Smithsonian Asia Pacific American Program

[Chris Harris]

The Smithsonian Asia Pacific American Program seeks to build more awareness about the nation's richly diverse Asian Pacific American communities and provides leadership, vision and support to all its activities. The Smithsonian has hundreds of interesting, photos, objects, artifacts and documents related to Asia Pacific Americans on display. It also has eye-catching artifacts relating to Asia Pacific Americans. The Chinese Coaching Book artifact relating to coaching books studied by would-be Chinese immigrants to avoid being detained by US officials, skates worn by short-track speed skater and Olympic medallist, Apolo Anton Ohno (born to an American mother, Jerrie Lee, and Japanese-born father, Yuki Ohno), cane knives used by Japanese American laborers while working under harsh conditions to harvest sugar cane (kachiken) in Hawaii are some of the pride possessions of the Smithsonian museums.

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program also creates exhibitions about the Asian Pacific Americans. Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon (reveals the story of the Vietnamese American experience in America, from the significant influx in 1975 to the present) and The Singgalot: The Ties That Bind (that highlights the challenges and issues that confronted Filipinos following the annexation of the Philippines as a U.S. territory in 1898) are two significant exhibitions of the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program in association with the Washington, DC chapter of the Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP-DC presents the annual South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival (SALTAF) which has been a huge success at the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program offers public programs throughout the year. It throws light on the activities of the Asia Pacific Americans by organizing lectures, book readings, film screenings and conferences. The Smithsonian has plenty to offer about the Asia Pacific Americans. So, don’t miss out on an opportunity to visit the Smithsonian. For complete information, visit: www.apa.si.edu

Disclaimer: This is not an official blog of the Smithsonian Group nor I am associated with them.