Search the Media Repository
Discover the curated images, videos, and primary sources featured throughout Foundations and Futures
History is more than just text on a page; it is the photographs, voices, and artifacts of the people who lived it. The images and recordings featured across Foundations and Futures are part of a meticulously curated media repository. Whether you are building a lesson plan or investigating an artifact, you can use this database to trace the provenance of our media: discover who created an asset, the historical context behind it, and how it can be used to bring Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences into your classroom.
Multimedia
Chapters
-
Image
Lê Lợi Statue
This large statue of Lê Lợi reflects the lasting impact of the revolutionary leader on the Vietnamese people. A bowl of incense at the base of the statue is another marker of the ongoing reverence for Lê Lợi in Vietnam’s national memory.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Image
1942 Propaganda Poster
A 1942 Japanese propaganda poster celebrating colonialism framed as “collaboration” between France, Japan, and Vietnam.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Image
Map of Indochina
This French publication (c. 1910) depicts a map of Indochina, formerly known as French Indochina or Indochine Française until 1950. The term “Indochina” refers to the blending of Indian and Chinese cultural influences in the region.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Image
Hai Bà Trưng Leading Army
This panel depicts Hai Bà Trưng (the common name of two sisters, Trưng Trắc (徵側) and Trưng Nhị (徵貳)) leading an army of foot soldiers. The attention to detail in this lacquered panel reflects the significance of these revolutionary leaders.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Video
The Legend of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ
“The Legend of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ” by the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose illustrates the widely told origin story of Vietnam.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Image
Map of Vietnam
Map of Vietnam and bordering nations in Southeast Asia.
Featured in:
Vietnamese American Experiences, Module 1
-
Video
Hmong Pride
Watch this excerpt from Hmong Pride, a film about documenting community history made by high school students in Sacramento, California.
-
Video
Collaboration After the Interview
Once you’ve finished your oral history, it is important to share your recording and transcripts with your narrator so they have the opportunity to comment and correct the materials before they are made public.
-
Video
Wrapping Up
Watch this video for more on how to conclude an oral history interview.
-
Video
Follow Up Questions
Watch this video for more information and examples on how to ask the narrator strong oral history questions.
-
Video
Collaboration During the Interview
During the interview it is important to provide your narrator the opportunity to shape the direction of the interview.
-
Video
Recording a Lead
This video provides an example of beginning an interview with a lead. The interview lead serves an important purpose in verbally identifying the interview and other general information.
-
Video
Greeting the Narrator
Watch this video for more information on each person’s role when recording an interview on video. Roles covered: the camera/sound operator, the interviewer, and the narrator.
-
Video
Collaboration Before Interview
The collaboration between the narrator and the interviewer begins before the oral history takes place. The two should collaborate with each other on an interview guide in advance of the scheduled interview.
-
Video
Background Video
Watch this video for thoughts on choosing the right location and background for a video-recorded oral history.
-
Video
What is an Archive
Archives are institutions that keep records from the past including newspapers, photos, letters, maps, postcards, and much more that archivists have deemed to be historically important.
-
Video
What is an Oral History
An oral history is a planned conversation about personal life experiences that is recorded and shared with others. Oral histories are defined by the collaboration between the narrator who tells their life stories and the interviewer who listens and asks questions.
-
Video
Introduction
William Gow is a community historian with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the author of this essay. Watch his introduction to find out more about what led him to become a community historian. “Introduction,” How to Record an Oral History series, (William Gow, 2025).
-
Audio
Margie Lew on joining the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
In this interview excerpt, Margie Lew (born 1921) discusses the lack of Chinese American history in her history textbooks growing up. She also reflects on her excitement upon learning about the first meeting of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC) in 1975.
-
Video
Giving Testimony
Hear 153 testimonies given to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, highlighting injustices faced by Japanese Americans during WWII.
