This spring, undergraduate students at Michigan State University helped preserve and share Asian American histories through a new oral history project developed in the HST/MC 319 class, Asian American History.
As part of the course, students conducted in‑depth interviews with Asian American community members across Michigan, recording personal stories that reflect generations of migration, resilience, labor, family, and belonging. The interviews are published in a newly printed book, paired with a public‑facing website, titled Following the Apple Blossom: Spoken Stories of the Asian Diaspora in Michigan.
Organized as part of a course housed jointly in MSU's Department of History and James Madison College, Following the Apple Blossom highlights the vital role undergraduate research plays in documenting underrepresented histories. The project invites the community to explore these powerful narratives, and to reflect on how Asian American histories are deeply interwoven with Michigan’s past and present.