A/P/A Studies = Asian / Pacific / American Studies

"The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) was established on November 19, 2001, by The City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees, in a resolution introduced by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The Institute is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans. It covers four areas: Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; South Asian Studies; and Trade & Technology Studies."

"On this website, the Bancroft Library and the Ethnic Studies Library at the University of California Berkeley, along with the California Historical Library, present a collection of the Chinese in California digital archive in a topical format. This approach is meant to help gather the diverse resources available in the archive in a more manageable manner. The collection is comprised of books, pamphlets, prints, photographs, manuscripts, and sheet music." (Blurb from the Internet Scout, Archives.)

"Between 1864 and 1869, thousands of Chinese migrants toiled at a grueling pace and in perilous working conditions to help construct America’s first Transcontinental Railroad. The Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project seeks to give a voice to the Chinese migrants whose labor on the Transcontinental Railroad helped to shape the physical and social landscape of the American West. The Project coordinates research in North America and Asia in order to publish new findings in print and digital formats, support new and scholarly informed school curriculum, and participate in conferences and public events."

"Densho's mission is to preserve the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II before their memories are extinguished. We offer these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all. "

"The mission of the Filipino-American Historical Society (FAHSOH) is to foster an appreciation of the heritage and experiences of Filipino Americans in Hawaii. We believe that knowledge of the history and culture of all peoples affirms individual dignity and teaches respect and understanding. The Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawai‘i (FAHSOH) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which preserves, enhances and promotes an appreciation of Filipino heritage and the experiences of Filipino Americans in Hawai‘i. "

"The First Days Project shares stories of immigrants' and refugees' first experiences in the United States. We launched the First Days Project in 2013 because we realized that stories of immigrants’ first experiences in the United States were not systematically being collected, preserved, and shared with others. Regardless of whether their first day in the country was five, twenty, or forty (or even more) years ago, it is a day that most immigrants remember very vividly. After all, the first day in a new country is so much more than just one day. A first day can be full of excitement, nervousness, loss, humor, sadness, adventure, confusion, and a mixture of many other emotions. A first day both encapsulates what came before and anticipates what will come after. Our hope is that the diversity of stories represented in the First Days Project will reflect the diversity of the American immigrant experience."

This remarkable collection brings together video oral histories of Japanese Americans students during World War II. Created by a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, these interviews document the impact that students' wartime experiences had on their college years as well as the rest of their lives. All told, there are eighteen oral histories here and visitors can learn about the lives of Gordon Sato, Frank Inami, and Rose Yamaguchi, among others. Visitors may especially be interested in learning about the students' time in the relocation centers and internment camps scattered around the United States. All told, it's a moving and thoughtful collection that will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in American history. [KMG，From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2014. https://www.scout.wisc.edu]

FROM THE SCOUT REPORT "This collection from George and Frank C. Hirahara is considered the largest private collection of photographs documenting Japanese American incarceration during World War II and daily life in the Heart Mountain, Wyoming internment camp. All told, the collection contains over 2,000 images taken between January 1943 and November 1945. The photos were taken by George and his son and capture high school life, engagement celebrations, and day-to-day camp life. Visitors can browse through these items at their leisure and they might also do well to sign up to receive updates about new items as they are added. The titles of each photograph are quite descriptive and include "A baby leaning on an ottoman in a barrack” and “A crowd gathered at the bus station waiting for men in military uniforms to depart.” [KMG]

"Immigrant Voices, a project of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, provides a platform to hear "personal stories of immigrants to the Pacific Coast, from Angel Island Immigration Station detainees to those arriving today." These narratives, comprised of pictures and text, share intimate themes across the human experience: pain and hope, family and fear, and education and discrimination, among others. Under the Discover tab readers can explore stories by country, year of arrival, and theme. The advanced search feature allows for more specific filters (including the ability to enter a search term). Readers are also welcome to scroll through all stories, absent any filtering. Many stories are told from the perspective of family members who recount oral histories passed down through generations. Collectively, these narratives add context and dimension to historical moments. In addition to reading and honoring the stories included on the site, users can also submit their own tale (note that one must register and create an account to do so). [EMB]" Copyright © 2017 Internet Scout Research Group - http://scout.wisc.edu

"The Bancroft Library's documentation of the Japanese American experience during World War II includes over 250,000 pages from an extensive collection of manuscripts and photographs. The materials in the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Digital Archive are pulled from our voluminous holdings and reveal the multifaceted experience from this complex time in US history. We invite you to explore these personal materials and recount the daily lives of Japanese Americans while in the confinement sites during World War II. Access to this material is provided through the Online Archive of California and Calisphere websites."

From The Scout Report v.26, no. 5 "The history and human impact of Japanese Internment Camps during World War II is encapsulated within Japanese-American Internment Camp Newspapers, 1942 to 1946. This collection from the Library of Congress includes both English and Japanese texts from 29 newspapers produced within camps in 7 states, offering insight on the conditions and detailing the communities and people affected. Readers may want to begin by reading the About This Collection section, which provides historical context on World War II and the creation of internment camps. Explore the Articles and Essays section to find a timeline highlighting key events from Pearl Harbor and FDR's Executive Order to The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that issued an apology and reparations to survivors. In the Collection Items section readers can browse the newspaper clippings included within the collection. After clicking on an image, visitors are able to flip through pages of the paper and zoom in to read the text, as well as find information such as the publication, date, and location of each article. Finally, users may want to view the All Newspaper Title section to sort articles based on publication. [EMB]" Copyright © 2017 Internet Scout Research Group - http://scout.wisc.edu

"Compiled by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, funded in part by an Education through Cultural & Historical Organizations (ECHO) grant, this site showcases resources that document the history of the Japanese Internment experience within the islands of Hawai‘i."

