📌APIA Every Day (243) - The establishment of Mokuaikaua Church in 1820 marked significant changes in Hawaiian society following King Kamehameha I's death. Reverend Asa Thurston and his wife Lucy arrived in Kailua-Kona on April 4, 1820, as representatives of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Their initial religious activities were restricted by royal decree: instruction was limited to King Kamehameha II, specific nobles, and individuals with explicit royal permission. This controlled introduction of Christianity reflected the period's careful balance between traditional Hawaiian practices and incoming Western influences.

The church underwent several physical transformations as the Christian population in Kona grew. The first structure, built in 1823 under Governor Kuakini's supervision, was a wooden building measuring 60 feet by 30 feet. Demographics drove subsequent expansions: by the mid-1820s, the Kona District's population reached approximately 20,000, and the church's congregation regularly exceeded its 600-1,000 person capacity. The current stone structure, completed in 1837, marked the fourth iteration of the church building. Its construction utilized local resources: native ohia wood joined with ohia pins, lava rock walls, and mortar made from burned coral. Notable architectural elements included stones repurposed from a Hawaiian heiau, demonstrating the practical adaptation of existing materials during Hawaii's transitional period.

The Mokuaikaua Church property expanded over time to accommodate community needs. While the original stone church building remains the central structure, additions include an Education Building (1963) housing a preschool and an Activity Center (1972) containing administrative offices and meeting spaces. A memorial arch, constructed in 1910, marks the historical significance of the site. These developments reflect both preservation efforts and adaptation to modern community requirements.

Throughout its history, the church has undergone several major renovations. Significant restorations occurred in 1865 and 1937, with the latter removing later additions to reveal original construction features. More recent preservation efforts addressed damage from a 2006 earthquake that compromised the building's structural integrity. The church's inclusion in both the Historic American Buildings Survey and the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 documents its significance in Hawaii's architectural and religious development during the early nineteenth century.

📌APIA Every Day (242) - Royal China, one of Dallas, Texas’s longest-standing Chinese restaurants, was founded in 1974 by Buck Kao, a Taiwanese immigrant and former diplomat. Kao, who moved his family to Dallas from Taipei in 1977, was drawn to the city partly due to his fondness for the Dallas Cowboys. When Kao opened Royal China, it served Americanized Chinese dishes popular at the time, including stir-fries, lo mein, chop suey, and sweet-and-sour pork. These dishes, familiar to American diners, helped establish Royal China as a successful dining spot for both local and visiting patrons.

As the Dallas dining scene evolved, so did Royal China. Over time, the restaurant expanded its menu beyond the Americanized staples to include authentic dishes from several regions of China, such as Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, and Beijing-style cuisine. This diversification was in line with broader trends in American Chinese cuisine, where a growing awareness and demand for more authentic flavors began to emerge in the 1980s and 1990s. According to Buck Kao’s son, George, the restaurant's ability to adapt to these changing tastes contributed to its longevity and success in a competitive market.

Today, Royal China is managed by George Kao and his wife, April, who have maintained the family’s original restaurant while adding new elements to appeal to modern diners. One notable addition is the dumpling bar, where patrons can observe the chefs, such as Hwa-Juan Shen from Wuxi, China, make hand-pulled noodles and dumplings from scratch. These items have become some of the restaurant’s most popular offerings, with the team producing up to 1,000 dumplings on particularly busy days. This interactive element adds a distinctive touch, highlighting the restaurant’s emphasis on quality and traditional preparation methods.

Royal China has become a fixture in Dallas’s culinary landscape as the longest-running family-owned Chinese restaurant in the city. This history is part of a broader context: Chinese immigrants have influenced Texas’s dining scene since the 1870s, initially finding work in laundromats and restaurants. With nearly five decades of service, Royal China reflects both the history of Chinese American dining and the Kao family’s commitment to evolving with their community's tastes.

📌APIA Every Day (241) - Chinese immigration to Virginia City evolved from a small presence of twenty-one Chinese men in the western Great Basin in 1860 to one of the region's largest immigrant populations by the 1870s. The initial Chinese workers came to the area in 1856 to dig the Rose Ditch along the Carson River, with early settlements forming in what would become Dayton. By 1880, the Chinese population in Nevada reached over 5,000, becoming the largest foreign-born group in the state, surpassing even the Irish. Virginia City's Chinatown, established east of downtown, housed between 1,500 and 2,000 Chinese residents, though they were prohibited from underground mining work by local miner's unions.

