May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the achievements and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. Visit National Archives News to view documents, educational resources, articles, historical presidential proclamations and more related to the Asian and Pacific Islander experience.
Certificate of Identity for actress Anna May Wong. Although she was a third-generation American, exclusionary laws meant that a Chinese person had to be certified as eligible for reentry into the United States. National Archives Identifier 5720287
Future actor and martial artist Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, CA, in 1940. He returned with his parents to China in April 1941, and they filed for a Return Certificate on his behalf, documenting his birth and American citizenship. National Archives Identifier 5720262 page 8
Approved Pension File for Private Edward D. Cohota, Company I, 23rd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; Companies C and H, 15th U.S. Infantry Regiment; and Companies B and G, 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment (XC-2346488) National Archives Identifier 148018468Cohota was a Chinese soldier who served in the Union Army in the American Civil War and remained in the U.S. Army until 1885.
President Gerald R. Ford signs a proclamation in 1976 confirming the termination of Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. National Archives Identifier 30805921
Figure skater Michelle Kwan, a five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic medalist, was appointed as the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy in November 2006. National Archives Identifier 6740599
Astronaut Ellison Onizuka’s first space shuttle flight was on Discovery in January 1985. A year later, on January 28, 1986, he was aboard Challenger when it exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all aboard. National Archives Identifier 22752637
Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma plays for President Ronald Reagan, Crown Princess Michiko, Crown Prince Akihito, and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the White House in October 1987. National Archives Identifier 75855707
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, we invite you to help transcribe and tag records related to the Chinese Exclusion Era. We need your help transcribing these immigration records and tagging very specific details that will help provide greater access to these records.
