A traditional Japanese house in a garden with trees.

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage

Explore the experiences, cultures, and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders through The Huntington’s collections.

  • Discover the stories of important artworks on view.

  • Participate in immersive cultural events.

  • Learn about research happening in the Library.

  • Explore The Huntington’s archive of stories and programming.

  • Stroll through the Japanese and Chinese gardens.

A tangle of hands, legs, arms, trays, vases, French brie, and baguettes.

Artworks on View

Asian American Art at The Huntington

As a site for the preservation of the wide-ranging histories, cultures, and perspectives that make up the Asian American experience, The Huntington’s Art Museum has been embarking on the active collection and display of Asian American art.

Artworks on View

Mineo Mizuno: In the Huntington Art Gallery

Three striking works by California-based artist Mineo Mizuno activate the Huntington Art Gallery and its outdoor loggia to invite new ways of looking at the art collections and surrounding gardens.

Research Stories and Lectures

Historians long thought the Qing dynasty was arrogant, xenophobic, and closed to the world. Recently, however, scholars have shown that the Qing were far more cosmopolitan, open, and connected than once believed.

Yukio Lippit, professor of Japanese art and architecture at Harvard University, discusses how The Huntington’s Shōya House offers a unique opportunity to explore an abundance of ideas and elements about Japanese architecture as a whole.

In 1906, Nekketsu Takei produced at least two maps of Hawaiʻi to attract Japanese immigrants as well as to help newcomers familiarize themselves with the islands.

The Huntington has acquired 216 rare photographs depicting life and culture in the Philippines from 1858 to 1910.

Author Lisa See has given The Huntington a trove of more than 300 rare glass plate negatives and photographs, some dating back to the late 19th century.

This symposium, held on March 4, 2023, brought together scholars, public intellectuals, and community leaders to reflect on Asian American histories and experiences in California.

Explore the history of Los Angeles’ Chinatown, the first community in North America to be planned and owned by people of Chinese descent.

For 86 years, Phoenix Bakery’s confections have been featured in the celebrations of countless birthday parties, weddings, and other festive occasions. The bakery’s historical archive at The Huntington offers scholars insight into the formative years of Los Angeles’ New Chinatown and chronicles the bakery’s impact.

On April 13, 1982, Lily Lee Chen was elected to the city council of Monterey Park, a city that had become one of the first “suburban Chinatowns” in the United States. In 1984, Chen made history by becoming the first female Chinese American mayor in the nation.

A man in a blue shirt and hat looks off camera, in front of a rock or tree formation.

In the Gardens

“Homage to Nature” in the Stroll Garden

May 25, 2024–May 25, 2029 | This site-specific work explores the fragility of the Earth’s ecosystem, as well as the destruction of the forest and its potential for regeneration. Artist Mineo Mizuno's sculpture celebrates the beauty of wood in its natural state and emphasizes its potential as a reusable and renewable resource.

Chinese Garden lake view

In the Gardens

Chinese Garden

Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, is one of the finest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Filled with Chinese plants and framed by exquisite architecture, the landscape is enriched with references to literature and art. Visitors can find both physical relaxation and mental stimulation when exploring the dramatic 15-acre garden.

Current view of the Japanese Garden showcasing the bridge and house.

In the Gardens

Japanese Garden

For over a century, the historic Japanese Garden has been one of the most beloved and iconic landscapes at The Huntington, with its distinctive moon bridge, picture-postcard views of koi-filled ponds, and the historic Japanese House.

Japanese Heritage Shōya House

Experience a restored residential compound from 18th-century Japan providing a glimpse into rural Japanese life some 300 years ago.

 

Three people stand in a gravel courtyard, near a path leading to a traditional Japanese house.