Digital Exhibits and Web Resources
- “Can’t be done–This is war!”: The Admission of Japanese Students During World War II
IU Archives blog post on the denial of admission to Japanese and Japanese American students during World War II. - China Remixed: Showin Wetzen Hsu, BA 1909
Libraries blog post about Showin Wetzen Hsu, who became the first Chinese student to graduate from IU in 1909. - Heart and Seoul: Early Korean Students at Indiana University Part 1IU Archives blog post on early Korean students at IU highlighting Eung Tyun Cho, who completed his PhD in 1928.
- Heart and Seoul: Early Korean Students at Indiana University Part 2More information on early Korean students at IU.
- Masuji Miyakawa
Short biography of Masuji Miyakawa, IU Law's first Asian American graduate (in 1905) and the first Japanese American admitted to the bar. - New scholarship, memorial honors Japanese American students denied admission during World War II
News article from IU Bloomington Today describing the memorial to Japanese American students denied admittance to IU during WWII, dedicated in 2021, as well as a scholarship program begun in those students' honor. - Past, Present, and Future: A Timeline of Asian American Studies at Indiana University
Timeline of national, regional, and Indiana University events that led to the creation of Indiana University Bloomington’s Asian American Studies (AAST) program and its activities through 2020. - Student research ends 80 years of IU silence
Article about the work of Eric Langowski on the history of Japanese students' exclusion from IU during WWII. - Uncovering Our History: A Look at Some of Our First MLS Graduates
Luddy School blog post on early graduates, including the first Asian graduate Choong Han Kim (class of 1960) and early international student Vibulpenn Jayapani.
- Asian Businesses of Monument Circle: Ikko Matsumoto
Blog post from the Indiana Historical Society on Asian-owned businesses in Indianapolis. - Be Heard: Asian Experiences in IndianaDigital exhibit from Indiana Historical Society including teacher resources on various Asian communities in Indiana. Includes oral histories and biographies of prominent Asian and Asian American people of Indiana.
- Degrees of Inclusion
Drawings by Artist Archivist examining the history of international student involvement at IU. - Encyclopedia of Indianapolis: Demography and Ethnicity
The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis features several articles about notable AAPI citizens and their communities. Browse the entires under the "Demography and Ethnicity" heading to find more. - Experiencing Our Town: In The Words of Women Immigrants in Columbus, Indiana
Immigrant women, experiencing downtown Columbus through both work and exploration, came together to share their voice and ideas about our amazing city! Through workshops, the women wrote about experiences, feelings, thoughts, and memories detailing their journey to Columbus, Indiana! Facilitators were present at the sessions to assist the women in creating their story, helping to write each woman into the history and future of Columbus. The immigrant women participated in a photo shoot capturing them in their favorite area of downtown Columbus. - The Famous Bamboo Inn Restaurant: 1918-1961
Indiana Historical Society blog post on the Chinese-owned Bamboo Inn restuarant of Indianapolis. - Getting to Know Harry
Blog post from the Indiana Historical Society profiling Harry Sasaki, Japanese immigrant in Indianapolis in the early 20th century. - History Hidden in Plain Sight: The Chinese Club on Massachusetts Avenue
Indiana Historical Society blog post on the Chinese Club at Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis. - Indiana Historical Society: Celebrating AAPI in Your Home and Classroom!
Indiana Historical Society blog post listing teacher resources for AAPI Heritage Month. - No Mean City: Indianapolis’ First Asian Citizen and Voter
Blog post from the Indiana Historical Society on Moy Kee, the first Chinese person to immigrate to Indianapolis. - A Spectacular History of Filipinos in Indy and the World
Indianapolis Public Library exhibit and book recommendations relating to the Filipino community in Indianapolis. - Welcome To Chindianapolis
Indianapolis Monthly article profiling the Burmese community in Indianapolis.
These resources don't focus specifically on Indiana or IU, but may include relevant content.
- AAPI Data
Statistical data and reports on AAPI communities across the US, with a focus on quantitative data and policy/advocacy. - American Archive of Public Broadcasting: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Collection
Collection featuring more than 230 public radio and television programs from 1965 to 2019 that highlight Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures in the United States, including interviews with prominent AAPI writers and artists. - Chinese Historical Society of America
The Chinese Historical Society of America collects, preserves, and illuminates the history of Chinese in America by serving as a center for research, scholarship, and learning to inspire a greater appreciation for, and knowledge of, their collective experience through exhibitions, public programs, and any other means for reaching the widest audience. - DenshoDensho documents the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Resources include oral histories, digital repositories, multimedia, and more.
