APIAHiP: Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation

Hi! We're conducting a short survey to better understand the historic preservation needs of Asian & Pacific Islander American communities across the country. Your input will help guide our national efforts to protect the places that matter most. As a token of appreciation, the first 100 survey participants will receive a little something fun ?? Take the survey at https://apiahip.org/survey #aapi #apia #aanhpi #historicpreservation #publichistory #survey

In the first 60 days of the second Trump administration, we have witnessed the reckless & unlawful dismantling of federal agencies & programs—a systematic attack on institutions that millions of Americans rely on every day. From the EPA to HHS, HUD, FEMA, even ED as of today, the administration is gutting the very infrastructure that ensures public health, disaster response, housing access, & education for all. Alongside these sweeping attacks, historic preservation & public history programs have not been spared. NPS, ACHP, IMLS, NEH, & HPF have all been directly impacted. For APIA heritage, we are witnessing deliberate acts of erasure: ? Termination of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, & Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) which played a crucial role in promoting the preservation of AANHPI heritage & addressing the community's unique needs. ? Erasure & Manipulation of Japanese American & Other Histories: Earlier this year, the DoD removed content on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, diminishing recognition of Nisei soldiers. Around the same time, the BIJAEMA NPS webpage—along with pages for the Tuskegee Airmen & Stonewall Uprising—was also deleted, targeting stories of AANHPI, BIPOC, women, & LGBTQ+ communities. Though some were restored days later, this record-keeping chaos forces constant monitoring to prevent further erasure of our shared history. ? Layoffs Impacting AANHPI National Historic Landmarks: The recent layoffs within the National Park Service have disproportionately affected the preservation of AANHPI-related sites. Of the nearly 3,000 National Historic Landmarks, only 46 NHLs are associated with AANHPI heritage. The reduction in staff impedes efforts to maintain & promote these culturally significant landmarks. ? Paused & Uncertain NPS & Other Federal Funding: An executive order pausing payments through OMB has disrupted programs like NPS cooperative agreements & Underrepresented Communities Grants—including funds directed to APIAHiP, LHC, & other partners in preservation. This has stalled critical research, designation work, & capacity-building efforts to advance representation in NRHP & NHL programs. While some of these unilateral executive actions have been challenged & overturned in court, the damage is ongoing & the daily misdirection is exhausting. Exclusion, detainment, deportation, & erasure are not new—they are repeating, louder & more dangerously, because we have failed to learn the lessons of those who came before us. Historic preservation is an essential part of the curriculum that can break this cycle—a tool for resistance, remembrance, & reckoning. APIAHiP categorically opposes the dismantling of our shared heritage, brick-by-brick & word-by-word. We refuse to stand by as history is erased & remain committed to fighting back—through advocacy, coalition-building, & direct action. Full statement & how we fight back: https://lnkd.in/gXhk-HJC

??? This week, APIAHiP was in Washington, D.C. for National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week! With a team of five spread across six states, APIAHiP had the strongest representation of any delegation in over 200 meetings held this week. We participated in 27+ meetings with Congressional offices from CA, WA, VA, CO, NY, and HI, as well as key leaders from the Historic Preservation Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and the National Park Service State, Tribal, Local Plans & Grants Division alongside Territory SHPOs. During these discussions, we advocated for: ? National Park Service (NPS) Parks & Programs ? Historic Preservation Fund (HPF): State & Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs & THPOs) ? NPS Competitive Grants & Cooperative Agreements ? Historic Tax Credit Growth & Opportunity ? Minidoka, Tulelake & Japanese American Confinement Sites APIAHiP is also proud to co-sponsor two advocacy scholars in Preservation Action Foundation’s largest and most diverse class to date, helping to support the next generation of preservation leaders. Special thanks to Preservation Action, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO), the National Trust for Historic Preservation?) and the WA, VA, CO, and NY delegations for letting us join your efforts: Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, History Colorado, COLORADO HISTORICAL FOUNDATION, New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, The New York Landmarks Conservancy, Preservation League of New York State We win working together. Give the gift of advocacy today at apiahip.org/donate #HistoricPreservation?#AdvocacyWeek?#AAPI?#APIA?#AANHPI

APIAHiP stands with National Park Service staff. Massive cuts to the NPS threaten the preservation of our nation’s history. Over 1,000 jobs lost, offers rescinded, hiring freezes remain & entire programs eliminated—leaving historic sites unprotected. This includes 46 National Historic Landmarks & 850 sites significant to APIA heritage, making up less than 1% of all historic sites & parks. Without these experts, these stories could be lost forever. This isn’t just about park rangers—it’s about historians, preservationists, archaeologists & planners who protect, research & share these places. NPS staff review new historic site nominations, approve tax credit & grant projects, & oversee protections for federally recognized sites. Without them, projects stall, heritage tourism suffers & communities lose connection to these essential places. From the Chinese railroad workers & Japanese American incarceration sites to Angel Island & sacred Hawaiian landscapes, these sites tell the full American story. But without the NPS workforce, they risk being overlooked, neglected, or erased. These cuts don’t just weaken the NPS—they endanger the places that define our shared history, hurting local economies & preservation efforts. Fully funding the NPS is an investment in our past, present & future. Congress must act now. Tell them why national parks matter—sign National Parks Conservation Association letter at npca.org/1000jobs Our history depends on it. #historicpreservation #nationalparkservice #nps #nationalparks #nationalhistoriclandmarks #aanhpi #aapi #heritage #history #jobcuts

