The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center  is an international resource for discovering  the rich history, art and culture of America’s Asian Pacific heritage. Through the Smithsonian Campaign, we will break new ground in the way museums collect, interpret and share the Asian Pacific American experience. We will create experimental digital exhibitions and  develop a vibrant, multi-disciplinary hub  for research and learning in Hawaii.

In the United States, there are more than 17 million Asian Pacific Americans­ — a diverse community that has played a vibrant role in the American story. In the next 50 years, nearly one out of every 10 people in America will trace his or her heritage to Asia and the Pacific, a region that covers more than a third of the earth and is home to nearly half of the world’s population, natural life, nations, economies, major faiths and languages.

At the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, we explore America’s past, present and future as a Pacific Rim nation. We develop exhibitions, programs and digital initiatives about Asian Pacific American history, art and culture to inspire creative  and critical thinking.

During an era of increasing globalization,  the Asian Pacific American experience is  the story of our time.

The Smithsonian Campaign is our opportunity to create innovative cultural spaces that show­case America’s Asian Pacific heritage and rethink where and how we discover this important story. We invite you to support this campaign. Please join us on this amazing journey.

Thank you.

With aloha, 

• 

  Konrad Ng

  Director, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

The Smithsonian Campaign will enable us to invest in new technologies and partnerships to develop our presence both online and in-person across the country, producing dynamic exhibitions with interactive experiences and pushing the boundaries of cultural understanding.

Leading a Digital Dialogue
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center  is reimagining how technology can be used to understand identity, history, art and culture.  We will develop a digital cultural laboratory  by collaborating with innovative leaders in technology and leveraging the collections of  the Smithsonian and Asian Pacific American organizations across the country.

This virtual laboratory will broaden access  to Asian Pacific American icons, stories and communities, allowing viewers to follow their curiosity and learn about the Asian Pacific American experience in new ways.

Transforming the Museum Experience
We are building a network of cultural laboratories—creative and experimental “pop-up” gallery spaces—to explore America’s role as a Pacific Rim nation and rediscover what it means to be an American through an Asian Pacific American lens.

We aspire to create cultural spaces in Washington, D.C., and at partner venues across the country to transform the in-person museum experience. In these cultural spaces, we will mount exhibitions, performances, community events and other learning programs that highlight how Asian Pacific Americans reflect the American spirit across history, art and culture.

The Smithsonian in the Asia-Pacific Region
We are developing a research and learning hub in Hawaii about the Asian Pacific American experience, building on the Smithsonian’s long-standing presence in the Pacific. We will partner with local organizations and harness the Smithsonian’s existing cultural and scientific research to forge new connections between the Asia-Pacific region and America.