Congress must take the next step in creating a national museum telling the AANHPI story

Rep. Grace Meng pushes for a national museum for AANHPI

One of the first things Congress will tackle when they return to the Capitol in 2022 is the issue of an Asian Pacific American museum.

The proposal championed by Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, would create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history, culture and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans.

Meng (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, announced that she sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee requesting that he hold a committee vote on her legislation.  

“The story of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) is interwoven within the history of America, but frequently our history is forgotten or ignored in the greater narrative of American history,” the letter said. “That is why we urge you to markup this bill as a first step to creating a national museum dedicated to the history and culture of AAPIs. 

"Our experiences – both good and bad – provide an opportunity for us to celebrate our accomplishments, honor the challenges we have overcome, and press forward toward a more perfect union.”

Meng asked Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) to make her bill the first measure that the panel takes up in January 2022. If the legislation is approved by the Committee, it would then head for a vote on the floor of the House. 

 

The New York lawmaker's request follows her appearance earlier this month before a Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing where she testified in support of her bill. The hearing also included supportive testimony from journalist Lisa Ling and Stop AAPI Hate Co-Founder Dr. Russell Jeung. The House Natural Resources Committee is the panel that has jurisdiction over this issue.

 

Entitled the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act,” Meng's legislation would create a panel of individuals with various expertise in museum planning or APA research and culture to look into the viability of establishing, maintaining, funding and operating such a facility in the nation’s capital, possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the world’s largest museum and research complex. 

If there is one thing that could come out of this pandemic and the anti-Asian hate that has marred the past two years, it is a growing awareness among AANHPI about their history and the necessity to share that history with the rest of the nation to remove the onus of being the perpetual foreigner and that AANHPI have been part of the making of the United States.

Illinois has already realized the importance of educating the general llpublic of the history and contributions of the AANHPI by making it part of the state's public schools K-12. New Jersey is also awaiting the signature of its governor for a similar mandate.

Even if Meng's bill is ultimately passed by tCongress, it would likely be years before a national museum of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders opens for visitors. It took 13 years after Congressional approval before the National Museum of African American History and Culture could open its doors in 2016.

"Museums are gateways to learning about ourselves, our communities, and our history. They provide space to memorialize the accomplishments of ancestors, learn from the past, and be inspired by the richness of where our country can go," stated Meng's letter.

 

"The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is filled with immense contributions and sadly embedded with stories of disenfranchisement," Meng wrote. "From the thousands of Asian immigrants who helped build vital pieces of U.S. infrastructure, to the thousands who were denied entry and citizenship because of immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act, AAPIs have shaped and been shaped by America for generations."

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