Introduction

Special food formulae are prepared for babies at Manzanar reception center.

NPS photo, courtesy Manzanar National Historic Site.

The National Park Service and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers invite you to visit units of the National Park System and other places listed in the National Register of Historic Places, most of which are National Historic Landmarks, that bring alive Asian American and Pacific Islander stories. These places illuminate the many diverse ways Asian American and Pacific Islander peoples have contributed to the history and development of the United States. The destinations featured in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary reflect more than a thousand years of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage from early Pacific Islander cultural centers to Chinese and Japanese immigrants who helped settle the West, to struggles for civil rights, to much more.

The itinerary offers several ways to discover and experience these historic places:

• Descriptions of each featured destination are located under the navigation “Parks” and “Places”, and include the significance of the places and their stories, photographs and other illustrations, and information on how to visit.

• Essays and more information can be found under the “Stories” navigation. These resources provide background and context for understanding historic places featured in the itinerary and others that are worthy of recognition. The essay on "Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the Making of a Nation” and the “Find Your Place: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders” booklet set the stage.

• A “Teach It!” section provides links to relevant tourism, history, preservation, general information, and other websites. This section also includes a bibliography.

View the itinerary online or print it as a guide if you plan to visit in person. The Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary, the 59th in this ongoing series, is part of the Department of the Interior, National Park Service's strategy to promote public awareness of history and encourage visits to historic places throughout the nation. The itineraries are created by a partnership of the National Park Service, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, and Federal, State, and local governments and private organizations in communities, regions, and heritage areas throughout the United States. The itineraries help people everywhere learn about and plan trips to visit the amazing diversity of this country's historic places that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service and its partners hope you enjoy this itinerary and others in the series.

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