📌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.

📌APIA Every Day (223) - The Old Korean Legation Museum, located at 15 Logan Circle NW in Washington, D.C., represents a significant piece of Korean American diplomatic history. Originally constructed in 1877 as a private residence for naval officer Seth Ledyard Phelps, the 6,300-square-foot Victorian-style building was purchased by the Korean government in 1891 for $25,000. This acquisition marked a crucial diplomatic milestone as Korea's only legation in the Western world, established despite Chinese opposition to Korea's independent foreign relations. The building served as Korea's diplomatic mission until 1905, hosting various ministers and facilitating early Korean American relations during a period of significant international change in East Asia.

The building's ownership changed dramatically following Japan's increasing control over Korea. After the 1905 Japan-Korea Treaty established a Japanese protectorate over Korea, the legation was forced to cease operations, and Minister Yun Chun Kim made his final visit to the State Department in January 1906. Following Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910, the building was sold to the Japanese government for $5 and quickly resold for $10. Over the subsequent decades, the property served multiple purposes, including an African American recreation center in the 1940s and a Teamsters union hall. In 2012, after years of negotiations, the South Korean government's Cultural Heritage Administration purchased the property for $3.5 million from its longtime owners, Timothy and Lauretta Jenkins, who had owned it since 1977.

The building underwent extensive renovation from 2015 to 2018, during which it was restored to its late 19th-century appearance while incorporating Korean decorative elements. The current museum features several distinct spaces, including a library, photograph exhibits, the minister's bedroom, private offices, and a banquet area. The former parking lot has been converted into a traditional Korean garden with a granite Eternal Youth Gate. Added to both the National Register of Historic Places and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 2024, the building is also a contributing property to the Logan Circle Historic District and Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District.

📌APIA Every Day (222) - The story of Agbayani Village begins in 1974 in California's farm country, just outside the town of Delano. This housing complex was built specifically to house retired Filipino farm workers and was named after Paolo Agbayani, a farm worker who died while protesting for better working conditions in 1967. When it first opened, the village became home to 58 residents - mostly men who had spent their lives working in California's fields and vineyards. The village was built during an important time in farm worker history. In 1965, Filipino grape pickers in Delano had launched a major strike for better pay and working conditions. Led by Larry Itliong, these workers were soon joined by Latino farm workers under Cesar Chavez's leadership. This partnership led to the creation of the United Farm Workers union, marking the first time different ethnic groups had successfully united to fight for farm workers' rights in America.

The village filled a crucial need in the Filipino farm worker community. Many of these workers had come to America in the 1920s and 1930s but were prevented from marrying or starting families due to discriminatory laws at the time. As they aged, they had no family members to help care for them. Agbayani Village provided these elderly workers with affordable housing and a supportive community of people who shared their background and experiences. Today, Agbayani Village stands as an important historical site, recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 2011. It continues to serve as both a home for residents and a place where people can learn about Filipino Americans' contributions to U.S. farming history. The village celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2024, with special events planned during Delano's annual Philippine Weekend celebration - a community gathering that honors Filipino American culture and history in the region.

📌APIA Every Day (221) - The Bai ra Irrai in Airai Village, Palau, is one of the few surviving original meeting houses in the region. The structure sits on eight wooden beams supported by stone platforms and has been maintained through approximately ten renovations over its 300-year history. While the nipa leaf roofing requires replacement every decade, some original materials persist in the flooring and corners. Historical records show that the building was disassembled during wartime and reconstructed by craftsmen from Ngerkedam and the villages from Ngerusar to Ngetkib, maintaining traditional measurements and construction techniques.

The building functions as a council house for Airai Village's ten chiefs, each representing different clans and lineages. The seating arrangement follows a strict hierarchical order, with positions numbered one through ten. The first position belongs to Medechiibelau, the village deity, represented by a title bearer called Ngerekiklang. The interior features narrative beams depicting local histories and myths, decorated using traditional pigments: lime powder for white, clay for red and yellow, and wood ash for black. Chiefs must purchase their positions in the bai, with higher-ranked positions requiring larger contributions.

The construction relies on traditional measurement units, with the teréu (outstretched arm’s length) and meliútech (thumb and finger measurements) serving as primary reference points. The structure employs a weight-distribution system that eliminates the need for nails, instead using tied joints throughout. Ironwood posts (dort) provide primary support, while the overall design allows for complete disassembly when necessary. Historical photographs from 1919 document that Airai Village originally housed three bai structures: Osebuulngau, Ngerdubech el bai, and Outangelbai, with one featuring a two-story design and another using a unique single central post system.

The bai's governance system operates through specific protocols. Chiefs communicate through intermediaries during meetings, and all decisions require unanimous consensus. When consensus cannot be reached, the four highest-ranking chiefs must convene on the okeuídbad ("70 stones"), an external stone platform, until agreement is achieved. Chief selection involves a formal process where senior female clan members nominate male candidates for council approval. Approved chiefs must then host a feast and present money to purchase their position in the bai. The building holds important historic and cultural significance in Palau, leading to its designation on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

📌APIA Every Day (220) - The Bok Kai Temple, established in Marysville, California in 1854, was rebuilt at its current location in 1880 following the destruction of the original structure by fire. The temple's most distinctive architectural features are its exterior murals, painted by Chinese artists specifically commissioned for this work, which remain the only known examples of their kind in the United States. During its construction, Marysville's Chinese population of 12,000 made it the third-largest Chinese settlement in California. The temple, dedicated to Bok Eye, the Chinese deity associated with water, flooding, irrigation, and rainfall, served as a central religious institution during the Gold Rush era when Marysville developed into a major commercial center in the Northern Sacramento Valley. Although the current Chinese American population in the Marysville-Yuba City area has declined to several hundred residents, with an active temple congregation of approximately 20 members, the building continues to serve its original religious purpose.

In 2001, deteriorating structural conditions led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to designate the temple as one of America's 11 most endangered sites. The Trust provided $7,000 for conservation planning and secured an additional $11,000 in state historic preservation funding. Weather damage from rain, wind, and other environmental factors has particularly affected the temple's murals, making their preservation a primary concern. Conservation efforts have been hindered by the temple's location north of Sacramento, where access to preservation resources is limited.

The temple's ongoing cultural significance is demonstrated through its annual Lucky Bomb Day festival, held according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This celebration attracts 2,500 to 3,000 visitors from across North America and features traditional elements including parades and the ceremonial release of 100 lucky rings from explosive devices. Organizations such as the Friends of Bok Kai coordinate local preservation efforts, working to maintain both the temple's historical integrity and its function as an active religious site. The temple's historical significance was formally recognized with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

📌APIA Every Day (219) - Emmet Bromley established his farm in 1883 by purchasing 200 acres in Brighton, Colorado, systematically expanding the property to 1,100 acres. After arriving in Colorado in 1877, Bromley developed one of the state's largest livestock operations, raising cattle, sheep, and horses while maintaining extensive crop cultivation. Beyond farming, he built a distinguished record of public service as Arapahoe County deputy sheriff and deputy assessor, later serving three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives and two in the Colorado Senate. During his legislative tenure, he sponsored the 1901 senate bill establishing Adams County. Following his death in 1922, his family retained ownership for four years before selling the property in 1926 amid changing economic conditions.

During the Great Depression, the farm changed hands several times until I.B. James, a founder of the Trailways Bus System, purchased 160 acres in 1935. Under William O. Roberts' management, the farm maintained significant agricultural production, focusing on sugar beets, alfalfa, corn, grains, and tomatoes, while also raising hogs and other livestock. In 1947, the Hishinuma and Koizuma families purchased the farm for $40,000, continuing its agricultural legacy. Their purchase marked a significant moment in Japanese American history, as Colorado was among the few states permitting Japanese American land ownership during the post-World War II period. Japanese immigrants had initially arrived in the area during the early twentieth century, working on irrigation ditch construction and in sugar beet fields. The Hishinuma and Koizuma families maintained the farm's agricultural tradition until 2006, primarily growing sugar beets, cabbage, alfalfa, and corn.

In 2006, the City of Brighton acquired the property, leading to its inclusion on both the State Historic Register and National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The preserved 9.6-acre property features eight historic structures, including a rare surviving example of transient labor housing: the main house, migrant worker house, wash house, barn, silo, metal granary, cistern, and milk trough. Preservation efforts continue with a $200,000 State Historic Fund grant for main house restoration and $417,300 from Adams County Open Space for landscape rehabilitation. The city's master plan aims to transform these historic structures into a multi-functional event and agricultural education center, converting the main house into a café or teahouse, the barn into a community event space, and the migrant worker house into administrative offices.

📌APIA Every Day (218) - The Majuro Peace Park, established by the Japanese government in the Marshall Islands' capital, commemorates military personnel who died in Pacific operations during World War II. The site's historical significance stems from Majuro's role as a key United States military command center following the defeat of Japanese forces in the region. Japanese Vice Minister of Health Hiroshi Yukawa and Marshall Islands President Amata Kabua presided over the park's formal dedication ceremony on March 16, 1984, marking the completion of the Peace Park Monument. This dedication represented Japan's commitment to acknowledging the war's impact while strengthening diplomatic relations between the two nations. The ceremony included the placement of memorial wreaths, symbolizing remembrance and reconciliation.

Japanese involvement in the Marshall Islands began in September 1914, when the Imperial Japanese Navy invaded the region during World War I. Following the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Japan administered the islands through the League of Nations mandate system. Despite minimal Japanese civilian settlement during their administration, the islands became strategically crucial during World War II, serving as military bases for Japanese operations until U.S. forces assumed control in 1944.

Today, the park serves dual purposes: preserving historical evidence of the war period and providing a space for community gatherings. However, questions remain about how best to preserve and honor this complex history, particularly through place-based historic preservation practices that respect Pacific Islander histories.

📌APIA Every Day (217) - The Nippon Kan Theatre, established in Seattle in 1908 by Japanese businessmen Tatsuya Arai and Heiji Okuda, was initially intended to serve Japanese tourists visiting the Alaska-Yukon Exposition. When construction began in 1909, Thompson & Thompson architects designed the four-story, $80,000 Kobe Park Building to include street-level retail spaces on Washington Street, a theater and retail space on the second floor facing Maynard Avenue, and hotel rooms in the upper levels.

From its January 1910 opening until 1942, the theater served as a community center for Seattle's Japanese population, hosting theatrical performances, concerts, movie screenings, and martial arts competitions. The building also housed The Asahi News, Seattle's Japanese daily newspaper, while its hotel section, renamed the Astor Hotel in 1912, operated until the late 1960s.

The theater closed in 1942 when Japanese and Japanese Americans were incarcerated across the country and remained unused until 1981, when architect Edward M. Burke and his wife Betty restored the facility. The building earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places but was later converted to office space when ABC Legal Services purchased it in 2005. One significant artifact from the theater's early years, the original 1909-1915 stage curtain featuring period advertisements, underwent specialized preservation due to its asbestos content and is now displayed at the Wing Luke Museum's Tateuchi Story Theater.

In September, the National APIAHIP Forum held its closing reception at the theater, with Eric Hayashi joining local officials including Representative My-Linh Thai, Senator Joe Nguyễn, CAPAA Executive Director Nam Nguyen, CAPAA Commissioner Carrie Huie, and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Director Jenifer Chao for open remarks.

📌APIA Every Day (216) - Jackson Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, is known to have its own Little India on 74th street. The area, initially built around 1916 for middle-class white families seeking alternatives to Manhattan's density, developed into a diverse community. During the 1980s, the neighborhood became home to many LGBTQ+ residents from Manhattan's theater district and saw increased ethnic diversity, though it also faced periods of elevated crime rates. This transformation of the area into a South Asian community was primarily driven by the Immigration Act of 1965. This federal legislation, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, created an immigration system based on professional qualifications and family reunification. Subsequently, professionally qualified Indian immigrants began establishing themselves in New York City, with Jackson Heights emerging as a preferred location. This led to the development of Indian commercial enterprises, including restaurants, retail stores, and cultural centers.

While initially characterized by its Indian population, the neighborhood has seen substantial growth in its Bangladeshi community. This demographic change has led to an increased presence of Bengali language signage, Bangladeshi food establishments, and Muslim cultural institutions. Because of these demographic changes, Little India now functions as a commercial and cultural center for South Asian immigrants. The district contains specialty grocery stores, restaurants, clothing retailers, and vendors of cultural goods serving the South Asian population, providing a sense of familiarity for those settling in the U.S.

📌APIA Every Day (215) - Descanso Gardens, located in Southern California, originated from a 165-acre property purchased by newspaper owner Elias Manchester Boddy in the late 1930s. Boddy established a ranch and residence designed by architect James E. Dolena, focusing on developing a camellia collection. To expand this collection, he collaborated with Japanese immigrant growers, primarily F.M. Uyematsu of Star Nursery and Fred and Mitoko Yoshimura of Mission Nursery. Uyematsu, who arrived in California in 1904, had established successful nurseries across Los Angeles County, specializing in Japanese imported plants, including camellias.

