Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage in the GGNRA

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is part of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which are places “connecting past struggles to today’s movements for human rights and social justice." Read more about Asian American & Pacific Islander history in the Golden Gate National Parks and beyond with the articles below:

The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from China Beach.
Parks
China Beach, the small, sandy cove nestled between Baker Beach and Lands End, isn’t just a hidden gem, it’s a prized jewel.
Dr. Margaret Chung.
Stories
Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung was the first Chinese American woman to become a physician. She earned the nickname 'Mom' Chung for her work with American servicemen at the Presidio in the 1920s. She was repeatedly rejected to join the corps because of her race and speculation around her sexuality, but...
Paolo Asuncion and Mike Arcega with TNT Traysikel
Article
TNT Traysikel made history and worldwide news when it crossed the Golden Gate Bridge earlier this year, reportedly becoming the first Filipino traysikel to cross the famed bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge lit up at night.
Park E-Ventures Article
Fong Bing Wah, or Wallace B. Fong, was a San Franciscan and Chinese-American engineer with a unique link to the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. He was also the grandfather of Katherine Toy, our Executive Vice President of Partnerships and Programs.
Buffalo Soldiers
Article
In this moment and as we continue forward, it’s important to acknowledge the racist history on these lands so that we can learn from it and overcome it.
National Park Service Ranger Todd Hisaichi at Muir Woods National Monument.
Gateways Article
To get his dream job, Todd Hisaichi had to make a choice most people don’t have to make: He had to give up his original citizenship.
Ai Weiwei, Trace 2014 (New Industries Building, Alcatraz)
Our Work
Presented by the FOR-SITE Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei brought his works to Alcatraz Island until spring of 2015.
Information about the Japanese internment at the Presidio
Park E-Ventures Article
During Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May), the parks celebrate the community’s contributions—and remember its darkest hours. “Exclusion”—a new exhibition at the Presidio Officers’ Club—looks at the Presidio’s role in the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II…75 years since FDR’s infamous Executive Order 9066.
Studying at the MIS school in December 1941
Park E-Ventures Article
In honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May, learn the legacy of Japanese Americans who fought for their country—while their families were incarcerated by their government. And discover the unassuming building—rebuilt along Crissy Field—where they trained at a top-secret school.

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