Established in 1997, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has evolved from its roots as a research and programming center into a robust programming and education hub dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) peoples and communities. With 22 million Asian Americans and 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in the United States, AANHPIs comprise the fastest growing racial group in the country.
Through our education initiatives and upcoming exhibitions, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center celebrates the diverse AANHPI cultures, histories, and artistic productions that have contributed to enriching American life and society. Our 25th anniversary in 2022 was an inflection point, galvanizing the support of business and cultural leaders, innovators and artists, community activists and philanthropists, and people from all walks of life. To capture that momentum, we seek to endow our director and head of education positions. We are also embarking on a bold vision to establish the first-ever dedicated AANHPI gallery on the National Mall. These endowments and a permanent gallery for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center will ensure that AANHPI perspectives and experiences are found throughout the Smithsonian in perpetuity, and the impact of AANHPI peoples and communities are understood as integral to our nation’s history.