They Said “Asian Americans Had No History.” Gordon Chang Proved Otherwise

For decades, much of Asian American history was dismissed, overlooked, or considered impossible to document. Professor Gordon H. Chang helped change that. A pioneering historian and one of the founding figures of Asian American studies, Gordon uncovered the records, photographs, artifacts, and personal collections needed to preserve stories that had been hidden in plain sight. His groundbreaking work restored the history of Chinese railroad workers and established their experiences as an essential part of American history. In this episode of Aconic, Gordon shares his unconventional journey from antiwar activist to Stanford professor, how he built a field that many doubted existed, and why recovering the stories of everyday Asian Americans remains critical today. He also explains what history teaches us about the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype, America’s relationship with Asia, and what artificial intelligence can—and cannot—do to preserve our past. Because Asian American history isn’t separate from American history. It helped build America.