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The Arena

Asian Pacific America is without borders. It exists after your flight has left the gate, when you are in unfamiliar land, and beyond the digital grid.

Lines of buddhas and other small statues in bright colors in a storefront.

Trinh Mai
Phước-Lộc-Thọ, Westminster, CA
2:49pm: “During childhood, I often took family trips to Little Saigon during my summer vacations, trips that used to cause me anxiety due to the overwhelming crowds.”
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“Since moving to Orange County three years ago, now with a greater appreciation for my history and a more developed way of seeing the world, I embrace the beauty of Little Saigon’s marketplace. These photos celebrate a place where the Vietnamese community has built our home away from home, a place where we gather to carry on our culture and traditions.”

A girl stands on a diving board on the edge of a cliff, with her arms outstretched. The water is blue beneath her and a turquoise kayak is in the water.

Bessie Badilla
Ariel’s Point | Aklan, Philippines
1:00pm: “When was the last time you did something for the first time? Fil-Am visits her country of birth and Cliff Dives at age 55. It is never too late for a little adventure.”

A brick monument overgrown with plants and moss. A woman wearing a dress with wings on her back stands in an entry in the middle of the monument.

Dao Strom & Kyle MacDonald
Banh It Cham Tower | Quy Nhon, Vietnam
“Seeking bird self”

An Asian American man with a mustache and his hair in a bun stands in front of water. In the background a bridge crosses to the other side. There are buildings in the distance.

An Rong Xu
New York, NY
Spotlight Photographer

A middle-aged Asian American man stands with his hands on his hips watching chickens eat.

Kin Man Hui
Floresville, TX
“Joe Tsai cares for his chickens on his farm.”
Spotlight Photographer

Monks walk down the street in front of a vehicle cked out in bright colors. In the background, a blue 62 impala falls into line behind them and a bus reads 36 Othello Sta.

Dennis Wtpho
Seattle, WA
“In this Seattle International District parade photo: Puget Sound in the background and bus headed to 98118, one of the most diverse zip codes in the nation. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen monks and a ’62 Impala in the same photo.”

A hallway leading to a door with framed square plates with bamboo, cherry blossom and other nature-inspired designs. Bright light shows through a closed blind on the door, casting a yellow light over the hallway.

Marissa Katarina Bergmann
Palm Desert, CA
1:38pm: “Image from my 91-year-old Nisei grandmother’s house in Palm Desert, California on a sunny afternoon.”

Photo taken from above, with people of different generations gathered.

Lenore Chinn
Windward Mall | Kaneohe, HI
“Friends and family gather at Windward Mall in Kaneohe, Hawaii on Mother’s Day weekend. Boy plays with his kendama, a very popular Japanese toy.”

A crowd of people going in and out of City Super and D & T Market. The signs are written in Chinese and in English. Boxes line the store front.

Wilton Wong
Chinatown | San Francisco, CA
“City Super: Shopping for fresh food is an activity that takes place every day. In Chinatown of San Francisco, this scene is a reminder of the active nature on a busy street.”

A jumble of octopus tentacles with a sign on top that reads "12 euro."

Tammy Nguyen
Venice, Italy
“Early in the morning, fresh octopus for sale at the Rialto Market.”

A girl carries a surf board on the beach. Waves are rolling in, footprints are imprinted in the sand.

Colette Masu
Kua Bay, HI

Birds on telephone wires that criss cross in sunlight in the late afternoon. Buildings go off into the distance.

Chinchillic Carbine
San Francisco, CA

Railroad Crossing Sign planted in golden yellow ground, with tall palm trees in the background, a blue sky with a few clouds and a parking lot.

Bryan Thao Worra
Hemet, CA
“Connecting America by rail is an integral part of the Asian American story. In Hemet there are still several Asian American businesses near the old rail lines.”

A bench of people of all ages sit carrying shopping bags at what appears to be a bus stop.

Cliff Kimura
Chinatown | Honolulu, HI
“Waiting Around – Honolulu Chinatown is a major stop for those catching the bus. Chinatown is not the nicest or cleanest place in Honolulu, witness the graffiti on the wall. While waiting for the bus, everyone is in their own world.”

