California
A new Southeast Asian history curriculum is in the works for California schools
The Orange County Department of Education is in the process of developing a statewide curriculum focused on Southeast Asian heritage and history.
Dubbed the “Southeast Asian Model Curriculum Project,” OCDE — in collaboration with community input and local researchers — is curating three model curriculums centered on the histories, cultures and refugee experiences of Cambodian, Hmong and Vietnamese Americans. The curriculum will include lesson plans, primary source documents, planning resources, teaching strategies and professional development activities to assist educators, said Ian Hanigan, an OCDE spokesperson.
Once developed, the curriculum will be available for grades kindergarten through 12 but will not be mandatory for any schools, Hanigan said. But schools, should they teach these subjects, will be able to rely on the model curriculum for resources.
“Each model curriculum will present ideas, lessons, examples and resources for school districts to consider as they develop their own coursework,” said Hanigan. “It will live on a website that can be accessed by educators and searched by content standards. The curriculum may be used as part of history, social studies or language courses or included in a district’s ethnic studies program.”
One portion of the model curriculum, called the “Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum,” will delve into the history and migration of the Hmong population across Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and China. This will highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by the Hmong and other Southeast Asians who served in the “Secret Army” in Laos, a CIA-led operation during the Vietnam War.
In parallel, the “Cambodian American Studies Model” will incorporate various media formats presenting perspectives on the Cambodian genocide, including oral testimonies from survivors. For the development of this portion, the OCDE is collaborating with organizations such as the Asian Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership group, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants and the non-profit Cambodian Family.
Similarly, the “Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum” will explore pivotal events such as the fall of Saigon in 1975 and include discussions on Vietnamese boat people and Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces members and the circumstances leading to the resettlement of Vietnamese people in the U.S.
OCDE is aiming to complete the curriculum by spring 2024 and start implementation around 2025, said Hanigan.
Model curriculum projects are initiated by laws mandating state development of curricula for specific subjects, serving as guides for educators by outlining content, skills and learning objectives across various grade levels. The California Department of Education has a few model curricula in place, such as human rights and genocide, ethnic studies and the life of César Chávez.
The Southeast Asian heritage model curriculum was born out of state legislation in 2018 from Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach, and the state later allocated $1.2 million for development.
“I think it is important in Orange County, especially around Little Saigon in Westminster, because it helps friends, neighbors and children understand the history,” said Nguyen. “Once we understand each other’s history and our differences, it is when the community becomes better and works together.”
Orange County is home to just over 700,000 Asian Americans and about 10,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, according to 2020 Census data.
“I don’t want future generations to go through what I had to go through by just figuring out things; I want them to learn,” Nguyen said.
California’s Department of Education in 2022 tasked OCDE, alongside Humboldt and San Diego counties’ education departments, to spearhead the curriculum development.
To do that, OCDE has hired educators, scholars and others with Cambodia, Hmong and Vietnamese heritage to compile perspectives and stories to add to the curriculum.
Additionally, OCDE has been regularly holding engagement sessions to hear community feedback and input since 2022. During these engagement sessions, attendees can participate in a focus group discussion aimed at fostering open and meaningful dialogue, said Hanigan.
“This format allows for an equitable sharing of voices, as we believe it’s essential that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their perspectives to this important project,” said Hanigan.
In addition to facilitating discussion, OCDE will provide resources to aid in curriculum development.
“This project is a collaborative effort, and it’s the contributions from individuals like those attending our session that will ensure its success and relevance,” said Hanigan.
The next engagement session is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17 and will focus on the Vietnamese portion of the curriculum. This session will take place at the Vietnamese Heritage Museum located at 13962 Seaboard Cir. in Garden Grove. OCDE asks those interested in attending to sign up online.
To find the full list of engagement sessions, visit OCDE’s website.
The most significant seismic event in California’s history – an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude – occurred in 1857 and ruptured about 225 miles on the San Andreas Fault. That earthquake, dubbed the last “Big One,” killed two people and produced shaking that lasted between one and three minutes.
Since then, California has exploded in population and been has been rattled by many major earthquakes. But Californians have also grown familiar with the existential dread of another “Big One” looming.
Researchers have long warned there will be another massive earthquake in Southern California. They just don’t know when.
A recent study says warning signs continue to grow in 2026. The San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems have reached the highest stress levels seen in the past 1,000 years, according to a study conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
The San Andreas fault runs throughout the state, passing through San Francisco and San Bernardino, while the San Jacinto fault is in Southern California and runs through Riverside, San Diego and Imperial Counties.
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Why the San Andreas Fault is so risky
Faults rupture on the San Andreas Fault approximately every 150 years, according to UCLA professor Jonathan Stewart, who studies earthquake engineering.
But it’s been over 300 years since the last “large rupture” occurred south of the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, Stewart said. “As far we know it didn’t produce a large rupture since around 1690. To the present that’s a lot more than 150 years, so there’s a lot of build-up. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen immediately, it just means there is more stress built-up.”