Virginia City's Chinatown consisted of multiple blocks of one and two-story wooden structures. These buildings housed a mix of commercial and residential spaces, including laundries, noodle parlors, herb shops, and mercantile stores. Census records from 1870 and 1880 document Chinese residents working as merchants, doctors, priests, teachers, restaurant owners, laborers, and shop owners. The community faced specific legal restrictions, notably the 1875 Page Law, which severely limited Chinese women's immigration. This legislation, combined with laws prohibiting marriage to Euro-Americans, resulted in a predominantly male population.

The decline of Virginia City's Chinese community began with the Great Fire of 1875, which destroyed much of Chinatown. Multiple factors prevented full recovery: the depletion of the Comstock Lode, the collapse of the Bank of California, the crash of the San Francisco Stock market in 1875, and another significant fire in 1876. Local sentiment toward Chinese immigration was overwhelmingly negative, demonstrated by an 1880 Nevada ballot where 17,259 voted against Chinese immigration compared to 183 in favor. The Chinese population in Nevada decreased significantly, falling to less than 3,000 by 1890 and further declining to 1,276 by 1900.

The site of Virginia City's former Chinatown lies between Union and Sutton Streets, bordered by F and H Streets, now an open field within the expansive Virginia City Historic District. This district, encompassing 14,750 acres and containing over 400 historic buildings, preserves much of the area's mining-era architecture, though Chinatown itself has largely vanished. The district's wooden structures, particularly vulnerable to fire, succumbed to numerous blazes over the years, with documented cases of arson contributing to their destruction. While physical evidence of the Chinese quarter has largely disappeared, archaeological investigations, historical documentation, and preserved census records continue to provide insights into this significant community that once existed.

📌APIA Every Day (240) - In 1866, George W. Roop established Gilroy Hot Springs, developing it into a thriving commercial resort along the Southern Pacific Railroad line. The facility flourished with a grand three-story hotel, multiple cottages, and bathing facilities that harnessed the natural springs. During its peak, the resort welcomed up to 500 daily visitors, offering dining, accommodations, and recreational activities that became a cornerstone of Gilroy's early 1900s economy.

A new chapter began in 1938 when Watsonville agricultural entrepreneur Kyuzaburo Sakata acquired the property through the L. and W. Land Company. Renamed Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs, the resort underwent a transformative renovation, featuring Japanese-style bathing facilities and gardens designed by Nagao Sakurai. As California's only Japanese-owned hot springs facility, it served dual roles as both a recreational destination and a vital cultural center for Japanese American residents.

World War II brought operations to an abrupt halt in 1942 during the Japanese American incarceration period. In 1945, the facility found new purpose when it reopened as a hostel under War Relocation Authority sponsorship, providing temporary shelter for 150 Japanese American servicemen and families returning from incarceration camps. The Presbyterian Home Mission Board supported this initiative, which served residents from four surrounding counties. Under Sakata's management, the resort returned to regular operations from 1946 to 1966.

The post-1966 era brought significant changes. Regulatory challenges regarding butane heating systems prompted Sakata to sell the property in 1964. Tragedy struck in 1980 when a fire destroyed key historical structures, including the original hotel and clubhouse. Recognition came in 1995 with national historic landmark designation, documenting 22 contributing resources. In 2003, California State Parks acquired the property, and today, the Gilroy Hot Springs Conservancy leads restoration efforts, working to raise $90,000 for initial rehabilitation of what remains the Bay Area's only natural hot springs site.

📌APIA Every Day (239) - Honokaʻa United Methodist Church, established in 1927 in the Hāmākua District of Hawaiʻi Island, holds an important place in the history of local religious and community life. Originally founded as a Congregationalist church by European American backers, it was built with a mission to serve Japanese immigrant laborers working on nearby plantations. During the early 20th century, the Congregational Church saw an opportunity to support and convert Japanese immigrants, creating a space that provided both religious guidance and social services. This was part of a broader trend in Hawaiʻi where churches adapted to support the island’s growing multicultural workforce.