Ho King restaurant front with a colorful mural that reads "Chinatown". Above the restaurant sign, there is a brick building with graffiti.

Sara Francini – The Border
Chinatown | New York, NY

A bicycle left on a sidewalk on a bridge. The bridge overlooks water on the right, with a turquoise metal edge. A motorcycle drives by on the road.

Jimmy Thong Tran
Hanoi, Vietnam

An intersection in a city. The storefront behind is written in Chinese. A man walks with his bike, faintly blurry because of the movement. It is night.

Edward Cheng
Chinatown | New York, NY

Spotlight PhotographerSmall, stooped stone statues line a sidewalk.

Walt Louie
Chinatown | Los Angeles, CA
9:59pm: “TrafficGod”

Stairs and a door to the Japanese American Museum in San Jose, with a device that looks like a small square figure with lights for the eyes, or a danbo.

Jeff Sera
Japantown | San Jose, CA

“The new and the old – Amazon Danbo chillin in front of the Japanese American Museum in San Jose”large portraits of three soldiers in U.S. army uniforms looking straight ahead. The one closest to the front has a name tag that reads "Pangilinan."

Lovely Umayam
Point Alpha | Rasdorf, Germany
“Learning about how American soldiers (11th Armored Cavalry Regiment) served at the Inner-German border during the Cold War.”

Rows of white crosses in a cemetery with short green grass. Trees and a tall building in the background.

Ben Razon
American Cemetery and Memorial

| Manila, Philippines

A row of beaten-down houses on a one way street, very close together. Cars are parked on one side of the street. The edges are blurred, the sky is bright blue.

Joe Chan
Locke, CA
“Locke is an historic Chinese town in the California Delta. A view of Main Street from the Locke boarding house.”

A hand holds two lumpia in a plastic bag.

Ruby Veridiano
Parc Monceau | Paris, France
“Biggest surprise about Paris: I can’t turn a corner without seeing a Filipino person. Bless the Filipina who sells lumpia in Parc Monceau in the 17eme!”

Two business cards inviting the participant to attend an evangelical mission's bible study and worship services at Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of Christ.

Victor Diaz Zapanta
Rock Creek Park | Washington, DC
“I was just approached by some Filipino ministers while at a 5K in Rock Creek Park. My people are everywhere.”

A little kid leans forward in a lot with puddles. A man rides a bike in the background. The lot is surrounded by houses and apartments.

Stephanie Han
Tai Tei Tong, Mui Wo, Hong Kong
“Plane at dusk in village square, Mui Wo.”<.span>

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A green mahjong table with the mahjong pieces laid out in a square formation, with the edges slightly passing. Two dice in the center. Two hands on the bottom and on the left gather around the table. They have pink or red sleeves and the one on the bottom is wearing a greenish jade bracelet. It is entitled "The Moment."
A baby gazes past the camera. He is being carried in an off-white cloth carrier, perhaps made of linen. The person carrying the baby has a tattoo of a heart-shaped lock and more across her chest. You can only see her chin to her chest. She is wearing a dark blue t-shirt. They are standing in front of a yellow brick wall. It is entitled "The Image."
Two girls sit next to one another on the left in front of a hard, yellow dirt background that has etchings in it. They look at something past the frame. It is entitled "The Love."
Someone sits at a table in what appears to be a workshop. She is using a hammer on a small piece of medal. Also on the table is a mug and equipment including glue and scissors. In the background, there are books. It is entitled "The Grind."
Seven people wearing black dresses dance together, their arms outstretched, in front of a blue background. It is entitled "The Ritual."
In the center, someone wearing a white sweater laces her fingers across her chest. You can only see from her shoulders to her waist; the rest has been cropped out. She is wearing rings on her middle fingers and her nails are polished. She is carrying a straw hat. Behind her is a wooden structure and a prairie-like environment with a mountain rising in the background. It is entitled "Films."
A windshield shows a jumble of reflections including the camera and the hand of the photographer, a tree and a post that says "No Standing Anytime." It is entitled "spotlight photographers."

The Center gratefully recognizes the transformative commitment of the Ford Foundation to enriching and empowering Asian Pacific American communities in all of their vibrancy, diversity, and resilience.

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