Our Approach
Our goal in the creation of this AAPI History Museum is to foster a space where the community can come together and learn about AAPI history, cultures, and impacts on Rhode Island. This space will be the AAPI History Museum & Culture Center (brick & mortar version).
We want to create exhibits that appeal to different learning styles, so that anyone can form a connection with the subject, AAPI History, in front of them. The museum exhibits are created with four main learning styles in mind: visual learning, kinesthetic learning, auditory learning, and classic learning through reading and writing. There are other learning styles, such as
logical/analytical, social/linguistic, solitary, nature, etc., but we generalize our exhibits to encompass the four main categories of learning styles. By opening to a wide audience variety, we are also striving to get more members of the youth community involved through this museum, to convey an understanding of history and an appreciation for museums.
The name of the museum is subject to change, depending on the outreach to people of Pacific Islander descent (an issue asked about in our interest form). Completing the AAPI History Museum is an ongoing process and project that may last for years, but we will have a product to show in the interim.
Above is a graphic of much of the knowledge we currently possess regarding most museum statistics. Older learners are well-represented; 41% of museum audiences are over the age of 55, and this same age group is only a third of the nation’s population, according to the study.
We cannot wait until the end product is finished to use it for learning; the mobile museum stands as the source of learning while the brick-and-mortar museum is being built. Thus, we use re-created objects to illustrate historical concepts; artifacts aren’t a concern of ours, though we are open to receiving any to showcase for the museum.
What's Next
We want to create more exhibits, which are hands-on activities that people can feel and interact with. Music and sounds are some potential tools to use with exhibits and embody the spirit of the history being communicated. Participation among museum-goers is key, as many museums rely heavily on visual learning such as looking and watching. This museum aims to engage audiences with their five senses, and perhaps even their sixth sense: writing! It is also our intention to have every exhibit translated into its respective ethnic language, i.e. Chinese American Journey website will be translated into Chinese, Cambodian American Journey will be translated into Khmer, Vietnamese American Journey into Vietnamese…etc. so we can bridge the gap between the first and second generations, especially when the first generation whose English may not be proficient. Visiting the AAPI History (website, mobile or brick-and-mortar versions) can be something that unifies the family despite their English proficiency.
As of October 19, 2023, we have compiled an Advisory Council Board, which consists of three history professors: Dr. Jason Oliver Chang (University of Connecticut), Dr. Shelley Lee (Brown University), and Dr. Diego Luis (Tufts University). These distinguished professors can lend us their expertise overseeing this museum and appointing graduate assistants to fact-check our website and the accuracy of the history we present. We will be employing many humanities graduates and students for museum positions once enough funding is reached.
Our Priorities: RICCC
Respect: Respect people no matter where they are intellectually, emotionally, financially, and geographically.
Inclusion: We want to include as many people, perspectives, and viewpoints as possible. If you don’t see your viewpoint being represented, please let us know so that we may rectify the oversight.
Compassion: We know that dealing with a subject such as history can bring up sensitive subjects. In some situations, content may even regard incidents of violence. It is important to have compassion in our hearts for those involved in these occurrences. We ask that when you come to this juncture, embrace the opportunity to discuss, not ignore. Take a deep breath and self-reflect before you speak and share your thoughts. Make sure to do so with compassion!
Community: Community is the thread that ties all our humanities together. What we do, what we say, and how we respond impacts how another person feels. We embrace community for all these reasons, and more.
Collaboration: We are always in the hope and spirit of collaboration. There is still much to learn from other people and organizations; we must accept this knowledge with a sense of humility, in cooperating and learning from each other and with each other. We hope that through collaboration, we may produce something much greater than what could be achieved separately, resulting in an exponential return!
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