Beyond its religious functions, the church building was designed to serve as a multi-use community space. Its layout included a family-style reading room and a large hall for gatherings, underscoring its role as a social center. This practical approach reflected the community-oriented mission of the church, helping immigrant families access educational resources and communal support within a familiar setting. Over time, the church became a meeting place for various community activities, including library services and arts and crafts events, reflecting its broader value as a central gathering point in Honokaʻa.

In the 1960s, as the population of the Hāmākua District became more diverse, the church transitioned from Congregationalist to Methodist to better serve the changing religious demographics. By this time, the congregation had expanded to include other ethnic groups, such as Filipinos and Koreans, who had moved to the area for work in the sugar industry. The Methodist Church’s growing presence made it a suitable home for the congregation, as the original Congregationalist community had begun to decline, with nearby Congregational churches closing due to shifts in population and religious affiliations.

Today, Honokaʻa United Methodist Church remains a key historical site, embodying the era’s missionary influences and the evolving social landscape of plantation Hawaiʻi. Its establishment, congregation shifts, and ongoing community role highlight how religious institutions adapted to Hawaiʻi’s complex cultural and economic environment, serving as both spiritual and social centers for generations of residents in Honokaʻa and the surrounding areas.

Baltimore's Chinatown emerged in the 1870s and 1880s as Chinese workers migrated eastward after completing the Transcontinental Railroad. Initially, the community settled on the 200 block of Marion Street, near Baltimore's port—a location partly chosen because the city had less overt discrimination than West Coast cities. This first Chinatown comprised mixed-use buildings that served commercial, residential, and religious purposes. Historical records from the time document various establishments, including Chinese laundries, restaurants, Joss houses, and merchant stores across the area. However, urban renewal after World War I forced the community to relocate to Park Avenue and Mulberry Street, creating the second Chinatown. This new location became home to significant organizations, such as the On Leong Chinese Merchant Association and the Chinese Benevolent Association, which offered services like legal support, business regulation, and community advocacy.

Although Baltimore’s Chinatown was never large, it developed essential institutional infrastructure. The Cantonese Language School opened at 314 Mulberry Street in 1932, though it temporarily closed in the late 1930s due to population decline before reopening after World War II. Religious institutions played a dual role in the community: Emmanuel Episcopal Church recorded Chinese participation as early as 1888, and Grace and St. Peter's Episcopal Church, established in 1921, offered religious services and English language education through its Sunday School program.

The neighborhood began to decline during the Great Depression, with major changes accelerating in the post-war period. Demolitions started in 1952 with the north side of the 200 block of West Mulberry Street, followed by further demolitions throughout the century. By 1963, while Maryland's total Chinese population had reached 2,188, only 748 remained in Baltimore City. Today, little physical evidence of historic Chinatown remains, with only two Chinese businesses operating on the 300 block of Park Avenue as of 2009. Recent initiatives, such as a proposed $30 million redevelopment project and the establishment of the Charm City Night Market in 2018, aim to reconnect the area with its Asian cultural heritage.

📌APIA Every Day (235) - Mekong Plaza, located at 66 S Dobson Road in Mesa, Arizona, opened in 2008 in a renovated former Target building. Developed by Peter Quach and Jimmy Lai, who had previously established markets in California, the complex features a 38,000-square-foot supermarket. The development marked the beginning of what would become a significant Asian commercial district in Mesa, with the plaza's central location serving both local residents and visitors from across the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The plaza's cornerstone is its comprehensive Asian supermarket, which stocks an extensive selection of products from various Asian countries. The inventory includes multiple varieties of rice and noodles, cooking sauces, seasonings, and preserved foods, with dedicated sections for Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino products. The market also carries specialty kitchen equipment and cooking implements specific to Asian cuisine.

Beyond retail, Mekong Plaza serves as a multi-purpose shopping destination combining dining and services. The property houses several restaurants, including Mekong Palace, known for traditional dim sum service, and Pho Thuan Thanh, which specializes in Vietnamese cuisine. Additional tenants include nail salons, insurance agents, and gift shops, creating a diverse commercial environment.