?? APIAHiP is hiring a Digital Humanities Intern! Are you passionate about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and preservation? Interested in blending cultural heritage with modern technology? This paid remote internship is your opportunity to make an impact. What You’ll Do: * Research historic sites. * Develop educational materials. * Utilize tools like GIS, Canva, VR, and AI to amplify preservation efforts. * Share stories on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. Ideal Candidate: Associates, Bachelors, or Masters students interested in combining Public History, Asian American Pacific Islander Studies, American Studies, or Historic Preservation with Digital Media, Emerging Technologies, Design, and Communications or related fields. Details: $25/hour, up to $5,000 total. Flexible hours (February–April 2025). Fully remote with all tools provided. Deadline to Apply: January 19, 2025. Submit your cover letter, resume, and work samples to [email protected]. Help us preserve and celebrate history through innovative digital storytelling! apiahip.org/internship or ??in bio #DigitalHumanities?#CulturalHeritage?#apia?#apia?#asianamerican?#pacificislander?#historic?#preservation?#internship?#remotework

?? Newsletter: What a year! In 2024, we expanded our team from one to three staff members, hosted the first National Forum since the pandemic, and introduced the flagship Preservation Pathways program. Alongside these new endeavors, we strengthened ongoing initiatives, continuing our work to preserve and celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander American heritage through historic sites and cultural resources Dive into our year-in-review to reflect on these milestones, and scroll down to see what’s ahead in 2025: a new program launch, an internship opportunity, and important advocacy updates. ?? New Program! Reading the Path Forward - APIAHiP's deep-dive into the?National Park Service’s Finding a Path Forward: Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study (2018).?This virtual book club and workshop series invites participants to engage with the 17 essays and supplemental resources, examining their implications for historic preservation. First meeting on Mon 1/27 ?? We’re Hiring! Digital Humanities Intern - to support projects that use digital media, including social media, graphic design, video production, GIS mapping, and other emerging technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI), combined with place-based research, to amplify historic preservation and public history. Apply by Sun 1/19 ?? Preservation Action's National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week on March 3-6 in DC - Registration is open! - If you have interest in joining APIAHiP’s delegation and need funding support to attend, please contact [email protected]. ** Students, recent graduates, and early-career preservationists have the chance to attend Advocacy Week as a Bruce MacDougal Advocacy Scholar - apply by Mon 1/20 ??Preservation Pathways! East at Main Street in Indiana - Join APIAHiP, hosted by Indiana Landmarks, for an engaging workshop uncovering Asian American histories and historic sites in the Hoosier state. RSVP to join on Tues. 2/4 in Indianapolis Read more in the full newsletter about 2 new AAPI National Historic Landmarks and upcoming projects we just couldn't squeeze into a single post here: https://lnkd.in/gEhXqWPY From all of us at APIAHiP, thank you for being part of this journey. See you in the next! ??

We're excited to work on this project! Do you or someone you know have untold stories about #Chinese Exclusion era #history and #historic sites in #Washington State? Let us know!

I had a great time at APIAHiP: Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation in Seattle this weekend! I had a chance to present my work on Mga Kuwento with KTOO, meet — and even be reunited with! — incredible preservationists in the field, and learn so much about efforts to preserve AAPI history across the country. This has been such a great conference to learn intentionally about Seattle’s AAPI history. Some highlights include: visiting the FANHS national archive for the first time and hearing from a panel of iconic women doing community preservation; going to Bainbridge Island and seeing what reconciliation after Japanese incarceration looks like; staying in Seattle’s international district and visiting spaces dedicated to sharing the history of their space. I am coming home to continue my work uplifting Alaska’s Filipino histories alongside my team at Mana, and I have so many ideas thanks to APIAHiP. Shoutout to the board and organizers Huy Pham, Zeta Atoigue, and Cameron W. for an amazing conference, and to Jung Min (Kevin) Kim, Gloria Lee, and Mark Pfeifer for sharing our panel stage with me.

It was a pleasure to be a co-panelist with Priya Jain, AIA and Humayra Alam last weekend at APIAHiP: Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation. What an incredible conference full of impressive research and presentations. It was so amazing to meet so many other Asian Americans (especially South Asian Americans) in historic preservation and learn about how they advocate for and serve their communities. Will definitely be looking forward to the next forum!