Asian American History

Archaeologist Kate Kolwicz examines fragments of late 19th-century Chinese pottery unearthed in downtown Missoula.

Remnants of a 19th-Century Red-Light District and Chinatown Unearthed in Montana

A trove of artifacts reveals the town of Missoula's remarkable and diverse past

Japanese Americans stand in front of a poster with internment orders.

California to Apologize for Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII

In new legislation, the state will own up to its role in the years-long detention that began in 1942

Among the artifacts believed to be lost are letters written by Chinese immigrants, photographs of Chinatown and an 1883 document on the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Fire at Museum of Chinese in America Caused Less Damage Than Initially Feared

Around 200 boxes recovered from the building have been deemed "very much salvageable," but they represent only a "fraction" of the museum's collection

In 2010, Cabico founded "Capturing Fire," a three-day international poetry festival for queer-identifying writers with the goal of encouraging more discussions and awareness about the queer experience.

Why Spoken Word Artist Regie Cabico Calls Himself an 'Accidental Poet'

The renowned slam poetry artist is performing at Smithsonian’s Asian American Literature Festival in August and is featured in the latest Sidedoor podcast

The Statue of Liberty and the new museum building on Liberty Island as seen from the approach by ferry.

The Americans Who Saw Lady Liberty as a False Idol of Broken Promises

Suffragists, African-Americans and Chinese immigrants all criticized the statue as representative of a nation that was not yet free for everyone

Constance Wu's character, Rachel Chu, wears the gown to a wedding

Constance Wu’s ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Dress Is Coming to the Smithsonian

Curator Theo Gonzalves says he hopes the gown will enable Asian American visitors “to see themselves in the museum, … see themselves in American history"

A model of the planned artwork for downtown Albuquerque memorializing the landmark case that expanded the rights of Asian Americans.

Monument Marks Little-Remembered Case That Set Precedent for Asian Americans to Testify in Court

The history around the 'Territory of New Mexico v. Yee Shun' will be memorialized in the upcoming public work 'View from Gold Mountain'

Larry Kwong in the 1940s

Larry Kwong, Gifted Athlete Who Broke NHL's Color Barrier, Dies at 94

Kwong, the first athlete of Asian heritage to play in an NHL game, battled racism and discrimination as he made a name for himself on the ice

The responsive-design website fits your phone, tablet and computer and can be used to make an itinerary for easy printout and planning.

Take a Tour of the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific Collections this Autumn

Diverse artifacts all across the Smithsonian Institution captivate and confound in equal measure

The Fountaingrove Round Barn burned on Monday Oct. 9 in one of the 17 wildfires that erupted across California.

As Wildfires Rage Across California Wine Country, a Historical Structure Turns to Ash

The iconic Round Barn was destroyed at Fountaingrove, once home to a Utopian community and one of America’s first Japanese immigrants

A succulent spread from Petworth-based Japanese restaurant Himitsu, one of the many D.C. vendors that will be represented at IlluminAsia.

You've Never Tasted "Street Food" Like This Before

For its grand reopening, a hub of Asian-American culture serves up a culinary wonderland

Asian-American Superhero The Green Turtle Returns!

The character, created in the 1940s and revived in a 2014 graphic novel, stars in a new comic book to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Workers labor in the fields in the shadow of Mt. Williamson.

View Daily Life in a Japanese-American Internment Camp Through the Lens of Ansel Adams

In 1943, one of America’s best-known photographers documented one of the best-known internment camps

Anna May Wong in an undated image.

Happy Birthday to Hollywood’s First Chinese-American Star

She was a leading lady, but racism held her career back

Ronald Reagan signing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that apologized for the internment of Japanese American citizens and permanent residents during World War II.

Five Times the United States Officially Apologized

These are a few instances where the U.S. admitted it had done wrong

Some of the divers from Blue Water Recoveries excavating artifacts from the wreck of the Esmeralda

Found: 500-Year-Old Portuguese Shipwreck From Famed Explorer's Fleet

A warship from the famous navigator Vasco da Gama’s fleet has been excavated in the waters off Al Hallaniyah island in Oman

After Xiangmei Gu takes off the backing, she saves the brittle fragments in her record books, which date back two decades and line the shelves in her office.

Restoring Artwork to its Former Glory

With a steady hand, Xiangmei Gu wields paintbrushes and tweezers as the Smithsonian's only conservator of Chinese paintings

Once shunned by many, Vietnamese Amerasians now celebrate their heritage (a San Jose gala in 2008). At a similar gathering, many in the audience wept when an Amerasian family that had just arrived in the United States was introduced.

Children of the Vietnam War

Born overseas to Vietnamese mothers and U.S. servicemen, Amerasians brought hard-won resilience to their lives in America

Zongzi, also known as jung, contains rice, beans, sausage, pork and bamboo leaves.

Jung and Zongzi Recipe

Learn how to cook this traditional Chinese delicacy in a family recipe passed down from older generations

Hong Kong rowing teams compete during one of the many races that take place during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Legends Behind the Dragon Boat Festival

Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, Duanwu Jie honors storied history with culinary treats

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