Selected Archival Resources at Stanford

Asian and Asian American Community at Stanford Research Guide - The following collections, listed in chronological order, include extensive content relating to the history of the Asian and Asian American community on campus and beyond. 

Asian American Advocacy at Stanford - This exhibit showcases the history of Asian American advocacy at Stanford, with a focus on student activism related to fostering cultural awareness, creating protected spaces on campus, and establishing Asian American Studies as a formal academic discipline within the University.

Hubert G. Schenck papers, 1854-1960 - Stanford faculty turned the head of Natural Resources Section in the Allied occupation of Japan. The collection includes correspondence, diaries, speeches and writings, reports, clippings, maps, and photographs, relating to the Allied occupation of Japan, relations between Taiwan and the United States, and economic conditions in Japan and Taiwan.

Stanford Chinese Club records 1916-1963 - The materials consist of one bound volume listing officers, members, and budgets, and a PDF copy of a bound volume of meeting minutes.

Shau Wing Chan Papers - Chan received his M.A. (1932) and his Ph.D. (1937) in English from Stanford University. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1938 and retired in 1972. He was instrumental in founding what is now the Department of Asian Languages, serving as its executive head from 1958-1962. His papers contain notebooks, exams, reading notes, and a draft of his thesis from his graduate studies, 1930-1933; professional and personal correspondence, 1938-1949, including letters pertaining to his immigration status; correspondence, memoranda, and reports pertaining to Stanford administrative and departmental matters, 1935-1982; and family papers, 1911-1994. 

Yamato Ichihashi papers, 1918-1963 - The collection includes reports, notes, and surveys concerning foreign relations between Japan and the West (1919-1928); uncorrected texts of the Washington Arms Limitaiton Conferences (1921-1922); reports and correspondence concerning the Institute of Pacific Relations, (1925); studies and surveys made by Ichihashi and others dealing with Japanese immigration to the United States; articles and reviews by Ichihashi; class notes; syllabi of his Japanese History courses; selected student papers; and Ichihashi's diaries, 1943-1963. Correspondence, notes and some memoirs of the World War II relocation of Japanese and Japanese-Americans from the West coast of the United States are also included as is a small amount of biographical material.

Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford Research Files - The Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford began in 2012 as the first comprehensive effort to recover and interpret the work of the Chinese railroad workers who built the first transcontinental railroad across the United States and other rail lines throughout North America in the 1860s, with the objective of recapturing the lived experience of the Chinese workers themselves. This endeavor to locate and examine primary source materials ended on September 1, 2020, and was a multi-faceted collaboration from over one hundred scholars in North America and Asia who represented a variety of disciplines ranging from history to archaeology, American studies, cultural and literary studies, and heritage studies, becoming the largest effort to study nineteenth-century Chinese American history to date.

Alice Fong Yu papers, 1918-2000 (inclusive), 1960-1989 (bulk) - These papers document Alice Fong Yu’s lifelong commitment to teaching and her role as a Bay Area Chinese American community leader. Included are files Yu maintained during her career with the San Francisco Unified School District; Yu’s coursework from the speech therapy program at U.C. Berkeley; professional and family correspondence; biographical materials and clippings that highlight many of Yu’s various professional and civic achievements; photograph albums and scrapbooks; administrative materials and publications relating to the Square and Circle Club, the Chinese Historical Society of America, and Berkeley Community Church; and various publications relating to Chinese and Chinese American interests and history.

Paula Gillett collection, 1982-1986 - Autobiographical essays by immigrant and refugee children in California public schools, relating to their lives in their native countries, their journeys to the United States, and their experiences in adjusting to life in the United States and to American schools. Many of the children came from East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Philip P. Choy papers, circa 1800s-2000s - Philip P. Choy was an author, historian and architect who pioneered the study of Chinese American history. Together with the late Him Mark Lai, Choy taught the first Chinese American history course at San Francisco State University. His collection primarily consists of his research files, including notes, publications & printed ephemera, photographs, and other material. 

