Though Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in Indiana, with roots dating back to the late 1800s, many of the community’s historic and cultural sites are overlooked. A Feb. 4th event presented by Indiana Landmarks in collaboration with national nonprofit Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) will detail efforts to recognize those sites and engage Hoosiers in a conversation about the state’s history of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
Now home to over 200,000 Asian Americans, Indiana boasts a wealth of significant and active Asian American cultural sites, including the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington and the An Lḁc Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Indianapolis. Others, such as the historic Bamboo Inn Chinese restaurant, once located within Indy’s Circle Theatre Building, and Columbia City’s soy sauce manufacturer Oriental Show-You Company, founded by Japanese American Shinzo Ohki in 1924, no longer exist, but their stories offer insight into heritage that might otherwise be lost.
Join Indiana Landmarks at an interactive workshop on Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. in Indianapolis to learn about ongoing efforts to document, celebrate, and preserve Asian and Pacific Islander American historic sites in Indiana and nationwide.
The event’s agenda will include an overview of Asian and Pacific Islander American history in Indiana followed by an interactive presentation on APIAHiP’s “East at Main Street” mapping project. The second half of the workshop will provide time for attendees to contribute their own research and experiences, or simply to pose questions about the history of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Indiana.
“We want this event to kickstart a dialogue for people in Indiana to think consciously about what should be preserved and why,” said Calvin Nguyen, a preservation coordinator with Indiana Landmarks.
This event will be led by Huy Pham, executive director of APIAHiP, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting historic places and cultural resources significant to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
Asian and Pacific Islander American is an umbrella term for a broad, diverse group of Americans and their experiences.
WHAT: Mapping Asian and Pacific Islander American History in Indiana
WHEN: Feb. 4, 6-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Online and at Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis 46202
COST: Free with RSVP
RSVP: MappingAPIAHistory.eventbrite.com or 317-639-4534
Comments