Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage
Explore the experiences, cultures, and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders through The Huntington’s collections.
Highlights from the Art Collection
Sans Les Mains
Artist: Dominique Fung
Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art
Homage to Nature
Artist: Mineo Mizuno
Stroll Garden
Untitled (Butterfly Goddess)
Artist: Toshio Aoki
Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art
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Analyzing Dominique Fung's "Sans Les Mains" (2022)
Take a closer look at contemporary artist Dominique Fung’s monumental painting with Sophia Quach McCabe, curatorial research associate of American art. The work is part of The Huntington’s permanent collection and is on view in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art.
Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow: Catherine Ceniza Choy
Catherine Ceniza Choy is the Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow at The Huntington. Her research focuses on the life and legacy of Filipina food scientist, chemist, and humanitarian Maria Ylagan Orosa, examining the intersections of food science, botany, and U.S. colonialism in the Philippines.
At The Huntington, Choy is working with rare books, archival photographs, and early 20th-century educational records, as well as newly digitized photographic collections of the Philippines, to contextualize Orosa’s scientific contributions within broader historical and cultural frameworks. Her project contributes to ongoing scholarship in Asian American history, global foodways, and the history of science.
Choy’s research also informed a Maria Orosa–inspired planting in The Huntington’s Kitchen Garden, now open, highlighting the foods and plants central to Orosa’s work.
Stories and Recordings
Asian American Art at The Huntington
As a site for the preservation of the wide-ranging histories, cultures, and perspectives that make up the Asian American experience, The Huntington’s Art Museum has been actively collecting and displaying Asian American art.
The Japanese Shōya House: An Encyclopedia of Japanese Architecture
Yukio Lippit, professor of Japanese art and architecture at Harvard University, discusses how The Huntington’s Shōya House offers a unique opportunity to explore an abundance of ideas and elements about Japanese architecture as a whole.
Nekketsu Takei’s Japanese Maps of Hawaiʻi
In 1906, Nekketsu Takei produced at least two maps of Hawaiʻi to attract Japanese immigrants as well as to help newcomers familiarize themselves with the islands.
Library Collectors’ Council Acquisitions for 2024
The Huntington has acquired 216 rare photographs depicting life and culture in the Philippines from 1858 to 1910.
A Local View of Old Chinatown
Author Lisa See has given The Huntington a trove of more than 300 rare glass plate negatives and photographs, some dating back to the late 19th century.
Asian American Experiences in California
This symposium, held on March 4, 2023, brought together scholars, public intellectuals, and community leaders to reflect on Asian American histories and experiences in California.
Stories and Voices from L.A. Chinatown
Explore the history of Los Angeles’ Chinatown, the first community in North America to be planned and owned by people of Chinese descent.
The Sweet Success of Phoenix Bakery
For 86 years, Phoenix Bakery’s confections have been featured in the celebrations of countless birthday parties, weddings, and other festive occasions. The bakery’s historical archive at The Huntington offers scholars insights into the formative years of Los Angeles’ New Chinatown and chronicles the bakery’s impact.
Lily Lee Chen, Mayor of Monterey Park
On April 13, 1982, Lily Lee Chen was elected to the city council of Monterey Park, a city that had become one of the first “suburban Chinatowns” in the United States. In 1984, Chen made history by becoming the first female Chinese American mayor in the nation.