Category Archives: Asian American history

From “Caucasians Only” to Hall of Fame: The Remarkable Journey of Wayman Wing

Posted on June 23, 2025 by ahcadmin

Did you know the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Applied Science has a Hall of Fame? Among its distinguished members is Wayman Chung Wing (1923-2020), whose journey from facing discrimination to international acclaim exemplifies resilience, innovation, and barrier-breaking … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Biography and profiles, Chinese Americans, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming Alumni, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming’s Chinese Dragon

Posted on January 30, 2023 by ahcadmin

For more than twenty years, the communities in Rock Springs’ and Evanston’s Chinatowns shared and displayed a large, colorful dragon during their Lunar (Chinese) New Year Parade. The soon-to-be famous dragon first made front page news in 1895, when it … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Chinese Americans, Immigration, Racism, Railroad History, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nisei Soldiers of World War II: Overcoming Prejudice, Upholding Patriotism

Posted on May 30, 2022 by ahcadmin

As we honor the fallen for Memorial Day, the American Heritage Center would like to shine a spotlight on a small but mighty group, the Japanese American soldiers of World War II. Known collectively as Nisei, a term originating in … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Japanese American history, Japanese internment, Racial bias, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Posted on May 1, 2022 by ahcadmin

The month of May is a time to celebrate the history, traditions, cultures, and contributions of all Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants and citizens in the United States. This month was chosen because it commemorates the immigration of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Immigration, Japanese internment, Racism, Uncategorized, Western history, World War II, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kato and U.S.- Asian Relations

Posted on October 18, 2021 by ahcadmin

This is Kato, as played by Chinese American actor and martial arts expert Bruce Lee in the 1966-67 television series, The Green Hornet. The series featured the adventures of Britt Reid—rich newspaper publisher by the day, masked crime-fighter by night—assisted … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Hollywood history, International relations, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heart Mountain through Pencil and Paper

Posted on August 9, 2021 by ahcadmin

It was 1942; Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor, and the American people were worried about Japanese spies on American soil. Amid the tension of WWII following the bombing, the U.S. government believed that the best course of action to … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, Asian American history, Heart Mountain, Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Japanese internment, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, World War II, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Groundbreaking Character Actor Richard Loo

Posted on April 26, 2021 by ahcadmin

To celebrate May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the AHC would like to feature the life and career of Chinese American actor Richard Loo. Loo was born in Maui, Hawaii, in 1903. As a young man he … Continue reading →

Posted in American Perspectives on Asia, Asian American history, Biography and profiles, Current events, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Pacific Islander history, Post World War II, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wyoming’s China Mary

Posted on February 8, 2021 by ahcadmin

In celebration of Chinese New Year on February 12, we’re featuring the life of Wyoming’s China Mary, a longtime resident of Evanston. Most Americans opted to call the Chinese living among them “John” or “Mary” in lieu of learning their … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Chinese Americans, Holidays, Immigration, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Bruce Lee Steals the Show in “The Green Hornet”

Posted on March 16, 2020 by ahcadmin

The road to Bruce Lee’s screen stardom began in Oakland, California, where his Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute began attracting the attention of the martial arts world. His appearance in the first-ever Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964 wowed … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Comic book history, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, popular culture, television history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Rock Springs Massacre, September 2, 1885

Posted on September 8, 2017 by mmarcusse

During the summer of 1885, tensions had been building between Chinese coal miners and European coal miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory. Both groups were employed by the Union Pacific Coal Company and were having a dispute over wages. According … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Local history, mining history, resources, Under-documented communities, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment