ABSTRACT
Dale Hom summarizes the parallel challenges facing the United States National Forest Service and museums, as both struggle to incorporate and serve diverse communities across generational, cultural, and ethnic lines. As a solution to the issues of cross-cultural communication that often prevent the forest service and museums from fully connecting with minority audiences, Hom points to efforts on the part of the forest service and Seattle’s Wing Luke Asian Museum to fill gaps in public programs on frontier history. Together, the USFS and WLAM organized two conferences, and the “Chinese Heritage of the American West Tour,” that illustrate the effectiveness of community collaboration. The conception and implementation of these events centered on contributions from Asian Pacific American community leaders and elders, which enabled the APA community to be served in a legitimate and inclusive fashion. The success of these programs provides insight and infrastructure that may be used by other institutions to better serve this and other minority groups.
