What do we take for granted? How does this inform the choices we make?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been experiencing increased racism and hate crimes. While these incidents of increased prejudice and violence occur today, they reflect a long history of how power, prejudice, and public health have intersected throughout American history. For Asian Pacific American History Month, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History held conversations in a series called Viral Histories: Stories of Racism, Resilience, and Resistance in Asian American Communities, with community leaders combating racism while serving on the front lines. Community leaders shared their first-hand experience with historians who connect these experiences to the past.  

In this topical collection, Viral Histories co-hosts Theodore S. Gonzalves, Smithsonian National Museum of American History Curator of Asian Pacific American History, and Lintaro Donovan, High School Student and Civic Leader, interview Abigaile De Mesa, a supervising nurse from New Jersey about the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. 

This topical collection aims to contextualize what we learn from Abigaile De Mesa's interview by providing additional information about the US Philippine War, the migration of Filipino nurses to the United States, and how COVID-19 is impacting nurses today. As you explore the resources in this collection, and reflect on Abigaile's interview, we ask you to consider this question for self-reflection or discussion: What do we take for granted? How does this inform the choices we make?