Welcome to Asian American Art & Culture Initiative

We collaborate with libraries, historical centers, and private collections to identify, study, and preserve underutilized archival materials related to Asian American history.

AAACI works directly with families and community members to document oral histories, ensuring lived experiences and intergenerational knowledge are preserved with cultural sensitivity and ethical care.

Contemporary artists collaborate with researchers to interpret historical materials through visual art, moving image, installation, and performance—using art as a tool for historical storytelling rather than decoration.

Our work is shared through exhibitions, screenings, workshops, and youth programs hosted in libraries, schools, and cultural institutions, making history accessible to diverse audiences.

Asian American history is an essential part of American history. Yet in many regions—especially in the American South and Southwest—these narratives remain largely invisible.

By activating archives and elevating community voices, AAACI contributes to:

• Public education and historical literacy
   
• Cultural equity and representation
   
• Intergenerational knowledge transmission
   
• Long-term preservation of community memory
   

Our work ensures these histories are not only preserved, but understood, discussed, and carried forward.

AAACI has developed research-based exhibitions and public programs in partnership with libraries, cultural institutions, and community organizations. 

Our five public programming including flagship exhibition, Roots Unveiled, presented early Chinese American history through archival research, oral histories, and contemporary art,  

1. engaging over 20,000 in person public visitors and educators, 

2. made over 4.4 millions of mainstream media exposure and 

3. more than 400,000 social media views.

Building on this foundation, AAACI continues to expand its research initiatives, youth programs, and collaborative public humanities projects across Texas and beyond.

We envision a future in which Asian American histories are fully integrated into public cultural life—accessible in classrooms, libraries, museums, and community spaces—and where younger generations are empowered to carry these stories forward with curiosity, responsibility, and creativity.

AAACI works at the intersection of historical research, contemporary art, and public engagement. Our mission is to:

• Preserve and contextualize overlooked Asian American histories
   
• Translate archival research and oral histories into public-facing cultural experiences
   
• Empower younger generations to engage with history and shape future narratives