Category Archives: Asian American history

Wyoming’s Chinese Dragon

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

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

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

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Kato and U.S.- Asian Relations

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

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Heart Mountain through Pencil and Paper

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 Asian American history, Japanese internment, Uncategorized, World War II, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Groundbreaking Character Actor Richard Loo

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, Current events, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Pacific Islander history, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Wyoming’s China Mary

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 , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bruce Lee Steals the Show in “The Green Hornet”

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Rock Springs Massacre, Sept.2, 1885

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

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