Asian-Pacific American Heritage: A Research Guide

The diversity of the United States gives way to many ethnic groups that have contributed so much to this country. The materials listed below will provide information on the history, contributions, and identify of Asian-Americans including the issues they face today. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Asian Americans: An Interpretive History by Sucheng Chan. Boston: Twayne, 1991. ISBN: 0805784268.
Twayne’s immigrant heritage of America series. History of Asians in the United States from 1840 to the 1990s.

Dictionary of Asian American History by Hyung-chan Kim. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. ISBN: 0313237603.
Traces the immigrant experience from more than ten countries in East and Southeast Asia and covers the cultural, social, economic, and political impact of these groups on United States.

Strangers from a Different Shore, rev. ed. by Ronald Takaki. Boston: Little, Brown, 1998. ISBN: 0316831301.
A popular history of Asian-Americans (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, and Indians) that covers how they have made their presence felt in America since the early 1800s.

Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White by Frank H. Wu. New York: Basic Books, 2002. ISBN: 0465006396.
Wu examines issues affecting Asian-Americans such as affirmative action, globalization, immigration, and other controversial contemporary issues while confronting stereotypes.

Association for Asian American Studies
www.aaastudies.org
Founded in 1979 for the purpose of advancing the highest professional standard of excellence in teaching and research in the field of Asian-American Studies and to create better understanding of the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Hawai’ian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, and other groups.

Chinese Historical Society of America, San Francisco, California
www.chsa.org
The CHSA was established to promote and preserve the contributions of Chinese-Americans through their museum, bookstore and learning center.

Korean American Coalition
www.kacla.org
Community advocacy organization established in 1983. Its mission is to facilitate the Korean-American community’s participation in civic, legislative, and community affairs.

National Association of Japan-America Societies
www.us-japan.org
Provides links to many regional Japanese societies in the United States.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations
www.naffaa.org
Exists to promote the welfare and well-being of all Filipinos and Filipino-Americans throughout the United States.

Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA)
www.ocanatl.org
Strives to advance the cause and foster public awareness of the needs and concerns of Chinese-Americans in the United States.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art. The National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
www.asia.si.edu
Includes art from many Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea and India, online exhibitions, calendar of events, and teaching guides.

Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture, San Francisco, California
www.asianart.org
Includes nearly 15,000 treasures spanning 6,000 years of history, representing cultures throughout Asia.

Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles, California
www.camla.org
Offers exhibits that illustrates the historical legacy of Chinese-Americans.

Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California
www.janm.org
Collections from Japanese-Americans include exhibits of photographs, papers, art, transcripts, and more.

Korean American Museum
www.kamuseum.org
Seeks to interpret and preserve its history and culture through its collections and programs.

top

Angel Island State Park
www.angelisland.org
Sponsored by the Angel Island Association, this Web site offers detailed information about Angel Island, the immigration station off the coast of California that processed thousands of Asians who came to the United States in the early 1900s.

Ask Asia
www.askasia.org
A wealth of information about Asia, Asian-American culture, and history geared to grades K–12.

Becoming American: The Chinese Experience
www.pbs.org/becomingamerican/chineseexperience.html
Filled with facts and information about the Asian-American experience through eyewitness accounts. Features additional organizations, books, films and videos, and a time line.

Origins of APA Heritage Month
www.infoplease.com/spot/asianintro1.html
Discusses origin of the Asian-Pacific American Heritage month.