Foundations and Futures
Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook
The most comprehensive collection of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories and perspectives available for free and online for high school, college, and lifelong learners.

Table of Contents
Learn the past through the lens of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders because our history is your history. Understand how our lives are interconnected across the Pacific, Asia, and America. Explore the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made and continue to make positive change in the world.
Foundations
Authors: Keith L. Camacho and Lisa Uperesa
Asian American Communities
Authors: Nazli Kibria, Elora Halim Chowdhury, Fariba S. Alam, and Sharbari Ahmed
Authors: Ceclia M. Tsu and Tamara Venit-Shelton
- Module 1: Overview
- Module 2: Chinese Immigration and Labor from the Gold Rush to the Golden Spike, 1849-1869
- Module 3: Chinese American Community Formation: The First Generation
- Module 4: Living in the Era of Chinese Exclusion
- Module 5: Becoming Chinese American: The Second Generation
- Module 6: World War II and the Cold War to 1965
- Module 7: Chinese America Today
Author: Theodore S. Gonzalves
- Module 1: If You Want to Know What We Are
- Module 2: Telling Stories with Objects
- Module 3: Filipino Homemade Rifle
- Module 4: First Filipino Infantry Regiment Insignia
- Module 5: Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) Pin
- Module 6: Nurse’s Cap
- Module 7: Ruby Ibarra’s Jacket
Authors: Brian Niiya and Kristen Hayashi
Author: Uzma Quraishi
- Module 1: Roots: History of Pakistan and Early Migrations
- Module 2: Contours: A Profile of the Pakistani American Community
- Module 3: Texture: Building Ethnic Community and Infrastructure
- Module 4: Challenges: Pakistani Americans and the Aftermath of 9/11
- Module 5: Advocacy: Pakistani American Community Power
Author: South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)
Pacific Islander Peoples
Author: Lana Lopesi
- Module 1: Overview: Samoans in the United States
- Module 2: Friends or Foes: Making American Sāmoa
- Module 3: Toloa or Eagle: Flights of Migration
- Module 4: Culture and Cheehoos: Samoan Diasporic Identities
- Module 5: The Samoan Dynasty: Samoans in Sports
- Module 6: Social Issues in the Diaspora and Youth Activism
People and Everyday Life
Author: Jeff Yang
- Module 1: An Introduction to Asian American Popular Culture
- Module 2: Asian Americans and the Moving Image, Part 1: Film and Television
- Module 3: Asian Americans and the Moving Image, Part 2: Media Activism, Community Advocacy, and New Hollywood
- Module 4: Asian Americans in Music, Part 1: Folk, Traditional, Jazz, and Classical
- Module 5: Asian Americans in Music, Part 2: Pop, Rock, and Hip Hop
- Module 6: Asian Americans in Sport and Competition, Part 1: Individual and Team Sport
- Module 7: Asian Americans in Sport and Competition, Part 2: International Play
Authors: Christine Chai, Candice Custodio-Tan, and Cecilia Tran
Author: Lori Lopez
- Module 1: Overview
- Module 2: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Mainstream Media: A History
- Module 3: Exclusion from Naturalization and Rights to Property
- Module 4: Media and Asian American and Pacific Islander Activism
- Module 5: Asian American and Pacific Islander Intersections, Media, and its Futures
Authors: Diane C. Fujino and Darlene Lee
- Module 1: Overview: Digital Exhibition
- Module 2: Japanese Americans During World War II: The Lasting Impact of Imprisonment
- Module 3: Becoming an Activist, Growing New Ideas
- Module 4: Black Liberation and Afro-Asian Solidarity
- Module 5: Asian American Activism
- Module 6: Supporting Political Prisoners
- Module 7: Legacy of Yuri Kochiyama
Landmark Movements and Moments
Authors: Thao Ha, Tarry Hum, ‘Inoke Hafoka, Louise Cainkar, and Zohra Saed
Authors: Artnelson Concordia, Katherine H. Lee, May C. Fu, and Diane C. Fujino
- Module 1: Overview of Asian American Activism
- Module 2: Education for Liberation: Asian Americans and Third World Studies
- Module 3: Housing as a Fundamental Human Right
Part I: The Price of Gentrification - Module 4: Housing as a Fundamental Human Right Part II: Save the International Hotel
- Module 5: Labor Organizing: The New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA)
Author: Helen Zia
Authors:
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Catherine DeGuzman, Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Gayle Rosamanta, Lauren Daus, Mark Pulido, Stacey Salinas, Robyn Rodriguez, and Rudy Guevarra Jr.
