National APIA Historic Preservation Forum.mp4

Historic preservation in the United States is an evolving movement that has, for much of its history, drawn attention to what have been considered the significant events of a dominant narrative and focused primarily on buildings and sites associated with people of wealth, influence and power. More recently, definitions of historic significance have expanded to acknowledge a broader narrative of American culture and heritage, recognizing the importance of less well known American stories and opening the door for Asian and Pacific Islander American communities to consider what historic preservation means to them.

Historic resources associated with Asian and Pacific Islander American communities are seriously underrepresented in the official programs of the preservation movement and are often threatened by lack of public awareness, neglect, abandonment, and demolition. Buildings, events, landscapes, neighborhoods, and personal narratives associated with Asian Pacific American heritage offer fresh and different perspectives into collective experiences and unique struggles. These "sites of cultural memory" reflect passages in Asian Pacific Islander American history and connect living generations to the challenges and accomplishments of their ancestors.

In June 2010 more than 150 people gathered to honor efforts nationwide to preserve the legacies of Asian and Pacific Island cultures in America, spurring a dialogue among peers and across communities and age groups and inviting discussion of how historic preservation can be made more relevant to APIA communities. Using clips from interviews with twenty people, this video captures hopes that we can continue to expand the nation's historical narrative and ensure the preservation of more Asian Pacific American places and histories.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• National register
• diversity
• Asian pacific Islander
• Community Preservation
• People and place
• place based
• ethnic communities
• Identity
• Pride
• Social equity
• story telling
• Pan-Asian
• history
• cultural practice
• traditional
• youth
• historic places
• Culture
• Museum
• Documentary