When the earthquake happens, it is likely to cause a lot of damage. One major concern is the state’s water systems.
“An earthquake like this would rupture most, if not all of the major aqueducts bringing water into Southern California,” Stewart said. “Most people will not be in a collapsed structure after this earthquake, but everybody’s going to be affected by water problems.”
Study highlights longstanding risk
To investigate the probability of an earthquake occurring, researchers built a physics-based simulation and fed it the earthquake history from the region. By doing so, they were able to estimate how much stress has built up along the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems.
The results suggest that catastrophe may be near.
“Right now, with stress at historically high levels across the region and more than 160 years elapsed since the last major rupture, the system is in a critically loaded state,” lead author Liliane Burkhard said.
Most importantly, the Cajon Pass, at the junction of the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, could facilitate a joint rupture of the two faults. This scenario, according to the study, would probably be “significantly more damaging” than a single-fault event.
How is earthquake safety considered?
Seismic hazard assessments are critical for the safety of the millions of residents in California’s densely-populated and earthquake-prone areas.
Seismic Hazard maps show the relative hazard associated with earthquakes using information on past faults, the behavior of seismic waves and the near-surface conditions of specific locations, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Larger values indicate a stronger level of earthquake shaking. A peak ground velocity of 269 cm/sec would correspond to extreme shaking and heavy damage. For reference, the largest ground velocity recorded in Taiwan’s 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake reached 318 cm/sec and had a magnitude of 6.7.
That earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and incurred approximately $14 billion in damage.
How do the fault lines rupture?
The San Andreas and San Jacinto faults are strike-slip faults, which typically cause horizontal displacement. Both faults comprise the geologic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.
If a major earthquake occurs on the San Andreas fault, it is likely to produce surface rupture, which occurs when a fault breaks through to the surface. Most earthquakes, however, do not produce surface rupture, according to USGS.
In a major rupture, strong shaking could cause severe damage near the fault and in areas built on soft or water-saturated soils, which can amplify shaking. Rupture can directly offset roads, buildings, and other structures that span the fault trace.
Although the study helps explain the risk associated with the California fault lines, Burkhard emphasized that it shouldn’t serve as a forecast.
“This is not a prediction of when an earthquake will happen,” Burkhard said. “However, studies like this are important contributions to national and global earthquake hazard research in that we are using rigorous, quantitative science to better understand the risk facing millions of people.”
Contributing: Brandi D. Addison, USA TODAY NETWORK
California
California lawmakers seek $32M to combat invasive pest found on grapevines sold at Costco
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — California lawmakers are now asking the federal government for more than $32 million in emergency funding to stop the spread of an invasive insect that was recently discovered on grapevines sold at Costco stores across the state.
The request comes about a month after Fresno County agricultural officials discovered grapevine plants infested with the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a pest capable of spreading Pierce’s Disease, a deadly infection that can kill grapevines.
In a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla joined Reps. Mike Thompson, David Valadao and other members of California’s congressional delegation in requesting $32.2 million in emergency funding to contain and eradicate the pest.
[RELATED] Fresno County grapevine plants shipped to Costco were infested with bugs
Lawmakers say the infected nursery stock was identified Mat 19 by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
The plants had been distributed to Costco stores in more than two dozen California counties before being sold to customers.
Officials believe some of the infested plants have since been transported to homes in at least 38 counties across the state.
The movement of infested nursery stock into and near key grape-producing regions, including areas critical to California’s winegrape and fresh table grape production, significantly elevates the urgency of this response.
The glassy-winged sharpshooter feeds on grapevines and spreads Pierce’s Disease, an incurable bacterial infection that can destroy vineyards by preventing vines from transporting water.
Lawmakers warned that the pest poses a serious threat to California’s wine and table grape industries.
According to the Wine Institute, California’s wine industry supports 1.1 million jobs nationwide and generates an economic impact of more than $170 billion.
California also produces 99% of the nation’s table grapes, with an annual crop value estimated at $2.59 billion.
If the pest spreads unchecked, the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates losses associated with Pierce’s Disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter could exceed $104 million annually.
The requested funding would support emergency response efforts, including tracing the movement of infested plants, surveying affected areas and expanding trapping programs.
Additional funding would also be used for long-term monitoring and eradication efforts over the next several years.
The lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release the funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, arguing that the outbreak meets the federal definition of an agricultural emergency.
Growers have already contributed more than $62 million toward research and mitigation efforts over the past 25 years through industry assessments, according to the letter.
Federal officials have not yet announced whether the funding request will be approved.
California
California Now Offers Free Passes to State Historic Parks (Just Don’t Miss the Deadline) | KQED
An annual pass that’s usually $50 is free in honor of Juneteenth — and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historical buildings are visible at Sonoma State Historic Park, Sonoma, California, May 31, 2026. Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history – in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.
Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.
Jump to:
The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.
Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.
Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.
How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people
You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.
After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.
The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.
Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.
Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.
Northern California State Historic Parks to visit for free this year with a Historian Passport
Bay Area
Sacramento area
Sierra foothills
KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.
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