Authors: Rachel Bernstein and May Ying Chen
Authors: Keith L. Camacho and Lisa Uperesa
Authors: Nazli Kibria, Elora Halim Chowdhury, Fariba S. Alam, and Sharbari Ahmed
Authors: Ceclia M. Tsu and Tamara Venit-Shelton
- Module 1: Overview
- Module 2: Chinese Immigration and Labor from the Gold Rush to the Golden Spike, 1849-1869
- Module 3: Chinese American Community Formation: The First Generation
- Module 4: Living in the Era of Chinese Exclusion
- Module 5: Becoming Chinese American: The Second Generation
- Module 6: World War II and the Cold War to 1965
- Module 7: Chinese America Today
Author: Theodore S. Gonzalves
- Module 1: If You Want to Know What We Are
- Module 2: Telling Stories with Objects
- Module 3: Filipino Homemade Rifle
- Module 4: First Filipino Infantry Regiment Insignia
- Module 5: Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) Pin
- Module 6: Nurse’s Cap
- Module 7: Ruby Ibarra’s Jacket
Authors: Brian Niiya and Kristen Hayashi
Author: Uzma Quraishi
- Module 1: Roots: History of Pakistan and Early Migrations
- Module 2: Contours: A Profile of the Pakistani American Community
- Module 3: Texture: Building Ethnic Community and Infrastructure
- Module 4: Challenges: Pakistani Americans and the Aftermath of 9/11
- Module 5: Advocacy: Pakistani American Community Power
Author: South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)
Foundations
Authors: Keith L. Camacho and Lisa Uperesa
Asian American Communities
Authors: Nazli Kibria, Elora Halim Chowdhury, Fariba S. Alam, and Sharbari Ahmed
Authors: Ceclia M. Tsu and Tamara Venit-Shelton
- Module 1: Overview
- Module 2: Chinese Immigration and Labor from the Gold Rush to the Golden Spike, 1849-1869
- Module 3: Chinese American Community Formation: The First Generation
- Module 4: Living in the Era of Chinese Exclusion
- Module 5: Becoming Chinese American: The Second Generation
- Module 6: World War II and the Cold War to 1965
- Module 7: Chinese America Today
Author: Theodore S. Gonzalves
- Module 1: If You Want to Know What We Are
- Module 2: Telling Stories with Objects
- Module 3: Filipino Homemade Rifle
- Module 4: First Filipino Infantry Regiment Insignia
- Module 5: Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) Pin
- Module 6: Nurse’s Cap
- Module 7: Ruby Ibarra’s Jacket
Authors: Brian Niiya and Kristen Hayashi
Author: Uzma Quraishi
- Module 1: Roots: History of Pakistan and Early Migrations
- Module 2: Contours: A Profile of the Pakistani American Community
- Module 3: Texture: Building Ethnic Community and Infrastructure
- Module 4: Challenges: Pakistani Americans and the Aftermath of 9/11
- Module 5: Advocacy: Pakistani American Community Power
Author: South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)
Pacific Islander Peoples
Author: Lana Lopesi
- Module 1: Overview: Samoans in the United States
- Module 2: Friends or Foes: Making American Sāmoa
- Module 3: Toloa or Eagle: Flights of Migration
- Module 4: Culture and Cheehoos: Samoan Diasporic Identities
- Module 5: The Samoan Dynasty: Samoans in Sports
- Module 6: Social Issues in the Diaspora and Youth Activism
People and Everyday Life
Author: Jeff Yang
- Module 1: An Introduction to Asian American Popular Culture
- Module 2: Asian Americans and the Moving Image, Part 1: Film and Television
- Module 3: Asian Americans and the Moving Image, Part 2: Media Activism, Community Advocacy, and New Hollywood
- Module 4: Asian Americans in Music, Part 1: Folk, Traditional, Jazz, and Classical
- Module 5: Asian Americans in Music, Part 2: Pop, Rock, and Hip Hop
- Module 6: Asian Americans in Sport and Competition, Part 1: Individual and Team Sport
- Module 7: Asian Americans in Sport and Competition, Part 2: International Play
Authors: Christine Chai, Candice Custodio-Tan, and Cecilia Tran
Author: Lori Lopez
- Module 1: Overview
- Module 2: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Mainstream Media: A History
- Module 3: Exclusion from Naturalization and Rights to Property
- Module 4: Media and Asian American and Pacific Islander Activism
- Module 5: Asian American and Pacific Islander Intersections, Media, and its Futures
Authors: Diane C. Fujino and Darlene Lee
- Module 1: Overview: Digital Exhibition
- Module 2: Japanese Americans During World War II: The Lasting Impact of Imprisonment
- Module 3: Becoming an Activist, Growing New Ideas
- Module 4: Black Liberation and Afro-Asian Solidarity
- Module 5: Asian American Activism
- Module 6: Supporting Political Prisoners
- Module 7: Legacy of Yuri Kochiyama
Landmark Movements and Moments
Authors: Thao Ha, Tarry Hum, ‘Inoke Hafoka, Louise Cainkar, and Zohra Saed
Authors: Artnelson Concordia, Katherine H. Lee, May C. Fu, and Diane C. Fujino
- Module 1: Overview of Asian American Activism
- Module 2: Education for Liberation: Asian Americans and Third World Studies
- Module 3: Housing as a Fundamental Human Right
Part I: The Price of Gentrification - Module 4: Housing as a Fundamental Human Right Part II: Save the International Hotel
- Module 5: Labor Organizing: The New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA)
Author: Helen Zia
- Module 1: Who Was Vincent Chin?
- Module 2: Economic Crises, the Politics of Blame, and 1980s Detroit
- Module 3: To Do Something or Nothing: The Decision to Take Action
- Module 4: Title IX: The Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act
- Module 5: The Continued Impact and Legacy of Vincent Chin’s Story
Authors:
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Catherine DeGuzman, Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Gayle Rosamanta, Lauren Daus, Mark Pulido, Stacey Salinas, Robyn Rodriguez, and Rudy Guevarra Jr.
Authors: Rachel Bernstein and May Ying Chen







