Independence Trail Region
Asia Society Texas Center
1370 Southmore Blvd. Houston, TX 77004 (713) 496-9901 Website
Texas is a thriving, multi-cultural state thanks to the perseverance and the presence of Asian Americans and other ethnic influences.
Considering the vast swathe of the globe encompassed by Asia, the term may be considered more of a multi-cultural definition than a homogenous geographical one. The first Asian immigrants to arrive in Texas were Chinese laborers employed in 1870 to build the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. Additional Chinese arrived in 1881 as they followed the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad and once the line was completed some of them stayed. A Chinese exclusion law, enacted by Congress the following year, kept any more Chinese arriving in the states for the next six decades with the exception of the “Pershing Chinese,” individuals from Mexico who assisted Pershing’s troops in their pursuit of Francisco “Pancho” Villa. These Mexican Chinese were allowed to settle in San Antonio.
Japanese immigrants began arriving in Texas at the turn of the 19th century where, like the Chinese, they were initially welcomed before suffering an increasingly hostile environment. Hostilities toward Asians culminated in the World War II internment camps for Japanese Americans despite the fact that many Asian Americans served in the U.S. military and fought in the war. Asian immigration continued, however, including groups from India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The 1970s saw the arrival of a large Vietnamese population among others, but Anglo and Asian American relationships in Texas were strained for several more years. Today, Texas is a thriving, multi-cultural state thanks to the perseverance and the presence of Asian Americans and other ethnic influences. Asian American organizations like Plano’s Asian American Heritage Foundation and the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association in Houston help us to celebrate and honor the state’s Asian American culture.
Independence Trail Region
1370 Southmore Blvd. Houston, TX 77004 (713) 496-9901 Website
Independence Trail Region
1150 Brand Lane Stafford, TX 77477 (281) 765-2277 Website
Forest Trail Region
2701 Procter Ave Port Arthur, TX 77642 (409) 982-9319 Website
Mountain Trail Region
3700 E Yandell Drive El Paso, TX 79903 (915) 842-8200 Website
Lakes Trail Region
2010 Flora Street Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 979-6440 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 458-2300 Website
Independence Trail Region
6000 Fannin St. Houston, TX 77030 (713) 524-5876 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
2220 Barton Springs Rd Austin, Texas 78746 (512) 477-8672 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
311 E. Austin St. Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 (830) 997-8600 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
3853 N St Mary’s St. San Antonio, TX 78212 (210) 212-4814 Website
Independence Trail Region
1500 Hermann Dr. Houston, TX 77004 (713) 524-5876 Website
Tropical Trail Region
1809 North Chaparral St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (361) 881-8827 Website
Independence Trail Region
10002 Synott Rd. Sugarland, TX 77478 (281) 575-0910 Website
State Historic Sites
From western forts and adobe structures to Victorian mansions and pivotal battlegrounds, the Texas Historical Commission’s state historic sites illustrate the breadth of Texas history.
Museums
Museums and the artifacts they keep safe help bridge the span between past and present, ancient and modern, and between foreign cultures and our own.
Arts and Culture
So you think you can dance? Texas does too! The state celebrates its music, arts, and dance year round with live performances, concerts, exhibits, and festivals that are sure to soothe your…