Bhavika Kalia’s presentation to the School Committee outlined an initiative for amplifying AAPI voices at Somerville High School.

By Harry Kane

Somerville Youth Leader Bhavika Kalia presented an overview of her community-action project that aims to amplify AAPI voices through implementing culturally inclusive and comprehensive lessons into the curriculum at Somerville High School.

For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Kalia spoke about the initiative at the May 18 School Committee meeting.

“I really wanted to take on this role because there were a lot of times where I felt invisible,” said Kalia.

The Asian American population at SHS is around 5 percent, she says, and Kalia decided it was important to recognize individuals with origins in the Far East, Southwest Asia, or the Indian subcontinent by expanding the curriculum at the high school.

Her original idea for this project was to craft a proposal to establish an Asian American History/Experiences course to address the gaps in the curriculum, she explained, but soon realized it couldn’t be done over the span of the school year. So instead, she decided to work to amplify AAPI voices within the existing curriculum at SHS.

Kalia collaborated directly with the SHS History Department as well as the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School History Department. Kalia says she met with some amazing people, including Ms. Jenny Chung, a highly regarded history educator at CRLS.

She attended workshops, including one led by the YURI Education Project, which focused on understanding the basics of how to teach AAPI history.

This was really helpful for me,” she said, regarding the steps to success in understanding how to integrate AAPI history into schools.

Kalia worked closely with the 10^th-grade SHS History Department and determined where AAPI-focused lessons could be integrated. She then created lessons, like Asian Americans & Birthright Citizenship and Cross-Racial Solidarity Movements.

The next steps include broadening impact and reach. Kalia is creating more AAPI-focused lessons about the Dotbusters Gang in New Jersey and the novel Made in Asian America: A History for Young People.

The future may include more courses to reach a larger population of students. “An English course could be a great way to incorporate AAPI authors or different art forms from AAPI leaders,” said Kalia.

Additionally, Kalia hopes to continue working with the SHS History Department to spearhead the creation of an Asian American History and/or Experiences course.

At the School Committee meeting, Kalia ended her presentation by expressing her gratitude for the open-minded and receptive teachers at SHS. “I’m deeply grateful for all the support I got from the SHS History Department,” she said. “I really couldn’t do this without them. I just wanted to take the time to give them a special thank you for helping me throughout this work.”

Ward 7 Vice Chair of the School Committee Leiran Biton thanked Kalia for her efforts. “I want to just reflect on something you said right at the beginning, which was that you felt invisible,” said Biton. “That feels very powerful, and I just want to acknowledge that and extend my apology to you…and also just thank you for that vulnerability and for turning those feelings into action.”

Last year, Kalia was named a 2025 Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW).