Three decades of foundational work in historic preservation to conserve Asian American cultural heritage reflect the convergence of multiple movements that have contributed to making Asian American cultural resources publicly recognized as worthy of preservation. Efforts to raise awareness regarding Asian American contributions to the United States and its transnational relations include pan-Asian political organizing at the national, state, and local levels to exercise political influence and representation; greater efficacy in securing resources to support the priorities of Asian American communities; a rise in community engagement and academic research on the history of Asian Americans in the United States; and advocacy in key organizations and institutions charged with the stewardship of cultural resources to adopt a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just approach to conserving our collective heritage.

These developments have legitimized the identification, documentation, designation, and protection of Asian American heritage over the past three or more decades, resulting in a flowering of projects aimed at conserving elements of the built environment and cultural landscape associated with descendants of Asian ancestry. Triumphant narratives, long a part of celebrating achievements by underrepresented groups, have been necessarily complicated by the long legacy of anti-Asian discrimination manifest in official policy and brutal mob violence. These realities have required directly addressing an ongoing history of racism and the elusive quest for social justice at places of historical significance. Top-down approaches to preservation planning have yielded to consultative and community-engaged methods that empower Asian American communities to assert their will in shaping the agenda for cultural conservation.

As the contributors to this issue of Change Over Time demonstrate, the conservation of Asian American cultural resources has entered preservation’s mainstream. Each contributor builds on and acknowledges the efforts of their predecessors to identify significant sites in the absence of architectural evidence or integrity, institutional archives, equal rights, or group identity cohesion. To confront these challenges, they have drawn on a variety of methods to weave together disparate forms of evidence in crafting detailed analyses and interpretations of particular places. The poetry, public art, cultural landscapes, and landmarks included in this journal issue point to the vitality of Asian American–led cultural justice initiatives and the diversity of Asian American histories, including Korean, South Asian, Chinese, and other groups yet to be fully articulated or embraced under the umbrella of Asian American heritage. The artist, activist, and scholarly Asian American and allied voices in this journal issue clearly assert where, what, when, and why Asian American heritage matters, the means for identifying and interpreting it, and strategies for creating more truthful narratives. Together, they point to a more hopeful future.

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