Alexander H. Buchman papers, 1927-2003 - Contains many photos of Chinese Americans, including rare photos of Anna May Wong.

Gayle Yamada papers - The collection contains audio and video research materials from Gayle K. Yamada’s career as a journalist, storyteller, and filmmaker. Series 1 contains audio interviews for the book “Hard News: Women in Broadcast Journalism,” which she co-authored with David Hosley during the 1980s. Series 2 contains audio and video interviews with Japanese American veterans, as well as archival video footage and research, used in her documentary “Uncommon Courage: Patriotism and Civil Liberties” about Japanese American intelligence officers during World War II. 

Webster Wilkinson immigration legal archive, 1920s-1930s - Materials consist of documents, photographs, business cards, case files, and more related to Webster Wilkinson's work as an immigration lawyer, such as Wilkinson's correspondence with clients, partnership lists, research and interview notes, bills to clients, and correspondence from Attorney Roger O'Donnell.

Ah Louis Store records, 1886-1890  - Ah Louis (1840-1936), or Wong On (黄安), was a Chinese-American businessman. He moved from Guangdong Province to California between 1856 and 1861. He was a key contractor of Chinese labor during construction of the Pacific Coast Railroad along the Central Coast of California. Ah Louis opened the Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, an East Asian mercantile from which he also provided banking and postal services, in 1874.

H. K. Wong oral history collection, circa 1966-1990 - Oral histories related to Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans in California, as well as recordings of radio interviews with Wong.

Judy Yung papers, circa 1960s-2020 - The collection consists mainly of oral histories and research files gathered throughout the span of historian Judy Yung’s career. Beginning in the 1970s, the collection mainly includes research files and oral histories from Yung’s two research fields: Angel Island and Chinese American history. Much of the collection is made up of files Yung assembled on these two fields, containing scans of primary resources, book chapters, written first-hand accounts, and photographs.

New Left Collection - The New Left Collection largely relates to radical movements for political and social change in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. It is the largest resource in the archives devoted to this turbulent period in American history. Organized alphabetically by subject file, the collections consists of serial issues and other printed matter, and includes a great deal of ephemera, especially leaflets and flyers. Topics covered in the collection include the movement against the Vietnam War; student radicalism; the civil rights movement and black militancy; revolutionary organizations; the women's liberation movement; and the counter-culture. Includes materials on the Delano grape strike, a movement in labor rights of the Filipino American community.

The Nelson and Beverly Nagai collection of Asian-American history and culture, circa 1968-1990- Publications & ephemera of late-20th century radical political activism, with an emphasis on Asian American protest movements. Includes correspondence, newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals, posters, printed matter, t-shirts, buttons, and videocassettes.

March Fong Eu papers, circa 1935-2009 - The March Fong Eu papers documents the professional and political activities of March Fong Eu. The collection is approximately 43 linear feet. The collection consists of correspondence, campaign materials, fundraising, campaign finance reports, financial records, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, invitations, schedules, newspaper clippings, memorandums, textbooks, research materials, information about national and international trips, biographical information, ephemera, plaques, and awards. The materials predominantly cover her political campaigns (including fundraising and campaigning for other, predominantly Democratic, candidates), her time in the California Assembly and as California Secretary of State, and her appointment as Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. The materials include her biographer's research materials and notes as well as manuscript drafts. There are also subject files, information about March Fong Eu's artwork, personal correspondence, and some personal records. There is a small amount of papers documenting her early career as a dental hygienist and serving on the Alameda County Board of Education. 

James Omura papers, 1912-1995 - James Matsumoto Omura (1912-1994) was a Japanese American editor and publisher. He founded the San Francisco-based publication Current Life in 1940 and later edited the Rocky Shimpo newspaper in Denver, Colorado. Omura was politically active and was an outspoken critic of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Chinese American Citizens Alliance records, 1912-2005  - Materials consist of documents related to the work of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, including convention proceedings, national board minutes, new member applications, correspondence, event fliers and invitations, original publications, original tracts and position papers, booklets, photographs, ledger, rosters, copies of invoices and receipts, and more. Some specific collection areas include the administration of the national death benefits insurance program, board minutes, and dissolution proceedings of the Chinese Times Newspaper Corporation.

Samuel I. Hayakawa papers  - The Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers document Hayakawa's term as a United States Senator. The collection comes from Hayakawa's San Diego-based regional office, one of five regional offices in California, and consists only of office records. The San Diego regional office  covered the counties of San Diego, Imperial Valley, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The records consist of biographical data on Hayakawa, correspondence, invitations, office memos, press releases, reports, subject files, files on organizations and businesses, and some confidential materials. This collection is organized into three series: General Office Files, Subject Files and Reports, and Organizations and Businesses.

Newspapers

Japanese American newspapers - The Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection is currently the world’s largest online archive of open-access, full image Japanese American and other overseas Japanese newspapers in Asia and South America. Image content in this collection is accompanied by OCR-generated text where possible, thus rendering the text searchable. The nature of the newspapers varies significantly from community-focused to political or military propaganda depending on the political conditions and target readership.

The Dennis M. Ogawa Nippu Jiji Photograph Collection - The Dennis M. Ogawa Nippu Jiji Photograph Collection are made available at the courtesy of the Hawaii Times Photo Archives Foundation. This long-term collaborative project started with the Foundation rescuing and organizing about 25,000 published and unpublished photographs and supporting documents, once housed at Nippu Jiji and later Hawaii Times. The Japanese Diaspora Initiative aims to make the images and rich English and Japanese descriptive metadata available open access on the Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection, collection by collection over time.

Rafu Shimpo Digital Archive - The Rafu Shimpo (羅府新報, L.A. Japanese Daily News) is the longest-running Japanese American newspaper in the United States.

Paul Louie papers, circa 1820-2004 - News clippings and complete newspapers, reports, photographs, books, slides, and other documents. Most of the materials relate to Asian-American studies, with special focus Chinese in California. There are also a number of LA Chinatown souvenir books, from the 70s and 80s, a set of Chinatown News from 1974-75, and a set of books printed by the US Army used to teach Cantonese at their language school. Also houses materials from the 2003 Ming Quong and Chung Mei reunion.

Books

Iris Chang Papers, 1877-2007 - Correspondence, writings, recordings and transcripts of interviews, photocopies of government records and other documents, printed matter, audiovisual material, and memorabilia, relating to the history of Chinese in the United States, and to aspects of World War II. Includes research material for the books by Iris Chang, Thread of the Silkworm (New York, 1995), The Rape of Nanking (New York, 1997), and The Chinese in America (New York, 2003), and for an uncompleted work on conditions of American soldiers captured by Japanese forces and Japanese atrocities against American prisoners of war. Sound use copies of sound recordings available.

Asian American Drama - Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. Some 50% of these plays have never been published before. The collection begins with the works of Sadakichi Hartmann in the late 19th century and progresses to the writings of contemporary playwrights, such as Philip Kan Gotanda, Elizabeth Wong, and Jeannie Barroga. 

Jeannie Barroga Papers - Jeannie Barroga (b.1949) is a playwright, director, actor and teacher. Her papers contain scripts in multiple drafts, production binders, media, photographs, research & business files, and other material.

David Henry Hwang Papers - David Henry Hwang is an award-winning playwright whose work often deals with the manipulation or breakdown of stereotypes--particularly those concerning Asian-Americans--while exploring the frontiers of experimental drama. Hwang, a creative writing major who studied with Stanford professor John L'Heureux, graduated from the university in 1979. He credits L'Heureux and playwright Sam Shepard as early influences. His first play, F.O.B., won the 1980 Obie Award. His papers include original manuscripts, corrected typescripts, notes, correspondence, memorabilia, clippings, and photos.