When World War II began and Executive Order 9066 was enacted, it significantly impacted Uyematsu's involvement in the garden. Due to Uyematsu's impending incarceration, Boddy purchased 300,000 camellias from Uyematsu's Star Nursery before the Uyematsu family was sent to incarceration camps. He also acquired plants from the Yoshimuras' Mission Nursery. Despite his incarceration, Uyematsu contributed to his community by donating 1,000 cherry and wisteria trees to Manzanar concentration camp. Post-war, 16 of the 600 known camellia varieties at Descanso Gardens were traced back to Uyematsu's collection.

The Japanese influence on Descanso Gardens continued after the war. In 1966, the Japanese Garden opened, designed by Eijiro Nunokawa and created by Frank Kuwahara. This addition was constructed with volunteer labor and funding from the Japanese American community. In 1969, a Japanese country-style farmhouse (Minka) was added to the garden, donated by Bob and Mary Matsumoto. These elements expanded the cultural and horticultural diversity of the gardens.

Descanso Gardens became a public space in 1953 when Los Angeles County purchased the property. The Descanso Gardens Guild, formed in 1957 and later renamed the Descanso Gardens Foundation, took over management in 1993. Subsequent developments included the opening of a 5-acre International Rosarium in 1994, achieving museum accreditation in 2004, and the addition of an Oak Woodland in 2014. These additions have expanded the botanical offerings and educational value of the gardens, which now serve as both a public recreational space and a site of historical and horticultural significance.

📌APIA Every Day (214) - The East-West Center complex, located on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, was established in 1960 as a federal initiative during the Cold War era. Its founding coincided with U.S. efforts to improve relations with Asian nations, reflecting a shift in foreign policy towards greater engagement with the Asia-Pacific region. The Center occupies 15 acres on the eastern portion of the university grounds, comprising three main buildings constructed between 1962 and 1963: Jefferson Hall (administration), Kennedy Theatre (performance venue), and Hale Manoa (dormitory).

Architecturally, the complex is significant as a representative work of master architect I.M. Pei. The buildings feature deeply cantilevered roof planes, massive beams, and columns, designed to convey a sense of formality and monumentality. The complex also includes a Japanese Garden designed by Kenzo Ogata of Tokyo, featuring a teahouse gifted by the Urasenke School of the Tea Ceremony in 1972.

The East-West Center has played a role in establishing the University of Hawaii as an international institution of higher education. Over its history, the Center has hosted numerous programs, resulting in a network of over 70,000 alumni from various countries across the Asia-Pacific region. These programs have focused on a range of topics relevant to the region, including climate change, illegal fishing, governance issues, healthcare, education, and economic diversity. The Center serves as an educational and research institution, providing a venue for discussing regional issues and conducting research.

In its over 60 years of operation, the East-West Center has contributed to Hawaii's multicultural environment and to international education. Its primary mission remains promoting understanding among the peoples of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific. The Center continues to address contemporary challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, positioning itself as a space for discussing complex regional issues. Its long-standing presence on the University of Hawaii campus and its ongoing programs demonstrate its sustained role in fostering international academic exchange and research collaboration.

📌APIA Every Day (213) - The Porter-Vallejo Mansion, originally built in the 1850s by Antone Vallejo, was purchased and relocated by John T. Porter in 1871. Porter, a prominent businessman in the Pajaro Valley, had a diverse portfolio of interests. Following his marriage to Watsonville school teacher Fannie Cummings in 1859, Porter served as U.S. Customs Collector for the Port of Monterey under appointment by President Abraham Lincoln. By 1874, he had established the Pajaro Valley's first bank, the Bank of Watsonville, with six other founders and directors. Porter owned extensive agricultural lands, the region's largest sawmill (the Loma Prieta Lumber Company), and was co-owner of Santa Cruz County's beet sugar refinery. He also held several city blocks in Watsonville that housed the 1869-1888 Chinatown, providing lodging for Chinese laborers who worked on his properties.