- Filipino American National Historical Society
The purposes of the Filipino American National Historical Society are to conduct research and studies; gather, promote, and disseminate published works on Filipino American history; provide a repository for research and gathered materials; create exhibits; promote and hold forums and public programs; and sponsor fundraising events to accomplish these purposes. - Japanese-American Internment Camp Newspapers, 1942 to 1946
Digital collection from the Library of Congress featuring 29 newspapers from Japanese American internment camps in seven states from the period 1942-1946. - Japanese American National Museum
Website of the Japanese American National Museum, which includes digital exhibits and collections documenting the history, culture, and experiences of Japanese Americans. - National Archives: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Guide to the collections of the US National Archives around AAPI History Month, including many digital collections. - SAADA: South Asian American Digital Archive
SAADA creates a more inclusive society by giving voice to South Asian Americans through documenting, preserving, and sharing stories that represent their unique and diverse experiences. - California Cultures: Asian AmericansDigital exhibition chronicling Asian immigrant communities in California dating back to the 1860s.
- AAPI Covid Archive
Digital archive that aims "to archive and preserve the voices and stories of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities during the COVID-19 pandemic for future generations." - Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive
This archive offers a window into the story of South Asian immigrants from the Punjab region in north India to California since the turn of the twentieth century. Explore over 700 video interviews, speeches, diaries, photographs, articles, and letters in which Punjabi Americans share their life stories, values, and contributions to California’s history over the last hundred and twenty years. - Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies
Digital resources available through the University of Southern California Libraries; includes various archival materials including posters and ephemera, newspapers, oral histories, and more. - Kearny Street WorkshopThe longest standing multidicsciplinary Asian Pacific American arts organization.
- Immigrant Stories at the University of Minnesota
Immigrant Stories is an oral history project run by the Immigration History Research Center, Using their web tools people can share their own short videos about their experience as immigrants. - Centering Philippine and Filipinx American Histories
This exhibit highlights The Bancroft Library’s collections of materials related to the Philippines and Filipinx Americans, from the period of Spanish and American colonization of Indigenous communities in the archipelago through the present. - Auntie Sewing Squad Oral History Archive
The Auntie Sewing Squad was founded on March 24, 2020 by performance artist Kristina Wong who organized a group of Asian American women as a casual effort to sew homemade masks in the absence of the federal government’s failure to provide personal protective equipment. This website hosts oral histories of this project.
These resources don't focus specifically on Indiana or IU, but may include relevant content.
- Asian American Experience
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Curriculum and research database dedicated to the study of Asian American history. Includes primary source narratives, expert historical reference, and inquiry-driven student activities.
- Asian American Drama
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Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more.
- Immigration: Records of the INS, 1880-1930
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Primary source documents covering the investigations made during the massive immigration wave at the turn of the 20th century.
- Immigrations, Migrations and Refugees: Global Perspectives, 1941-1996
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Digital archive covering all aspects of 20th-century human migration. includes firsthand accounts from reputable sources around the world, covering such important events as post-World War II Jewish resettlement, South African apartheid, Latin American migrations to the United States and much more.
- Japanese American Incarceration: Records of the War Relocation Authority, 1942-1946
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Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entry into World War II in December 1941, the Roosevelt administration decided that for reasons of “military necessity,” the government would evacuate all persons of Japanese heritage from the West Coast states. The Records of the War Relocation Authority document the day-to-day running of the 10 relocation camps from 1942-1946. The collection is organized by relocation center. Records include reports and correspondence on issues such as security, education, health, vocational training, agriculture, food, and family welfare.
- Japanese American Internment: Records of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
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Digital access to the papers of President Franklin D. Roosevelt related to Japanese American internment, an executive order that targeted U.S. citizens and resident aliens and uprooted entire communities.
- North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories
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Full text of letters, diaries, autobiographies, and oral histories of immigrants to America and Canada. Covers 1840 to present, but heaviest focus is on 1920-1980.
- South and Southeast Asian Literature in English
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Includes fiction, short fiction, essays, interviews, and manuscript materials written in English from authors originating in South and Southeast Asia.
