Impact & Public Value

Advancing Asian American History Through Art, Archives, and Public Humanities

The Asian American Art & Culture Initiative (AAACI) generates public value by transforming overlooked Asian American histories into accessible cultural programs—through archival research, oral history, exhibitions, film, and community-centered dialogue. Our work bridges academic research and public engagement, ensuring that historically marginalized Asian American narratives are preserved, interpreted, and shared with broad audiences.

Explore our work

Impact & Public Value

Logos of various media and outreach organizations including Chinese Times USA and Austin PBS.

Public Reach & Media Impact

AAACI’s programs have reached audiences locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally through a combination of public exhibitions, educational partnerships, and media coverage.

Media & Outreach Partners include:

Austin PBS
The Austin Chronicle
Chinese Times USA
HoustonLine
Honest History Magazine (national platform)
Southern News Group
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Through these outlets, AAACI’s work has contributed to millions of earned media impressions, expanding public awareness of Asian American history beyond traditional academic and community spaces.

Partner With Us

Text about Long Hui Lou and Joe building a tower by the sea.

Audience Reach & Digital Engagement (2025–2026)

5,980+ website visitors, with a 73% single-day traffic increase following program-related outreach
114,436+ social media views across platforms
Visitors from the United States, China, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, and Ghana, reflecting global diasporic interest
Strong engagement with core educational pages on Asian American art, archives, and oral history

AAACI also leverages a Google Ad Grant, enabling sustained public access to educational content related to Asian American history, public humanities, and community archives.

Educational & Institutional Value

AAACI collaborates closely with:

Public library systems
Universities and humanities scholars
State and local cultural institutions

Our programs are used as:

Teaching resources
Public lecture and screening events
Models for community-based archival research

Projects such as Roots Unveiled, Resonance: From Archive to Art, and Besides Math demonstrate how humanities research can be translated into inclusive public programming.

Stay connected for upcoming events

Community Impact & Representation

Educational & Institutional Value

Asian Americans have historically been marginalized through invisibility and the “model minority” myth, which often excludes them from cultural and civic narratives. AAACI’s work actively counters this by:

Preserving family and community histories at risk of being lost
Centering descendant voices and lived experiences
Creating platforms for intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue
Supporting youth creativity beyond academic stereotypes

By foregrounding Asian American stories within the broader American historical narrative, AAACI contributes to greater mutual understanding across communities.

Join our community archive project

Long-Term Public Value

Educational & Institutional Value

Long-Term Public Value

AAACI’s impact extends beyond individual events. Our programs feed into:

A growing digital and physical community archive
Touring exhibitions and screenings across Texas and the U.S.
An in-development documentary film project (From Homeland to Hometown)
Ongoing educational reuse by libraries, schools, and cultural institutions

Support for AAACI strengthens a long-term public humanities infrastructure dedicated to equity, historical accuracy, and cultural visibility.

Meet the Team

Impact & Public Value