As part of Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Google Arts & Culture, and over 14 organizations across the country have partnered to create a storytelling hub centering the work of the communities, grassroots advocates, and institutions that sustain Chinatowns across the United States. Launching May 9, 2024, “Welcome to America’s Chinatowns” includes stories that chronicle the history and threats facing Chinatowns every day.

“It is long past due to ask what more the national preservation community can do to amplify existing grassroots action to support Chinatowns now and in the future,” said Di Gao, senior director of research and development at the National Trust and leader of the America’s Chinatown initiative.

In 2022, the National Trust launched the America’s Chinatowns initiative to address this need by researching and building coalitions that could sustain and support historic Chinatowns in the United States. This new partnership with Google Arts & Culture builds on that initiative by creating an unprecedented, unified destination for understanding the culture, history, and future of America’s Chinatowns.

Within its collection of more than 70 stories, visitors will discover tales about family-owned businesses; transformative histories of Chinatowns in major cities and small towns; archaeological sites that were once thriving Chinatowns; and the efforts of advocates, artists, and writers to preserve the memory of Chinatowns through their work.

Featured in this collection are stories about Philadelphia’s Chinatown, Seattle’s Chinatown International District, and Handford, California’s China Alley—three communities included on past years of the National Trust’s America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.

Site visitors can also hear from playwright Lauren Yee, writer Ava Chin, and artist Sammy Yuen about how their creative work highlights the ways in which Chinatowns are important for telling the full American story. Also featured are stories of martial arts in DC’s Chinatown, legacy businesses in Los Angeles’s Chinatown, and the 200-year long survival of Honolulu’s Chinatown.

Visitors can explore and discover more at goo.gle/americaschinatowns.

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Google Arts & Culture puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 3,000 cultural institutions from 85 countries at your fingertips. If Google’s mission is to make the world’s information more accessible, then Arts & Culture’s mission is to make the world’s culture accessible to anyone, anywhere. It’s your doorway to explore art, history, and wonders of the world. Discover stories about cultural heritage ranging from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings, Puerto Rico’s heritage, Sports in Australia or the women’s right movement to ancient Maya temples, Japanese Food and Indian Railways.