Wing Luke, the namesake of the Wing Luke Asian Museum, was one of the first Asian Americans elected to public office in the continental U.S. A Seattle City Council person of Chinese descent from 1962 until 1965, Luke died at age 40 in an airplane crash. In an era of civil rights activism and optimism for a just society, the popular, well spoken Luke embodied the ideals of cooperation and understanding that we continue to strive for as a museum and as a nation.

The mission of the Wing Luke Asian Museum is to educate the public about the contributions, history, and issues facing Asian Pacific American (APA) communities. To achieve this goal, the Museum serves as a vehicle for over 26 different APA groups in Washington state to present their stories through the creation of community-based and community-curated exhibitions.

On February 19, 1992, fifty years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the forced relocation of 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry (two-thirds of whom were Americans by birthright), the Wing Luke Asian Museum opened a ground breaking exhibit on the 100 year history of Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Conceived, developed and installed by over 100 individuals from the Japanese American community, this exhibit resulted from months of planning, research and conferring among Museum staff and committee members who spanned three generations.

Because of its success, the Executive Order 9066 project continues to serve as a model for other community-driven exhibits. In May 1993, over ten different Asian ethnic communities contributed to the creation of the permanent exhibit, One Song, Many Voices: The Asian Pacific American Experience. An exhibit featuring members of the early Chinese American community and a companion publication were offered in 1994. In spring 1995, the Wing Luke Asian Museum opened Twenty Years After the Fall of Saigon. Curated by a first generation Vietnamese American and his daughter, this poignant exhibit illustrated the odyssey of Vietnamese refugees and their resettlement in the Pacific Northwest.

For many Americans, it is difficult to comprehend the vast diversity of ethnicities and cultures included under the umbrella term Asian Pacific American, which combines Asian American and Pacific Islander American. The term Pacific Islander encompasses Polynesians (of which Hawaiians, Samoans, and Tongans are the largest groups in the U.S.), Micronesians (with Guamanians being the largest group in the U.S.), and Melanesians (with Fijians being the largest group in the U.S.).

The term Asian American includes the largest groups, the Chinese and the Filipinos with populations of 1.6 million and 1.4 million respectively, as well as Japanese, Asian Indians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, and Thai. In addition, there are various Hill Tribe groups from Laos (the Hmong, Kmhmu, and Iu-Mien), and small numbers of people from other Asian countries.

Despite the tremendous growth in population, Asian Pacific Americans constitute less than 4% of the total U.S. population. Our small numbers and our racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, compounded by historic marginalization from mainstream culture, result in many Americans falling prey to the stereotypes that Asian Pacific Americans are "foreigners," the "model minority," or somehow set apart from other "Americans who belong here."

To combat these stereotypes and reduce the chances of Asian Pacific American children internalizing these negative images, the Museum presents the contributions by Asian Pacific Americans to American history and culture. The Museum also teaches students about the challenges faced by APAs and how these struggles helped to expand individual democratic rights throughout United States history. For those whose families have been in the U.S. for many generations, the Museum provides a connection to the early immigrants who toiled to build this country. For children of recent immigrants or refugees, the exhibits pay tribute to the courage and strength necessary to immigrate and survive in a new country.

For many Asian Pacific American children, the Museum is their first exposure to a public institution that features cultural artifacts and experiences that are familiar to them. The visit may also be the first time that children interact with Asian Pacific American lecturers of all ages who hold important leadership positions as spokespersons for the Museum and for American history.

The Museum also strives to instill a sense of belonging in Asian Pacific American students by confirming that the term "American" refers to one's nationality and is not dependent upon one's race, ethnicity, native language, or cultural background. The realization that an "American" can look like anyone in the world has an impact on non-Asian Pacific American students as well, who often believe that only White or Black people can be Americans.

While teachers and parents may not be able to provide ongoing role models for Asian Pacific American children, the home and learning environments can honor the diversity among all Americans and validate the rich cultural heritages inherent in the various communities. In a country where cultural assimilation has been encouraged as the only road to success, teachers need to expand their students' concept of Americanism to embrace the many who are bicultural or multicultural. For those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who are trying to affirm both their ethnicity and their identities as Americans, educators and parents need to convey the legacy of Asian Pacific Americans who have preserved their cultural identity while contributing to and enriching American culture at the same time.

Parent and educators can be active advocates encouraging libraries, bookstores and videostores to carry media produced by and featuring APAs. (Possible resources include the AACP in San Mateo, California at 800-874-2242, which has the largest catalog for APA literature and NAATA/Cross Currents Media at 415-552-9550 for videos) Teachers can seek curriculum materials that include and integrate the histories and cultures of Asian Pacific Americans as groups in the United States. Adults and students can critique existing teaching materials and utilize those reflecting a variety of perspectives instead of a traditional, Eurocentric view of history, art and the social sciences.

In serving the best interests of all our children, educators can help them understand the multiple perspectives and experiences that have shaped American culture and ideals. Learning about all the groups that make up our rich population not only empowers individuals towards civic participation but ensures the preservation of democracy.

(For a free bibliography on Asian Pacific American literature, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Wing Luke Asian Museum, 407 Seventh Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104. Educators can also receive the Museum's membership newsletter for free!)