By Neel Agrawal, Digital Projects Librarian for the William H. Hannon Library
and Secretary/Historian for LMU’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Association
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, this resource list highlights research materials and organizations in the Los Angeles area focusing on the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community. A great starting point for APIDA research is the William H. Hannon Library, providing access to a variety of collections and databases. Beyond LMU, the Los Angeles area has a number of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs), social services, and social justice organizations dedicated to the APIDA community. Please click on the links below to learn more about these essential resources.
LMU William H. Hannon Library
Research Guide: Asian Pacific American Studies
Authored by LMU librarian Rachel Wen-Paloutzian, this research guide contains books, articles, primary sources, media, and web resources for Asian Pacific American Studies.
LMU Library Staff Picks
A list of recently published books chosen by LMU library staff including “Asian American Histories of the United States” (Choy, 2022), “Contemporary Asian American Activism” (Fujino ed., 2021), and “Narratives of South Asian and South Asian American Social Justice Educators” (Mysore, 2022).
Ethnic NewsWatch
A current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press. Periodicals include “Asian American Literature Discourses and Pedagogies” (2010- ) and “Asian American Policy Review” (2009/2010- ).
Inclusive History and Images Project (IHIP)
A digital collection consisting of images and oral histories of LMU alumni and the greater community telling the full and inclusive LMU story. The collection contains images of AAPI faculty, staff, and students.
Japanese American Incarceration: Records of the War Relocation Authority, 1942-1946
This database documents the day-to-day running of the 10 Japanese American relocation camps across the West Coast from 1942 to 1946, using the records of the War Relocation Authority. Includes incarceration camp newsletters, WRA staff bulletins and administrative records, reports on important incidences, and general reports made at the closing of each camp.
Rafu Shimpo Digital Archive
The longest running Japanese American newspaper in the United States, containing issues from 1914 to 2022.
Social Justice and Community Service Organizations
AAPI Equity Alliance
A coalition of community-based organizations advocating for the rights and needs of the AAPI community in Los Angeles County and beyond.
AAPI LA
An initiative to help amplify and address the challenges and needs of AAPI communities to ensure that AAPI Angelenos, who have historically been left out of important conversations – whether due to cultural and language barriers or biases – have a seat at the table.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL)
The nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for AAPIs. Founded in 1983, AJSOCAL serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, AJSOCAL focuses on the most vulnerable members of AAPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.
Pacific Islander Health Partnership
Serves multi-generational Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities by nurturing an environment for overall health equity and wellness through direct services, outreach, education, and advocacy.
South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency (SAHARA)
Established in 1991, SAHARA (meaning “support” in Hindi), serves survivors of all forms of abuse within the South Asian community in Southern California with culturally sensitive and linguistically specific services.
South Asian Network (SAN)
A community-based organization advancing the health, emotional and mental well-being, and civil rights of South Asians in Southern California. Offers a range of services including assistance with applying for public benefits, U.S. citizenship application assistance, and case management support for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs)
Chinese American Museum (CAM)
Fosters a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, America’s diverse heritage by researching, preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continued contributions of Chinese Americans. CAM is the first museum in Southern California dedicated to the Chinese American experience and history in this region.
Japanese American National Museum (JANM)
Founded in 1992, JANM (a Smithsonian affiliate) is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. As the national repository of Japanese American history, JANM creates groundbreaking historical and arts exhibitions, educational public programs, award-winning documentaries, and innovative curriculum that illuminate the stories and the rich cultural heritage of people of Japanese ancestry in the U.S.
L.A.’s AAPI-Owned Galleries and Art Spaces, Curate LA (Holcomb, 2022)
An article highlighting a selection of AAPI-owned museums, galleries, and art spaces in Los Angeles such as Sow & Tailor, Helen J Gallery, and Arushi Gallery.
UCLA Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library
Established in 1948, the UCLA East Asian Library selects, organizes and makes available Chinese-, Japanese- and Korean-language materials, and its staff provides reference and instruction services to optimize access to and use of the collections. The UCLA East Asian Library publishes research guides on East Asian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Studies.
USC East Asian Library
The USC East Asian Library’s rich resources include print, video, map, archival, and digital collections of Chinese-, Japanese- and Korean-language materials in all fields, with an emphasis on social sciences and humanities.
Visual Communications (VC)
Founded in 1970, VC is the first non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the honest and accurate portrayals of the Asian Pacific American peoples, communities, and heritage through the media arts. The VC Archives is one of the largest photographic and moving image archives on Asian Pacific experiences in America.