In 1888, Porter emerged as a central figure in addressing issues related to the anti-Chinese movement in California. Faced with increasing pressure from anti-Chinese legislation in Santa Cruz County, Porter proposed and implemented a plan to relocate Chinatown. He negotiated with various parties to establish a new Chinese settlement within 50 yards of his own home, across the Pajaro River county boundary and outside Santa Cruz County's jurisdiction. This move was significant as it allowed for the development of a more complete community structure for the local Chinese population.

The new Chinatown evolved from a collection of single male workers to a more diverse community with families, merchants, civic organizations, temples, and schools. It became a regional center for Chinese people in the area, providing a stable environment for families and preserving traditional social order. Porter's arrangement ensured a constant, reliable supply of Chinese field labor, which contributed to the area's economic stability, particularly in the face of the 1890s economic depression. That same year, Porter left the Bank of Watsonville to found the city's second bank, the Pajaro Valley Bank, where he remained active as President until his death in 1900.

John Porter's wife, Fannie Cummings Porter, also played a significant role in managing Chinatown. She collected rents and managed income for the settlement, maintaining detailed ledgers of its architectural and social organization. Fannie Porter provided rent-free spaces for an English language Christian school and homes for elderly Chinese bachelors. The Porters' involvement with the Chinese community continued until the 1920s, though it gradually lessened after 1900 due to changing immigration laws and the acculturation of younger generations of Chinese Americans. The Porter-Vallejo Mansion, particularly after its 1890s remodeling by architect William H. Weeks, stood as a symbol of Porter's status as a community and business leader. Its dining room served as a site for important business meetings that shaped the economic progress of the Pajaro Valley. The solidarity between the Porters and

📌APIA Every Day (212) - Jun Fujita, a Japanese American photojournalist and poet, constructed a cabin on Rainy Lake, Minnesota, circa 1928. The property, now within Voyageurs National Park, was purchased by Florence Carr due to laws restricting non-citizen land ownership. The original 13 by 16 foot structure, built with cedar poles and drop siding, was later expanded with a screened porch and a 7 by 8 foot log addition.

The cabin's design incorporates local and Japanese architectural elements, including natural materials, simple lines, and a moderate roof pitch. It uses dry-laid stones instead of a traditional foundation. Located 30 miles east of Ranier, the cabin was part of early recreational development in the Boundary Waters area.

Fujita used the cabin for leisure and commercial photography until the early 1940s. World War II and anti-Japanese sentiment led to his discontinued use. In 1956, Fujita sold the property to Fred and Edythe Sackett, who added a bedroom and propane appliances. The Wendts purchased it in 1973, and Voyageurs National Park acquired it in 1985.

The Jun Fujita Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It remains largely unaltered since Fujita's time, providing historical context for Asian immigrant experiences and wilderness recreation development in early 20th century Minnesota. The cabin's preservation offers insights into the period's building techniques, recreational trends, and the impact of racial discrimination on property ownership and use by Japanese Americans.

📌APIA Every Day (211) - Sella Bay, situated on Guam's southwestern coast, was originally the site of a CHamoru village called Sidya. During the Spanish-CHamoru Wars of the 17th century, Sidya aligned with the Spanish against neighboring villages. Notably, it was one of the few places where Spanish authorities recognized the authority of a Maga'haga, a female political leader in CHamoru society. Following the wars, as part of the Spanish colonial strategy, the CHamoru inhabitants were forcibly relocated to new settlements where they could be more easily monitored.

The Spanish colonial era brought significant changes to the area. In the 18th century, a coastal highway was constructed to connect the galleon port of Humåtak with the capital of Hagåtña. A key feature of this road was the Spanish Bridge at Sella Bay, measuring 96 feet on its inland side and 36 feet on its seaward side, with a roadway width of 11 feet 6 inches. A Spanish settlement was also established near the bridge, of which only a stone oven remains today.

Sella Bay's archaeological significance extends beyond its colonial structures. The area contains ancient CHamoru artifacts and latte stones, the distinctive pillars that supported traditional CHamoru buildings. In the 1970s, Sella Bay became the focus of a community-led campaign against U.S. military plans to construct an ammunition wharf in the area. A coalition of educators, political leaders, and activists successfully opposed the development, leading to the wharf being built in Apra Harbor instead.

Currently, Sella Bay serves as both a historical site and a natural preserve. The Spanish Bridge, the remnants of the colonial settlement, and the ancient CHamoru artifacts remain accessible to researchers and visitors. The bay is part of a hiking trail that includes the nearby Cetti Bay, offering access to both historical sites and natural landscapes.