We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States introduces you to incredible stories of resilience, adversity, and joy. It is my honor to be a part of a book that will reach readers like you across the United States, sharing stories that make our work at the Smithsonian stronger and more inclusive.
This book came together during a difficult time for our communities. The global spread of COVID-19 led to increased incidents of anti-Asian hate and bias, prompting us at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center to think about how we could better support our communities and the nation.
It is my hope that these thirty profiles of inspirational AAPI activists, artists, musicians, actors, writers, scientists, and entrepreneurs introduce you to figures whom you did not know before and that they spark conversations about why our stories need to be told. With 22 million Asian Americans and 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in the United States, this is just a start. There are so many more stories to tell.
Dr. Yao-Fen You
Acting Director
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Educational Resources
We Are Here:
30 Inspiring Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders Who
Have Shaped the United States
Based on the book, We Are Here, these 30 Learning Lab collections will introduce visitors to Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, activists, scientists, writers, and more. Each Lab includes access to objects, works of art, videos, archival materials, and websites that expand each person’s biography in We Are Here.