There are more than 400 national parks across the United States and territories that come in different shapes, sizes, and naming designations, including battlefields, preserves, riverways, monuments, and more. All are set aside for current and future generations to experience the nation’s natural and cultural heritage. The National Park System also includes more than 100 other places outside of our park boundaries that also provide opportunities to experience history and heritage and explore nature.
With more than 500 years of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage in our history, many national parks preserve histories and have connections to Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural heritage today. Find a park to begin exploring these connections and discover some of these remarkable stories in these national parks.
Featured Places
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HAWAIIAla Kahakai National Historic TrailThe trail, a 175 mile corridor of cultural and historical significance, traverses through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites.
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COLORADOAmache National Historic SiteAlso known as "Granada Relocation Center", the site was used to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II.
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Northern Mariana IslandsAmerican Memorial ParkThe memorial park honors the American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign of World War II.
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CALIFORNIAGolden Gate National Recreation AreaThe San Franciso area and sites of the park are rich with national and international history and heritage from many cultural groups.
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UTAHGolden Spike National Historic SiteMany Asian Americans were involved in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
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HawaiiHaleakalā National ParkThe park tells stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people.
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HawaiiHawai'i Volcanoes National ParkThe park is located near the Kīlauea and Mauna Loa active volcanoes.
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HAWAIIPu'uhonua o Honaunau NHPThe Pu'uhonua, a sacred site, protected the kapu breaker, defeated warriors, as well as civilians during the time of battle.
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HawaiiKaloko-Honokōhau NHPThe park was once home to Hawaiian settlements and historic fishponds.
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HawaiiKalaupapa National Historical ParkWhen Hansen's disease (leprosy) was introduced to Hawaii, King Kamehameha V banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula.
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HAWAIIHonouliuli National Historic SiteThe park tells the history of incarceration, martial law, and the experience of prisoners of war in Hawaii during World War II.
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ALASKAKlondike Gold Rush NHPThe hope of finding gold brought a diverse group of people together in Alaska forever changing communities and lifestyle in the region.
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WASHINGTONKlondike Gold Rush NHP - Seattle UnitSeattle flourished during and after the Klondike Gold Rush as many people came from around the country and world.
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CALIFORNIAManzanar National Historic SiteManzanar was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II.
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IDAHO, WASHINGTONMinidoka National Historic SiteMinidoka War Relocation Center was located in Jerome County, Idaho, 15 miles east of Jerome and 15 miles north of Twin Falls.
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WASHINGTONBainbridge Island MemorialThe Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is a unit of Minidoka National Historic Site.
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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIANational Mall & Memorial ParksThe park is home to many monuments, international gifts, and festivities celebrating and commemorating AANHPI heritage.
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AMERICAN SAMOANational Park of American SamoaThe National Park of American Samoa, in the heart of the South Pacific, protects the rich cultural and natural resources.
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HawaiiPu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau NHS is open all year round and shares the history of the beginning stages of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
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CALIFORNIATule Lake National MonumentThe monument includes both the Tule Lake Segregation Center and the Camp Tulelake, which was first a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
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GUAMWar in the Pacific NHPThe park commemorates the bravery, courage, and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific Theater of Word War II.
Discover Asian American and Pacific Islander Stories in Parks and Related Areas
Showing results 1-10 of 68
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Puʻuloa Petroglyphs
- Locations: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A sacred site and the largest grouping of petroglyphs in Hawaiʻi.
- War In The Pacific National Historical Park
Mabini Monuments
- Locations: War In The Pacific National Historical Park
Two monuments to Apolinario Mabini stand along the Asan Beach Trail. Mabini was the Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the first Philippine Republic from January 23, 1899 – May 7, 1899. When the United States acquired the Philippines from Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1899, Mabini and his followers refused to take an oath of allegiance to the United States and were exiled to Guam.
Greenwich Village Historic District’s reputation for dynamism can be attributed to its history of emerging artists and writers as well as the political unrest and activism of its inhabitants. With the rise of the counterculture movement during the 1960s, Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park became a hub for writers and musicians. In 1969, LGB residents of Greenwich Village pushed back against police harassment at the Stonewall Inn.
- Offices: National Register of Historic Places Program
The Japanese YWCA, also known as the Issei Women's Building, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The property is being recognized for its association to the history of Japanese American Issei (first generation) women, the African American Civil Rights movement, and the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Hawaii Shingon Mission (also known as Shingon Shu Hawaii) is a historic Buddhist temple in Honolulu, Hawaii. It features distinctive Japanese architectural elements, including a steep roof with elaborate decorative carvings. During World War II, prejudice against Hawaiians of Japanese descent—especially Buddhists—turned many temples and shrines into targets.
- César E. Chávez National Monument
Gravesites of Larry Itliong and Richard Chávez
- Locations: César E. Chávez National Monument
Many people who were involved in the farmworker movement were laid to rest in this cemetery, including Larry Itliong, Richard Chavez, and other notable Delano Grape Strike leaders who dedicated their lives to the movement.
In 1966, "The Forty Acres," a parcel of land in Delano, California, became the headquarters for the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), the first permanent agricultural labor union in the United States.
Founded in 1786, Erasmus Hall Academy is one of the oldest schools in the country. It is one of the few remaining structures dating to immediately after the Revolutionary War. Among the students at Erasmus Hall was Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, an immigrant from China. Mabel’s experiences at Erasmus Hall provided the foundation for her commitment to social justice. By the age of 16, she had become a well-known figure in the New York City suffrage movement.
- Tule Lake National Monument
Tule Lake
- Locations: Tule Lake National Monument
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led the U.S. into World War II and radically changed the lives of men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry living in the U.S. Forced to leave their homes, Japanese American citizens and resident aliens were incarcerated in 10 war relocation centers in remote locations throughout the country. One of these, Tule Lake in California, was the longest occupied and most repressive of all the government's centers.
- Offices: National Historic Landmarks Program
Kake Cannery, containing over a dozen buildings constructed from 1912 to 1940, demonstrates trends and technology in the Pacific salmon canning industry.
Last updated: May 4, 2024