AAPI Oral History Project

In 2024, Webster University and the St. Louis chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (STL JACL) partnered to collect 17 oral histories from members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in St. Louis. This project aims to challenge the portrayal of Asians as a monolith by highlighting the rich histories within our community and the diverse, dynamic ways we understand ourselves as AAPI. We ask: What does it mean to be Asian American in the Midwest?

Funded by ASIANetwork, this project was led by Robin Hattori, board member and community advocate from STL JACL and Elsa Fan, associate professor of anthropology at Webster University. Our team included of four student researchers—Alex Koenig, Evelyn Truong, Lauren Walther, and Maya Zerazion—along with faculty associate Shaolu Yu from Rhodes College. We interviewed community members and worked closely with them to share their stories as written, audio, and video narratives.

These stories reflect the evolving ways we relate to identity and heritage, as well as our shared commitment to building community.

Download our booklet, which includes special feature stories of our participants drawn from their oral history interviews.

Portrait of an elderly woman with glasses and short brown hair, wearing a purple sweater, smiling against a light blue circular background, with a dark blue banner below containing the text 'From Trauma to Hope' and a quote about inclusivity.
A woman with glasses and long dark hair smiling, wearing a white sweater, against a blue background with a circular photo frame.
Smiling person with short black hair wearing a light gray sweater and a green pendant necklace, against a light blue background with text about authenticity and peace.
Portrait of an elderly man with gray hair and beard, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and red polka-dot tie, in front of a blue background with text and a button.
A woman with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair wearing a light pink blazer, smiling, in front of a blue background for a presentation about sharing Asian culture through visual storytelling.
A young woman with black hair, wearing a navy blue top, a necklace, and earrings, smiling in front of a light blue and dark teal background with text.
A smiling older man with gray hair, wearing a dark blazer and light blue shirt, speaking about creating his own multicultural identity.
A middle-aged man with dark hair, glasses, and a checkered button-down shirt, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.
A smiling man wearing glasses, a dark cap with colorful embroidery, and a blue button-up shirt in a digital graphic promoting history and storytelling.
A middle-aged man with short dark hair wearing a blue and white checkered shirt smiling against a light blue and dark teal background with a circular cutout.
A woman with glasses and long dark hair, smiling, wearing a red top, on a graphic with the text 'Redefining "Community"'.
Two women dressed in traditional Indian sarees, one in white and the other in gold and red, smiling and sitting close together in a photo with a blue background and a circular cutout.
A portrait of an elderly man with short hair in a dark suit, white shirt, and polka dot tie, smiling at the camera.
A smiling woman with glasses and dark hair, wearing a teal and white jacket, against a light blue background with a dark teal banner below containing text and a button.
Portrait of a middle-aged man with dark hair, gray beard, wearing a gray blazer and light-colored shirt, against a background with a circular light blue design and dark teal lower section.
Portrait of a woman with dark hair wearing a red top and gold earrings, in front of a light blue circle background.