"JARDA contains thousands of Japanese American internment primary source materials: Personal diaries, letters, photographs, and drawings US War Relocation Authority materials, including camp newsletters, final reports, photographs, and other documents relating to the day-to-day administration of the camps. Personal histories documenting the lives of the people who lived in the camps as well as the administrators who created and worked in the camps"

"Founded in 1980, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. The greatly expanded MOCA at 215 Centre Street is a national home for the precious narratives of diverse Chinese American communities, and strives to be a model among interactive museums. - See more at: http://www.mocanyc.org/about/#sthash.PZQmdpj6.dpuf"

"From 1941 to 1946, Occidental College President Remsen DuBois Bird and College Librarian Elizabeth McCloy made it their mission to preserve articles, newspapers, pamphlets, and other items related to the forced internment of persons of Japanese ancestry along the West Coast."

A project of the Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies: "In the early morning hours of Friday, May 17th, 1929, a Lebanese immigrant was lynched in Lake City, Florida. He was shot multiple times and left to die along a lonely stretch of the road heading south out of Lake City to Fort White."

SAADA (South Asian American Digital Archive) is an independent national non-profit organization working to create a more inclusive society by giving voice to South Asian Americans through documenting, preserving, and sharing stories that represent their unique and diverse experiences.

The unique history, special character, and contemporary challenges of Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood are the subject of this exhibit, which combines oral history from community members with archival documents, photographs, and maps. The exhibit is organized into the themes Opportunity, Vision, Exclusion, Resilience, Community, and Tradition, which appear as clickable tiles toward the bottom of the page linked above. For each theme, there is a video showcasing interviews with community members, as well as written quotes and historical documents. For example, the "Opportunity" page explores entrepreneurship through 1940s restaurant menus, while the "Exclusion" page features a 1921 identity certificate used for tracking Chinese Americans and a 1940s map showing buildings slated for demolition to make way for a freeway. Displacement is a key theme of the exhibit and continues to be relevant today, as Chinatown has become a pressure point for gentrification debates in the city. Viewers can navigate to the "Contributors" page to learn more about the community members featured and their relationship to Chinatown. The exhibit can be explored in either English or Chinese by toggling in the top left corner of the landing page (videos are available in English with Chinese subtitles). Stories and Voices from L.A. Chinatown is the first exhibit in the Archive Alive series, a collaboration between The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; the Library Foundation of Los Angeles; and the Los Angeles Public Library (previously featured in the 11-08-2013 Scout Report)

"Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation (VAHF) interviews, part of the national 500 Oral Histories Project, 2011 Includes 88 video interviews dating from 2011 and conducted by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation. These interviewees are Texas-based. Most are in Vietnamese, although some are in English. No transcripts exist at this time for the interviews but brief abstracts for each are being created to offer some initial insight into the interviews.

Southern California is home to "the largest concentration of Vietnamese [Americans]." This project housed within the University of California, Irvine hopes to capture and preserve their diverse stories and experiences for generations to come. The Viet Stories: Vietnamese American Oral History Project (VAOHP) collection includes audio and video files, transcripts (in Vietnamese and/or English), and photographs. Many of these oral histories were captured by UC Irvine students (under the direction and supervision of faculty). Launched in 2011, the collection now features more than 200 items, but remains "a work in progress," so readers are encouraged to check back often for new content. Visitors can use various tools on the left-hand side of the site to view current collection items. For example, users can search by keyword or browse by category (including "narrators" and "subjects"). Each oral history record includes a summary paragraph, so listeners can preview the content before diving in. Copyright © 2017 Internet Scout Research Group - http://scout.wisc.edu

"The Virtual Asian American Art Museum has brought together curators and art scholars with art and archives collections from individual collections and institutions around the world to invite you to experience Asian American art."

"Located within the University of California-Davis's Asian American Studies Department, the Bulosan Center and Welga Archive document "the Filipino and Filipino American experience," with a particular focus on labor and activism. The Center is named after Carlos Bulosan, "a migrant worker, labor activist, and writer," whose work helped "galvanize [low-wage] workers, as well as the Filipino community more broadly, to organize themselves to fight against exploitation." The project's name is also significant; "welga" means "strike" in Tagalog, and honors the Filipino Americans who contributed to the labor and farmworker movements. The site provides multiple resources, including: a historical timeline, an exhibition on Filipina activists and organizers, and various library guides, among others. Archive users can also browse by collection or item type (e.g., "documents" and"oral histories"). Additionally, visitors are welcome to submit their own reflection on their experience with Filipino American labor history. The archive is operated by director Robyn Rodriguez and archivist Allan Jason Sarmiento. [EMB]" Copyright © 2017 Internet Scout Research Group - http://scout.wisc.edu

"Behind the barbed wire of assembly centers and relocation centers around the country during World War II, interned Japanese-Americans produced newspapers to chronicle the stories and experiences of their community in a time of crisis."