Trip Idea

Discover Asian American & Pacific Islander History

Multiple Parks

Black and white photo of Leah Hing wearing pilot\'s clothing.
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Aviation, Industry, Mills, Military, US Air Force (Army Air Corps), US Army, Monuments and Memorials, Trails, Wars and Conflicts, World War I, Colonization and Settlement, Forts, Laborer and Worker, Native American Heritage, Pacific Islander Heritage, Asian American Heritage more »
Activities Museum Exhibits, Hiking
Type Kid Friendly, Urban, Educational, Inspirational, Indoors, Outdoors, Group Friendly more »
Parks Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

In this half-day Trip Idea, visit three locations that tell the story of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Start at the Visitor Center, and visit the nearby memorial to three Japanese castaways who came to Fort Vancouver in the 1830s.

Then, visit Pearson Air Museum and learn about the early history of aviation at Pearson Field, one of the country's oldest continuously operating airfields. Leah Hing, the nation's first American-born Chinese-American woman to earn a pilot's license, took to the skies here.

Finally, take a stroll along the Land Bridge Trail to the Fort Vancouver Village. In the 1840s, the Village was home to the largest population of Native Hawaiians outside of Hawai'i. These Hawaiians, mostly men, came to Fort Vancouver to find work in the fur trade and the fort's agricultural operations. Many returned to the Hawaiian Islands after their contracts with the Hudson's Bay Company expired, but others stayed in the Northwest and created a community here. Learn more about Hawaiians at Fort Vancouver here.

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Sites at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Visit the Japanese Castaways' Memorial

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Japanese Castaways Memorial at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
    • Duration: 10–15 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
    A photo of a stone monument with a carving of three Japanese sailors and text in Japanese.

    Near the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, remember three Japanese castaways who arrived at the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver in the 1830s.

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  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Visit Pearson Air Museum

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Pearson Air Museum
    • Duration: 30–60 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    A park ranger talking about a biplane with a group of visitors inside Pearson Air Museum.

    Visit Pearson Air Museum and discover the history of aviation in Vancouver, Washington!

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  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Visit the Fort Vancouver Village

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 30–60 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
    Two small cabins with fences with Mount Hood in the background.

    Learn about the working class of Fort Vancouver by taking a scenic walk to the Fort Vancouver Village.

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Last updated: June 2, 2021