READING PATH FORWARD:

APIAHiP's deep-dive into the National Park Service’s Finding a Path Forward: Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study (2018). This virtual book club and workshop series invited participants to engage with the 17 essays and supplemental resources, examining their implications for historic preservation. Together, we fostered community, deepened our understanding, and inspired tangible actions to identify, nominate, and preserve the places that embody our shared history and cultural heritage!

Reading Path Forward

Cover of a book titled 'Finding a Path Forward: Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study,' edited by Franklin Odo, with a red background, circular images including a woman with a traditional hat, a child, and a historic building, and decorative symbols.

Reading Path Forward ran from January 2025 through June 2026. Over 18 months, monthly sessions brought essay authors and guest speakers together with participants across the country to discuss historic preservation and APIA themes. The program has concluded, and session recordings and related media are available below.

FULL APIA NHL THEME STUDY PDF
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Recordings

  • A large crowd of people, including men and women, are gathered around a bus on a city street, some boarding or disembarking, with many wearing hats and coats, indicating a historical setting.

    Introduction and Essay 1: Imperialism and Migration

    Session Recording
  • A group of women and children sitting outside a thatched-roof hut, with some sitting on the ground and others on a large rock, in a rural setting.

    Essay 2: A Sea of Islands: Early Foundations and Mobilities of Pacific Islanders

    Session Recording
  • Train tracks leading into a tunnel through a wooded hillside.

    Essay 3: Archaeological Research on Asian Americans

    Session Recording
  • Historical black and white photo of workers planting or tending to bushes or crops along a dirt road, with some individuals standing on ladders or benches, and others working on the ground.

    Essay 4: Immigration, Exclusion, and Resistance, 1800s-1940s

    Session Recording
  • A black-and-white photo of nine people, including children and adults, standing and sitting in front of a truck. There is a large scarecrow-like figure hanging over the truck. The group appears to be outdoors in a rural or wooded area.

    Essay 5: Establishing Communities, 1848-1941

    Session Recording

  • Essay 6: Reframe, Recognize, and Retell: Asian Americans and National Historic Sites

    Session Recording
  • Two women wearing hats and aprons, one sitting and one standing, outdoors near a wooden fence, possibly on a farm.

    Essay 7: Asian American Businesses, 1848 to 2015: Accommodation and Eclectic Innovation

    Session Recording
  • Traditional Japanese garden with lush green bushes, stone pathways, lanterns, a pagoda, and small temple structures surrounded by tall trees.

    Essay 8: The Architectural Legacy of Japanese America

    Session Recording
  • Black and white photo of a crowded train station platform with many people, mostly women and children, wearing mid-20th-century clothing and hats, waiting near train cars.

    Essay 9: Sites of Resistance to Imperialism

    Session Recording
  • Historic white building with a clock tower, surrounded by palm trees and a clear blue sky.

    Essay 10: Asian Americans and World War II

    Session Recording
  • A scientist in a white lab coat sitting at a laboratory table with scientific glassware and equipment, writing in a notebook.

    Essay 11: Asian Americans: The Cold War

    Session Recording
  • A crowd of people dressed in traditional Polynesian clothing at a cultural event or performance, with some wearing headbands and grass skirts, gathered in front of a stage or performance area at night.

    Essay 12: Pacific Islanders in the U.S. and their Heritage: Making Visible and Visibly Absent

    Session Recording
  • Three people in vintage clothing standing around a suitcase, in a black-and-white photo.

    Essay 13: Asian Americans and Cultural Retention/Assimilation

    Session Recording
  • Black and white photograph of seven men in suits, with four sitting and three standing behind, in a formal indoor setting with curtains and a framed document.

    Essay 14: Asian American Activism and Civic Participation: Battling for Political Rights and Citizenship, 1917 to the Present

    Session Recording
  • People gathered near a Chinese traditional architectural gate at a city street entrance.

    Essay 15: Asian Immigrants and Refugees: Demographic Transformations in the United States from World War II to the Present

    Session Recording
  • Vendors selling fresh produce at an outdoor market along a roadside, with cars parked nearby and people browsing and shopping.

    Essay 16: New Asian American Communities: Building and Dismantling

    Session Recording
  • Historical black-and-white photograph of a group of Asian men, some dressed in traditional clothing and others in military or formal attire, posing outdoors in front of a building.

    Essay 17: AAPI Political Mobilization and Participation

    Session Recording
  • Line of houses on a street with cars parked in front, some houses with balconies and trees nearby

    Reflections from former Keeper of the National Register and National Park Service Historian

    Session Recording

  • Reflections from Franklin Odo (2022)

    Session Recording

  • Finding a Path Forward: AAPI National Historic Landmarks Theme Study Full PDF

    PDF
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • A mix between a book club and a workshop series surrounding the Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study essays.

  • It's the latest collection of work initiated and produced by the National Park Service (NPS) that furthers the designation and preservation of AAPI history specifically thought the National Historic Landmark (NHL) program. NHLs are the highest level of designation for historic and cultural sites. Often, the 2600+ NHLs are the most exemplary of 99,000+ sites on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) of which AAPI history is recognized between 1-3% of the sites at either levels of historic designation. Investigating this body of work enables us to address this gap in representation in an informed and communal way!

  • Monthly meetings will be held on Zoom between 45-75 minutes each. We aim to have host a guest speaker for each meeting such as the actual author of the featured essay or someone who has work closely related to the essay topic, follow by guided discussion with APIAHiP staff. 

  • APIAHiP has a limited supply of the print version and will be requesting more from NPS to distribute through this program. However, you can access a free PDF copy here.

  • The program is completely free, thanks to the support of the the National Park Service and our program partners.

    Attendance at every workshop is not required. We understand that schedules can vary, so you’re welcome to join as many sessions as you’re able to. To make sure you don’t miss out, we’ll provide recordings of the workshops, allowing you to catch up on any sessions you’re unable to attend.

  • Yes, registration is required, but it’s a simple process. Once you complete the RSVP form, you’ll automatically receive a monthly Zoom link and additional session details via email.

  • While Reading Path Forward has concluded, we welcome recommendations for media to share with our network. If you have a book series, film, video, or other media relevant to APIA historic preservation, contact us at info@apiahip.org or submit a Preservation Pathways inquiry to discuss further.

Partners in Reading Path Forward

A woman in a yellow raincoat and white hat standing in a lush green forest with tall trees, holding a stick.
Logo of the Dr. LeeHaus Foundation with a stylized column on the left and the foundation's name on the right.
Illustration of a National Park Service badge featuring a landscape with a large green tree, a snow-capped mountain, a river, and a bison, with a background of orange and black lines.
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