Well, it's Asian American
Pacific Islander Heritage Month,
and it's important to acknowledge
the history here in Idaho.
So joining us here today virtually
is University of Idaho associate
professor of history Dr.
Jed Kyong McClain.
Thank you so much for joining us.
First of all, here on the news at 4.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah. So first, tell us a little
bit about what you do at U of I.
Well, I am First off associate,
as you mentioned, associate professor
of history at in the history department
here at the university and in that
area I teach modern Chinese history,
that's 20th century, primarily
modern Korea and also world history.
So that's one side of my work here.
The other is I'm also director
of the Idaho Asia Institute,
which is a center on campus that tries to
promote Asian studies at the university
and throughout the state of Idaho.
So my own, you know,
research and teaching and the
Asian Institute is more about Asia
than about Asian America per se.
But we do sometimes obviously
engage with Asian America as well.
So for folks who might not be
familiar right now for them,
what is Asian American and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month and why
is it important to celebrate
it this month specifically?
Yeah, so you know, for quite some time,
at least since the 1970s.
A number of Senators and Congress
people had been advocating for some
sort of formal recognition of Asian
American Pacific Islander heritage
and a number of post resolutions
were passed back in the 70s.
And many of that you know the.
For a long time, you know,
there was some sort of nod towards it.
But finally in 1990,
a law was passed and signed by
President George HW Bush declaring
May Asia Pacific Asian American
Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
And so since then that's become,
that's been a thing and the main, you know.
Probably.
I mean, there's a lot that could be impact.
Why is it important to celebrate
and study this month?
Of course, you know,
when and anytime there's a month,
you could say, well,
you could make this into a whole year,
of course.
But the point is to draw attention
to a significant portion of the
US population that contributed
to American development and us as
Americans becoming who we are.
And you know, right now,
I don't know exact numbers,
but you're looking at somewhat
somewhere in the vicinity of 8%
of the American population is,
you know, falls within an Asian
American Pacific Islander heritage.
So it's not, you know, insubstantial.
It's a significant group.
And if you look back in history,
you know, Asian Americans,
Pacific Islanders have been involved
with the development of the US,
you know, you know.
Pretty strongly since the mid 1800s
and some extent even before that.
And so if we want to really
understand who we are as Americans,
where we, how we got to where we are,
where we're going in the future,
I mean it becomes very essential to to,
you know,
understand that portion of our history.
You kind of just mentioned it, you know,
nationally, but what about here in Idaho
and the history of Asian Americans here?
Yeah, I mean one thing it's just
it's probably evident to a lot of
you know to might be just evident
when you walk on the street.
I mean are we don't quite meet the
same you know we don't have 8% of our
population in that category as as
do you know some you know obviously
California would be high and other
states you know varying places our
Asian Americans Pacific Islander you
know population is probably 2% or
slightly below that but nonetheless.
You know, I mean, so still that's 2% of,
you know, Idahoans right now.
And also if you look back in history,
which I'm, you know, prone to,
do we find that especially in
the 19th century, you know,
Asian Americans contributed heavily to,
you know, the development of our state,
the economy of the late 1800s.
And I'm speaking, you know,
most famously in the form of mining
Chinese miners and also, you know,
somewhat less, but also important, you know.
Contributions to building the
railroad through northern Idaho.
And so, you know,
so there's all you know there there's,
you know,
obviously a a strong historical connection.
And then too just thinking you know in Idaho,
you know the future ever since 1965
immigration act opened up, you know,
our whole nation to immigrants without,
you know any regards to race makes
it such that you know, Idaho is.
You know, you know, again,
probably not first, you know,
on the top of people's minds as
a place to emigrate to, you know,
off the top of their heads.
But you know it is a place in which
people are going to and you know,
have been looking for, you know,
where to build a family and a life.
And so, you know,
we can obviously imagine in the
near future there will be more,
you know,
Asian American Pacific Islanders
here in our state contributing to
making this a great place to live.
So.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm happy to talk any more detail,
if you want to, about history,
what I do best.
But that's kind of a nutshell.
Yeah. I'm kind of a living testament to
it being here and being in Idaho And.
All right. Well, thank you so much.
Dr. Jed Kyung McClain for joining
us here on the news at 4:00.
We really appreciate it.
We'll be right back.