San Francisco Chinatown

Pardee Lowe papers - This collection contains interviews, surveys, ephemera, clippings, and other research materials related to Chinatowns, especially San Francisco Chinatown, and to Chinese Americans. 

Emory M. Lee collection of Asian American papers, circa 1960-2008 - Newspapers, newsletters, journals and periodicals pertaining to the Asian American experience. Includes postcards (both used and unused) depicting San Francisco's Chinatown. Emphasis is on the local San Francisco Bay Area, but also includes nationwide material. Also includes administrative material on the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC).

Asia Foundation records, 1951-1996 - Correspondence, memoranda, project reports, conference proceedings, and financial records, relating to scholarships, exchange programs, and projects for social and economic development, and for aid to education, communications, health, and administration of justice in countries of South, Southeast and East Asia. 

Joseph E. Jacobs papers - Writings, correspondence, reports, and printed matter relating to various aspects of American diplomacy, especially reconstruction in Korea, mutual security programs in Europe after World War II, the Italian communist movement, the Philippine independence movement, and the Shanghai riot of May 30, 1925.

Renée Lym Robertson collection, 1911-2014 - Writings, correspondence, photocopies of government documents, printed matter, and audiovisual material, relating to the early history of aviation in China and to American involvement with Chinese aviation prior to World War II. Includes biographical data on the early Chinese-American aviator Arthur F. Lym (Lin Fuyuan), father of Renée Robertson, and on others involved in the early history of Chinese aviation.

Japanese American Incarceration

Henriette B. Von Blon papers - This collection contains letters received from Japanese Americans incarcerated first at the Pomona Assembly Center in California and later at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming during World War II.

Mary Jane Hamachi papers, 1938-1973  - This collection consists of correspondence, photographs, photo albums, school records, financial documents, certificates, and other documents. The correspondence is from Mary Jane Hamachi's family, friends, and acquaintances during World War II. Most of the correspondents were either at incarceration camps in the United States, such as Topaz, Yellow Springs, and Tanforan, or were enlisted in the United States Army. There are also materials that are related to George Shigeo Shimada, who served in the United States Army from 1951-1953.

Japanese American Stanford student experience at incarceration camps  - Exhibition at the Hoover Institute.

National Japanese American Student Relocation Council Records, 1942-1946  - Correspondence, reports, case files, minutes, and questionnaires, relating to the placement of incarcerated Japanese American students in colleges and universities in the United States during World War II.

World War II

Bonner Frank Fellers papers, 1915-1994 - Speeches and writings, studies, reports, correspondence, memoranda, orders, printed matter, and photographs, relating to American propaganda and military activities in the Pacific Theater during World War II, the occupation of Japan, and postwar conservative political organizations in the United States, especially the Citizens Foreign Aid Committee.

Mitsuo Fuchida papers - Fuchida Mitsuo was a famed carrier bomber pilot who, in his capacity as commander of the Akagi air group and concurrently as senior air officer of the First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, led the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Mitsuo Fuchida papers consists of an unfinished manuscript of Fuchida's autobiography (Natsu wa chikai [The summer is near]), photo albums, records of Fuchida's travels and speaking tours in the postwar period, Navy Academy textbooks, maps, navy organization personnel charts, the Bible, and secondary literature on the Pacific War and Christianity.

Frank Dorn papers  - Memoirs, correspondence, writings, memoranda, orders, and photographs relating to General Joseph W. Stilwell, United States military operations in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II, and ethnology in the Philippines.

Vietnam War

Trần Kim Phượng papers, 1970-1990 - Correspondence, diplomatic cables, country reports, photographs, and memorabilia relating to his diplomatic career; provides insight into U.S.-Vietnam relations during the Vietnam War.

World War I

Payson J. Treat papers - Correspondence, reports, interviews, copies of diplomatic records, speeches, writings, notes, photographs, maps, memorabilia, and printed matter, relating to the diplomatic history of Japan, China, and other countries of East Asia. Includes a pamphlet collection on World War I.