As of 2024, Mekong Plaza maintains full occupancy with 28 tenants and is undergoing expansion with a 37,000-square-foot addition adjacent to the original building. The plaza's success has influenced the broader development of Mesa's Asian business district, which now includes competitors such as H Mart and AZ International Marketplace. This concentration of Asian businesses along Dobson Road led to the City of Mesa officially designating the area as the "Asian District" in 2020, acknowledging its role as a significant commercial and cultural center in the region.

📌APIA Every Day (236) - The Seattle Nihon Go Gakko, established in 1902, is the oldest functioning Japanese language school in the U.S. Founded as part of an extensive network of Japanese language schools across the Pacific Coast, it served as an educational institution for Nisei and Sansei (second and third-generation Japanese Americans). The school operated as a supplementary education system, with classes held after regular public school hours, typically running for two hours each weekday.

The institution's physical location changed several times during its early years. Initially housed on the second floor of the Furuya Company Building at 216 Second Avenue South, it relocated to the Buddhist Church basement in 1910. In 1913, community fundraising efforts yielded $10,000 for a dedicated building on Weller Street, which opened with 98 students across eight primary grades plus additional students in refresher courses. The school expanded significantly with new buildings added in 1917 and 1920, eventually reaching an enrollment of 1,800 students by the 1930s. Approximately 25 instructors, all trained in Japanese teaching schools, staffed the institution and provided weekend instruction in surrounding communities including Sunnydale, Bellevue, Green Lake, Vashon, and Sumner.

The school's operations ceased abruptly with the 1942 Exclusion Orders, leading to property confiscation by the federal government. During World War II, the facilities were repurposed for Army Air Force personnel training, while some former students served in the U.S. military as interrogators and document translators. Post-war, the building temporarily housed 27 Japanese American families for three years before resuming its educational function.

The modern Seattle Japanese Language School operates on a much smaller scale, serving approximately 100 secondary school students. A significant shift occurred in 1966 when Seattle's public school system began incorporating Japanese language instruction into six high schools' curricula. This integration into the public education system has reduced the financial burden of Japanese language education but has also diminished the school's original role as a dedicated center for Japanese language and cultural instruction. The institution remains operational today, having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, though its function has evolved substantially from its original early 20th-century mission.

📌APIA Every Day (235) - Manila Village was one of the largest Filipino settlement communities in Louisiana, established in the late 19th century in Barataria Bay by Filipino fishermen led by Quintin de la Cruz. Inspired by the coastal villages of their homeland, they built shelters on stilts over oyster reefs at the bay's mouth and named it Manila Village. This settlement became part of a network of Filipino shrimp-drying platform villages that dotted Louisiana's marshlands, where residents used traditional Filipino techniques to catch, process, and dry the abundant local shrimp. Manila Village’s drying platform was exceptionally large, covering an area roughly the size of two football fields, making it the most expansive of these unique platform villages.

The residents of Manila Village were predominantly Filipino immigrants drawn to Louisiana by its rich seafood resources. They used traditional methods, including the labor-intensive "shrimp dance" technique, to process dried shrimp for the market. At the peak of the shrimp season in the early 20th century, Manila Village hosted over 200 people, with nearby Filipino communities underscoring the Filipino presence in the region. Over the following decades, the community adapted to technological advancements such as the shift from sailboats to motorized shrimp boats, but it faced severe destruction from hurricanes, including Hurricane Betsy, which devastated much of the settlement in 1965.

Today, only a few pilings remain of the once-thriving Manila Village. Although this history has been largely overlooked, organizations like the Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society are working to preserve the memory of Manila Village’s role in the region’s fishing, shrimping, and seafood processing traditions. In 2012, a historical marker was installed outside the Town of Jean Lafitte Courthouse in Jefferson Parish, commemorating the legacy of Filipino settlers in Louisiana.

📌APIA Every Day (234) - Hale Pa'i was a printing facility established in 1834 at Lahainaluna Seminary (now Lahainaluna High School) in Maui, Hawaii. The operation began with a Ramage Press housed in a thatched-roof hut on the seminary grounds. In 1837, a permanent two-room stone building was constructed using local materials: fieldstone from the hillsides, timber from across the island, and mortar made from burned coral gathered from offshore reefs.

