Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian Affiliations Present “Young Historians, Living Histories”

December 5, 2013
News Release
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The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, in partnership with Smithsonian Affiliations and the Center for Asian American Media, presents “Young Historians, Living Histories,” a project that engages students across the country to deepen their understanding of the Asian Pacific American experience as lived in their community. This project allows participants to attend one-week workshops where they will learn about Asian Pacific American history and the foundations of community storytelling through digital technologies. Each workshop will culminate with students producing short community heritage films that will be broadcast online by the Smithsonian and Center for Asian American Media, and screened at the 32nd annual CAAMFest, March 13–23, 2014, in San Francisco.

“We are thrilled with the enthusiastic response to this project and the caliber of our host venues,” said Konrad Ng, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, “‘Young Historians, Living Histories’ shows how community historiography is a meaningful way to learn and apply media skills and literacies critical for success in the digital age.”

Curriculum for the “Young Historians, Living Histories” project draws from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” exhibition, which chronicles how Asian Pacific Americans have shaped and been shaped by the course of the nation’s history. The exhibition is accompanied by innovative digital learning assets such as a community voices mobile device app and an online comic book.

Eleven museums and organizations are participating in this collaborative initiative as hosts and coordinators for the student workshops. The Smithsonian Affiliate museums include the Greensboro Historical Initiative (Greensboro, N.C.), Historic Arkansas Museum (Little Rock, Ark.), Institute of Texan Cultures (San Antonio), Oklahoma History Center (Oklahoma City), Pacific Aviation Museum (Honolulu), Riverside Metropolitan Museum (Riverside, Calif.), Sonoma County Museum (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland) and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (Seattle). Also joining the project are the Asian Arts Initiative (Philadelphia) and Asian American LEAD (Washington, D.C.).

About the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

Established in 1997, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center produces programs and exhibitions about the Asian Pacific American experience and works in partnership with organizations across the Smithsonian and beyond to enrich collections and activities about the Asian Pacific American experience. The center shares the challenges and stories of America’s fastest-growing communities. It connects treasures and scholars with the public, celebrates long-lived traditions and explores contemporary expressions. These stories are vital to a deeper understanding of the nation and a richer appreciation of Asian Pacific cultures. For information about the center, visit www.apa.si.edu.

About Smithsonian Affiliations

Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums, educational and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. More information is available at www.affiliations.si.edu.

“Young Historians, Living Histories” is funded by the Smithsonian Institution Youth Access Grants program managed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Education and Access.

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SI-473-2013