Special Collections

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The Center, in collaboration with UCLA's University Research Library, has established many rare and primary materials vital to the scholarly study and research in Asian American Studies. With the processing, preservation, and careful custodialship of the University, these generous gifts will provide students, researchers and community leaders with valuable primary materials to Asian Pacific America.

Located at UCLA's Young Research Library, the Special Collection Department also maintains rare archive collections conceived by the Asian American Studies Center in the 1970s and 1980s. In collaboration with the University Library, the Center established these special collections to preserve and provide access to rare, hard-to-find materials. Generously donated by members of the Asian Pacific community in Southern California, valuable materials have been incorporated into the following Collections developed and currently available to the community and future generations:


Japanese American Research Project


Chinese American Archives


Korean American Research Project


For further information on these collections, contact Special Collections at 310.825.3796.


Recently, the Center has received generous donations of personal manuscripts, records, and other materials as gifts to the University of California. With the continued support and cooperation of the University Library, the RR/L is currently processing the following special collections gifted by and/or regarding:


Aiko & Jack Herzig


Okura Collection


Anti-Martial Law Movement


Asian American Literary Writers


Yuri Kochiyama


Fred T. Korematsu v. U.S . Litigation Files


Chol Soo Lee


Steve Louie


Upon completion of processing, physical stabilization, and indexing, they will be made available for public access through the Special Collection Department at the Young Research Library.