The facility's first major publication was Ka Lama Hawaii, released on February 14, 1834, marking it as the first newspaper published in the Hawaiian Islands and the first west of the Rocky Mountains. Between 1834 and 1846, Hale Pa'i produced numerous significant documents, including portions of the Hawaiian Bible translation, the 1840 Hawaiian Constitution, property and taxation laws, school regulations, and the kingdom's first paper currency. The facility also printed the first written histories of Hawaii in both Hawaiian and English languages.

The printing house served as both an educational facility and a production center. Students at Lahainaluna Seminary learned typesetting, press operation, copper engraving, and bookbinding. The seminary, established in 1831, operated under missionary control until 1850, when it was transferred to the Hawaiian monarchy and became a public institution. Notable Hawaiian scholars who worked or studied at the facility included David Malo and Samuel Kamakau.

Operations at Hale Pa'i ceased in 1846 due to rising costs and labor challenges, with printing activities relocating to Honolulu. A lithograph press was installed in 1870, though it produced little of significance. The building fell into disrepair by the 1960s and was restored in 1983 through state funding. It currently functions as a printing museum and archive center, housing original publications and printing equipment from its operational period.

📌APIA Every Day (233) - Mount Hope Cemetery serves as Boston's primary municipal cemetery, spanning 125 acres of burial grounds. Originally established as a private cemetery in 1852, it was acquired by the city in 1857. During the Chinese Exclusion era (1870s-1940s), the cemetery designated three sections for Chinese burials near the far end of the grounds, adjacent to the unmarked fields used for indigent burials. These Chinese sections became the final resting place for approximately 1,500 individuals, many of them male sojourners who worked in the United States while supporting families back in China.

Over the decades, the Chinese burial sections suffered considerable deterioration. Tombstones, often made from less durable materials, fell victim to harsh New England weather and vandalism. In response to these declining conditions, community members mobilized in 1989, ultimately establishing the Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) in 1992. Through their efforts, the organization secured $120,000 in grants, enabling the construction of a new memorial altar in 2007 and launching ongoing restoration initiatives focused on tombstone preservation and landscape enhancement.

Today, Mount Hope Cemetery functions as both an active burial ground and a significant historical site, earning its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. CHSNE collaborates with the Parks Department Cemetery Division to develop a comprehensive bilingual database of tombstone information and burial records. The site has also become a valuable resource for academic research, particularly for the University of Massachusetts Boston's Asian American Studies program, which uses the cemetery to examine the historical experiences of Chinese Americans in New England.

📌APIA Every Day (232) - Koreatown, also known as "Seoul Drive," in Albany Park, Illinois, emerged as Korean immigration to Chicago grew significantly following the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. By 1972, Chicago's Korean population had increased to 10,000, consisting mainly of professionals, graduate students, and Korean laborers who had previously worked in Germany and South America. Initially settling in the Lakeview neighborhood alongside Japanese and Swedish communities, the Korean population began migrating to Albany Park in the late 1970s. The move was driven by available storefronts along Lawrence Avenue and city incentives for business development.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood around Lawrence and Kimball Avenues blossomed into a dynamic Korean business district known as "Seoul Drive." This area developed a complete commercial network, including grocery stores, restaurants, insurance firms, video stores, bakeries, travel agencies, nightclubs, and noraebangs (singing rooms). By 1991, Albany Park was the hub of Chicago's largest Korean community, home to nearly 35,000 residents and 428 Korean-owned businesses. However, starting in the 1990s, the community began to disperse. By 1992, more than 22,000 Koreans had moved to the northwest suburbs, seeking better educational opportunities for their children. While the business district continued to thrive into the early 2000s, it eventually weakened as local Korean residents relocated.

Today, the Korean business presence in Albany Park has notably diminished. Factors contributing to this decline include the retirement of the first generation of Korean merchants, whose children pursued professional careers outside of retail; the economic impact of the 2007 Great Recession; and a significant reduction in Korean immigration to Illinois. Unlike Chicago's Chinatown, which has retained its vibrancy through continuous immigration, Korean immigration to Illinois sharply declined by the 1990s as South Korea's economy improved, prompting newer immigrants to settle in other states. The remaining Korean businesses in Albany Park have adapted to cater to the growing Latino population or have closed altogether, while newer Korean establishments have flourished in suburban areas following the relocation of their customer base.

