About the project
The Historic Preservation Office Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Project shines a light on historical and cultural resources associated with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Montgomery County and helps properly preserve this history as we plan for the county’s future. We have collected oral histories from residents and offer an interactive map of sites with historical and cultural significance that the county can explore and add to.
The project looks back to the founding of the county in 1776 through the present, with an emphasis on a period in the late 19th to early 21st centuries when Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the county grew significantly. The project is part of the Historic Preservation Office’s efforts to mitigate past inequities, including the exclusion of people of color from our understanding of historic significance.
A FY2021 non-capital grant of $24,000 by the Maryland Historical Trust, part of the Maryland Department of Planning, supported the project.
Oral History: Capturing lived experiences
As part of the project, 13 residents shared their oral histories—filling any gaps that could exist in the historical record and documenting intergenerational and cultural continuity. A variety of themes were identified related to AAPI history that will inform future preservation, planning, and education efforts – especially historic property designations. Currently, there is only one locally designated resource associated with AAPI heritage listed within the Master Plan for Historic Preservation designation (the county’s inventory of designated historic sites): the Pao-Chi and Yu Ming Pien House located within the Potomac Overlook Historic District.
Feedback Map: Share the places with AAPI history and culture
The map below is a place for residents to share places of personal and community importance, which may be homes, businesses, places of worship, neighborhoods, or any other place significant to past or present AAPI individuals and communities. Let us know what places are important to you by adding a point on the map! Click ‘Add to this Map‘ at the top to contribute. You can also browse the sites that have already been submitted by clicking the blue “OK” button below.
The map launched in 2022 (中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt), and includes more than 150 sites of significance.
Alternatively, you may send a location using the submission form below: