The “Learning from our Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders” project was created by students, staff, and faculty based at the University of California, Irvine.
Inspired by the 150th anniversary of the City of Santa Ana in 2019, we began an archival research, digital mapping, and oral history project in winter 2020 to bring more visibility to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Orange County.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we focused our interviews during spring 2020 on both the history and ongoing challenges faced by members of the AAPI community. This website includes annotated maps, videos, transcripts, and biographies based on the archival research and interviews conducted with AAPI leaders.
The interviews captured as part of this project represent a moment in time; but the work of these leaders and their organizations remains ongoing. Please visit their organizational websites, linked on their respective interview pages, to learn more about their initiatives, programming, and progress.
The “Learning From Our APPI Leaders” Project was made possible through the following funding and support:
UCI Institutional Support
- the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s Spirit Award
- the Chancellor’s Fellowship funds
- the Department of Asian American Studies
- the Humanities Center
- the History Internship Program