📌APIA Every Day (231) - Established in 1903, the Portland Buddhist Church holds the distinction of being Oregon's first Buddhist church. Its founding came with the arrival of Reverend Shozui Wakabayashi from Japan, who became the eleventh appointed Buddhist minister in the United States. While the church began modestly in two rented rooms in Portland's Japantown, its rapid growth led to a move to larger quarters in 1904. By 1910, the congregation had constructed their permanent home at 86 NW Tenth Avenue.

The three-story building was remarkably versatile, designed to serve multiple roles within the Japanese community. Its first floor housed a sanctuary with a dais for religious services, while the second floor operated as a hostel for Japanese students and laborers, complete with a common kitchen. The minister's residence and Sunday school classrooms occupied the third floor, and the basement featured a social hall and kitchen. Beyond its religious role, the church emerged as a vibrant community center. It hosted a variety of cultural and social activities through organizations like the Fujinkai (women's group), which offered classes in practical skills such as sewing, American cooking, and etiquette. The Young Men's and Young Women's Buddhist Associations organized social events, sports activities, and handicraft classes. Notably, the church housed Portland's only Japanese language high school, making it an essential hub for neighborhood children and families.

The church's history took a dramatic turn during World War II when, in May 1942, it was forced to close as its members were evacuated to incarceration camps. Following the war, the church reopened – first as a hostel to help returning Japanese families rebuild their lives, then resuming religious services that September. The building continued its tradition of community service, even housing victims of the devastating 1948 Vanport flood. While the congregation moved to a new location on SW 34th Avenue in 1965, the original building remains standing today. Now converted primarily to office space (with one residential unit on the third floor), it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

📌APIA Every Day (230) - The Mochong Ancient Latte Village, located on Rota's northern coast in the Northern Mariana Islands, is a significant archaeological site containing 50 distinct sets of latte stones. These stone structures, dating to circa 1000 BCE, define the village's layout and represent one of the largest concentrations of latte stones in the Marianas. The village's primary feature is its distinctive latte wall structure, which extends over 50 feet and consists of six columns supporting five capstones. Within the village complex, archaeologists have identified a unique house foundation supported by 14 latte columns, departing from the typical patterns found in other Chamoru latte villages.

Archaeological evidence suggests the Mochong village site was continuously inhabited for approximately 3,000 years, with its latte wall area serving as a central gathering place for community activities and Chamoru leaders. The village's architectural layout reflects careful adaptation to its coastal environment, with structures positioned strategically along the rocky shoreline. While information about daily life in the Mochong Ancient Latte Village remains limited, the site's extensive latte stone foundations and associated artifacts provide valuable insights into the prehistoric Chamoru village. The preservation of structural elements through the 1980s led its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

📌APIA Every Day (229) - The Chinese Odd Fellows Building, constructed in 1911-1912, stands as a two-story brick commercial structure on Front Street east of Seventh Street in Boise, Idaho. Measuring thirty by sixty feet, the building was constructed by Clifton and Corbridge contractors for $4,648. While the modernized storefront level originally housed shop spaces, the second floor contained a lodge hall and sleeping rooms. The upper facade preserves its original features, including three double-hung sash windows with segmental brick arches and a decorative corbel table.

Tourtellotte and Company (later Tourtellotte and Hummel) designed several buildings in Boise's Chinatown, including the Wah On building (1901-1902) and the Moon Wahsoon building (1924). For the Chinese Odd Fellows Building, the firm modified a standard commercial building plan to incorporate an additional store below and a meeting room above. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) provided vital services to Chinese immigrants who faced exclusion from mainstream institutions. These services included healthcare, death benefits, and emergency financial assistance. The lodge hall functioned as a crucial meeting space where members could conduct business in their native language, maintain cultural traditions, and develop business networks while adapting to American society.

