing the Delaware Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture. The new commission was established as the Delaware Hispanic Commission was codified into law 13 years after it was created.
Carney signed Senate Bill 286 and enshrined the Delaware Hispanic Commission in state law after it was created in 2011 through an executive order by then-Gov. Jack Markell. The codification protects the commission from being dissolved under the wishes of any future governor.
“We don’t run the risk of being removed with the stroke of a pen,” said Rony Baltazar-Lopez, vice chair of the commission. “It’s a milestone.”
The law creates equity with other state heritage commissions, which are already codified, and provides long-term stability for the commission to advocate for the state’s Hispanic population. The commission serves as a liaison between the Hispanic community and the government, with members often advising legislators on the needs and impact of the community.
The law will also serve to diversify the composition of commission members. Prior to the signing, members were appointed and served at the pleasure of the governor.
Now, members will be able to be appointed by the governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate and a majority of commission members.
The codification strengthens the commission and ensures that Latino Delawareans’ voices are heard by the state government, said Carlos de los Ramos, chair of the commission.
“It’s a giant step for us Latinos in Delaware,” De los Ramos added.
The bill signings come in the final months of Carney’s term as governor, and before he takes office as the mayor-elect of Wilmington.
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