May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.

Celebrate! Where Asia Meets America

The “Celebrate! Where Asia Meets America” portal provides a wealth of digital resources related to Asia and the Asian American experience across the Smithsonian Institution.
Explore the web portal

Image Credit: Roger Shimomura, Diary: December 12, 1941, 1980, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1991.

Telling All Americans' Stories: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

The history of North America is shaped by the stories of immigrants from Asia and the Pacific and the native people of the Pacific Islands. Discover these wide-ranging stories preserved and interpreted in our nation’s parks, trails, and historic sites.
Online Exhibition »

Image Credit: Image provided by the National Park Service

Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar

In 1943, Ansel Adams, America's most well-known photographer, documented the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California and the Japanese-Americans interned there during World War II. For the first time, digital scans of both Adams's original negatives and his photographic prints appear side by side allowing viewers to see Adams's darkroom technique, in particular, how he cropped his prints.

Image credit: Entrance to Manzanar, Manzanar Relocation Center / photograph by Ansel Adams. (Library of Congress)

For Teachers

Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids.
Educational Resources »

Image credit: Five Asian children holding up small barbells (Library of Congress)

2019 Event Highlights

Special Event

May 8

Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Join archivists, historians, and the public for a Wikipedia edit-a-thon where we will edit and improve Wikipedia content related to Asian Pacific American heritage using source material from the National Archives.

(National Archives)

Panel Discussion

May 9

Playing and Talking about Baseball Across the Pacific
A panel of experts will discuss how American baseball has influenced and been influenced by Japanese culture since the 19th century. Participants include authors Robert K. Fitts and Bill Staples, Jr. as well as professors William W. Kelly (Yale University) and Chandra M. Manning (Georgetown University).

(Library of Congress)

Special Tours & Exhibits

May 11

Train Day: The Golden Spike Anniversary Family Festival
On the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad and we are celebrating the new Golden Spike stamp and history with curator tours and more. Learn from our interactive carts about the hidden voices and stories of Chinese American Railroad workers and their contributions in the building of our nation.

(National Postal Museum)

Family Day

May 18

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
How are Asian American artists expressing and reinterpreting cultural identity? Find out with activities for all ages inspired by traditions from Asia and the United States. Experience live performances in the galleries, meet local and international artists, and create your own artworks.

(Freer Gallery of Art)

Special Event

May 22

“Crazy Rich Asians” Author Kevin Kwan
Singaporean American novelist Kevin Kwan, known for his satirical novels “Crazy Rich Asians,” “China Rich Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems,” will present an exclusive conversation on his work that seeks to introduce contemporary Asian culture to an American audience. Tickets are free, but required. Livestreaming on Facebook and on YouTube (with captions)
Tickets are recommended, but not required.
Get Tickets on Eventbrite

(Library of Congress)