Migration and Immigration

Anti-Asian laws and policies in the late 1800s and early 1900s

Discover some of the events and forces that shaped the Munemitsu family's story in the lead up to World War II.

Curiosity Kits inspire exploration and learning of history through place. These multi-piece resources include articles that explore historic places and provide educational activities for life-long learners. This kit focuses on the life and work of Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a suffragist. By the time she was 16, Lee was a known figure in New York’s suffrage movement. Learn more about her contributions to the movement.

Chinese immigrants began to settle in Boston in the late-19th century, experiencing many challenges relating to hostility and exclusion. Through perseverance, Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans established a community in Boston that provided services and a sense of home.

Take a journey and explore some of the lesser known Civil Rights Sites within the National Park Service.

Haga un viaje y explore los sitios de derechos civiles menos conocidos dentro del Servicio de Parques Nacionales.

The U.S. Immigration Station is located in Angel Island State Park on Angel Island, the largest island in California's San Francisco Bay. While the island is the home of 740 acres of pristine parkland, including beautiful beaches, picnic areas and hiking trails, it is most famous for its rich history.

Asian and Pacific Islander peoples in all walks of life have played a profoundly important role in American history, contributing to and shaping the rich heritage of the United States in many ways.

In her groundbreaking documentary "My America or Honk if You Love Buddha" (1997), Renee Tajima-Pena highlights the nuanced diversity of Asian Americans in the US with humor, candor, and political insight. As Tajima-Pena travels across the US, we visualize Asian Americans' roles in the socio-cultural impact on space and place. The documentary frames the reality of Asian American communities having to battle to retain their culture while at the same time trying to assimilate.

In the early 20th century, Asian immigrants were denied citizenship, and even American-born citizens of Asian ancestry suffered from systemic legal, social, and economic discrimination that relegated them to second-class citizenship. Scorned as a "Yellow Peril" that threatened the economic and moral fabric of the nation from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, they were transformed into the so-called "model minority" during the Cold War yet still faced prejudice.