The building housed a segregated IOOF chapter, operating independently from the main lodge several blocks away—a reflection of the era's racial policies. This separation, though discriminatory, enabled Chinese members to maintain autonomy while benefiting from affiliation with an established American institution. The building's modest construction cost and simple design, particularly when compared to the main IOOF hall, reflected both the economic circumstances of the Chinese immigrant community and the period's unequal social structures. The IOOF's organizational emphasis on ritual, hierarchy, and mutual support aligned effectively with Chinese cultural concepts of guanxi (relationships/social networks) and communal obligation.

Located at the eastern edge of Boise's historic Chinatown, which once extended along Front Street west of Seventh Street, the Chinese Odd Fellows Building gained additional significance after urban renewal projects in the 1960s demolished most of the original district. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, it remains one of the few surviving structures that document the early 20th-century Chinese American community in downtown Boise. As the sole remaining building from Tourtellotte and Company's Chinatown commissions, it represents the complex social and economic strategies Chinese immigrants employed to establish themselves in American society despite significant barriers.

📌APIA Every Day (228) - The Royal Theater in Guadalupe, California has deep roots in the town's historic Japanese American community. Constructed in 1939-1940, the theater was owned and operated by Japanese immigrant entrepreneurs Arthur Shogo Fukuda and Jack Genkichi Takeuchi. In the early 20th century, many Japanese immigrants were drawn to Guadalupe to work in the sugar beet fields. They formed a thriving Japantown neighborhood, opening businesses, churches, and cultural organizations. However, the Japanese community faced significant discrimination, including anti-immigrant laws like the California Alien Land Act of 1920 that restricted their ability to own property.

Despite these challenges, Fukuda and Takeuchi built a successful regional theater business, operating five locations across rural California. The Royal Theater in Guadalupe was the last of their theaters still in operation when World War II began. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the two men were forced to relinquish control of their businesses before being incarcerated at the Jerome Relocation Center in Arkansas along with other Japanese Americans from the area.

After the war, the Royal Theater continued operating under new ownership, catering to Guadalupe's growing Latino population. But it eventually closed in the early 2000s and has remained vacant since. Today, the community still regards the Royal Theater as an important part of their history. The city is now working to rehabilitate the historic building and establish a new performing arts center on the site, both to preserve this Japanese American legacy and spur economic revitalization. In 2022, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

📌APIA Every Day (226) - The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City (HTCC) was established in 1982 by a group of four Hindu and Jain families in the Kansas City area. Recognizing the need for a dedicated place of worship and cultural hub, these families began organizing to create the temple. The group then purchased 5 acres of land in Shawnee, Kansas, an area home to a significant Hindu population in the region. Ground was broken for the temple on October 27, 1985, and construction progressed over the next few years. The temple officially opened on May 22, 1988 after considerable fundraising and community effort.

The HTCC facility is a square building, with an entrance area for removing shoes before entering the main worship space. This carpeted worship area features a central aisle allowing devotees to approach the various Hindu deities and idols represented. The temple conducts religious services in 16 different languages and performs Hindu rituals both inside and outside the temple. Beyond the worship space, the HTCC also contains classrooms, a cafeteria, and a kitchen. The temple grounds feature religious artwork and sculptures, many of which were imported from India during the initial construction and subsequent expansions.

Over the decades, the HTCC has grown to become a significant location for the Hindu community in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It now receives over 600 visitors per week, with major festivals like Diwali drawing crowds exceeding 1,000 people. The temple's youth group has also been active in charitable initiatives, raising over $6,000 for Haiti earthquake relief efforts in 2010. In 2022, the HTCC completed a significant expansion project, adding a new 35-foot tall "rajagopuram" or royal tower to the east side of the temple grounds at a cost of over $1.1 million raised through donations. This project also included a new courtyard and additional decorative religious artwork.

📌APIA Every Day (226) - The Davis Block, constructed in 1890 at the northwest corner of Russell and Albina Streets in Portland's Albina neighborhood, was developed by Luther M. Davis, a dentist who served on the Portland City Council and in the Oregon Legislature. Initially, the structure served multiple functions, housing commercial spaces on the ground floor, a public hall used by fraternal organizations on the second floor, and residential units that would later be known as the Davis Apartments.

