A constructive relationship between the United States and Asia will be critical to the shape and prosperity of the global economy in the twenty-first century. Moreover, the region's increasing cultural influence, political weight, and security dilemmas will require informed responses from the next generation of Americans. In this new century, understanding about Asia will be a necessity for all Americans, not just a luxury for a chosen few.
Schools are at the forefront of any effort to shape the future.
To provide teachers and schools with support and resources needed to meet the demands and expectations already upon them, the Asia Society is launching Asia in the Schools, a major initiative led by the National Commission on Asia in the Schools. The Commission meets for the first time today. Unfortunately, for many American students today, it's as if Admiral Perry never sailed to Japan and President Nixon never went to China. New research by the Asia Society shows that despite national and local initiatives from both the public and private sectors over several decades, students remain disproportionately undereducated about Asia. While more than 1 billion people speak Chinese, only about 9,000 U.S. high school students study the language as compared to 1.1 million that study French, a language spoken by 100 million people.