Description
Asian American History in Fairfax County began in 1867 with a Chinese medical missionary student Suvoong. Over 143 years (from 1867 – 2010), Fairfax County history has been enriched by many more Asian American residents that have included Filipino soldiers, Japanese internment camp survivors, Korean poets, Vietnamese refugees, Indian professionals. They have made remarkable contributions as patriotic soldiers and selfless volunteers for the county, as well as leaders in the fields of education, business, public safety, and health care while sharing their heritage through festivals, faith communities, mass media, cuisine, and senior centers. They have shared an abiding love for this special place they chose to call home – Fairfax County, Virginia, once the beloved home of George Washington. Since 1990 Asian residents have been the largest minority group in Fairfax County and by 2007, their numbers havesurpassed 160,000, accounting for over 16% of the population in one of America’s most dynamic multicultural megalopolis. The Fairfax County Asian American History Project (FCAAHP) was created in 2007 as an oral history project /community development program aimed at a better understanding of the Asian American community in Fairfax County by all county residents.