Beginning in the 1910s, Chinese immigrant Sam Moy established Sam Moy & Company Dry Goods Store in the corner storefront, selling men's and women's furnishings, specialty weave cloth, and Headlight Union Made Overalls. The business was later managed by Thomas Lang, who assumed ownership, while Lang's son Charles worked there before establishing his own dry goods store on SE Grand Avenue.

In 1921, the Davis Block became home to one of several Japanese-owned businesses. Eichi Saito, an immigrant from Hiroshima, Japan, opened the Home Laundry in the building's center storefront. The laundry operated continuously until 1941, becoming the building's sole ground-floor business from 1938 to 1941. The business ceased operations when Saito and his wife Haruno were sent to the Minidoka incarceration camp in Idaho during World War II, marking the end of Japanese business ownership in the building.

The Davis Block underwent several ownership transitions throughout the mid-20th century. Nancy Davis maintained ownership until 1932, when the Abe Weinstein family acquired the property. Following its subsequent sale in 1942 and the end of World War II, the building housed a succession of automotive businesses and retail establishments through the 1960s. The building experienced a period of decline in the late 1960s, coinciding with broader economic challenges in the Lower Albina district. Many storefronts stood vacant or were used for storage until William Wright purchased the property in 1984. In recognition of its historical significance, the Davis Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

📌APIA Every Day (225) - The Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony, founded in 1869 in Gold Hill, California, is the oldest Japanese settlement in North America and the only known samurai colony outside Japan. Established by John Henry Schnell, a Prussian arms dealer married into a samurai family, Schnell and a group of 22 Japanese immigrants brought silk cocoons, tea plants, and various agricultural tools to start a silk and tea farm. They purchased land from settler Charles Graner and saw initial success, showcasing their products, like silk and tea, at California fairs. However, the colony faced financial difficulties and ultimately dissolved within two years, by 1871.

A notable legacy of the colony is the grave of Okei Ito, a young woman from the settlement and thought to be the first Japanese woman buried on U.S. soil. After the colony disbanded, the Veerkamp family acquired the land, preserving Okei’s gravesite and maintaining the site’s historical integrity, even through periods of anti-Japanese sentiment in California. In 1969, to honor this legacy, Governor Ronald Reagan designated the property as a California Historical Landmark, recognizing its significance to Japanese American history.

In 2010, the American River Conservancy (ARC) purchased the 272-acre farm to protect its cultural and historical value. Today, the site serves as a historical landmark where visitors can explore Japanese agricultural practices brought by the settlers, view preserved historical structures and participate in events. Parts of the land are also leased to local farmers who practice sustainable agriculture, continuing the farm’s agricultural heritage and providing educational insights into the experiences of 19th-century Japanese immigrants. In 2009, the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

📌APIA Every Day (224) - Deep in Waipahu's former sugar plantation lands stand Hawai’i's Plantation Village, a site commemorating an era that shaped the Hawaiian Islands in lasting ways. Established in 1992, this 50-acre outdoor museum documents the lives of nearly 400,000 contract laborers who worked on Hawai’i’s sugar plantations from the 1850s to the 1950s. Situated near the former Oahu Sugar Mill, which operated from 1897 to 1995, the village preserves and interprets the social, economic, and cultural impacts of the plantation system on Hawai’i’s communities.

The village’s 25 structures offer a window into plantation life, with reconstructed and preserved buildings that reflect the diverse ethnic groups that comprised the plantation workforce—Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Korean, Okinawan, Filipino, and Native Hawaiian. The structures represent varying aspects of plantation life, from the simpler worker housing with shared facilities to more communal buildings. Notable examples include the Chinese Society Building, rebuilt based on its 1906 architectural plans, and the Wakamiya Inari Shrine, which was relocated several times—from Kaka'ako in 1914 to Mo'ili'ili in 1918—before reaching its current location in the village.

The museum’s collections include thousands of artifacts donated by former plantation workers and their families. These items—ranging from household goods and agricultural tools to personal belongings and historical photographs—help document daily life and working conditions in Hawai’i’s plantation era. The visitor center includes exhibitions on immigration and labor, as well as documentation on sites like the Honouliuli internment camp, where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.

While the village faces ongoing challenges in preserving this complex history, it serves as an informative site for understanding the experiences of Hawai’i’s plantation workers and the historical conditions that influenced Hawai’i’s present-day society.