New Project to Highlight History of Asian-Americans in Fairfax County

Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
publicaffairs@fairfaxcounty.gov

Jan. 15, 2008

New Project to Highlight History of Asian-Americans in Fairfax County

Braddock District Supervisor Sharon Bulova will host a community meeting to kick off a countywide Asian-American History Project. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Braddock Hall (immediately adjacent to the Braddock District Office), 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke.

The project is designed to capture and tell the history of Asian-Americans who have made Fairfax County their home. The project will involve local Asian-American residents in the recording, preservation and promotion of history to produce a series of articles and books that describe the different groups of Asian-Americans and their contributions to and experiences in Fairfax County.

The project is being led by Cora Foley, director of the Filipino American Historical Society of Northern Virginia. "Supervisor Bulova agreed to sponsor the project as part of her leading role in developing Fairfax County history projects, most recently the 'Braddock's True Gold' project," Foley said.

The project also has the support of the Fairfax County History Commission. The commission wrote a letter to high school social studies teachers asking them to encourage their students to earn community service hours by participating in the project, according to Foley.

Bulova is inviting Asian-American and non-Asian-American county residents to come to next week's meeting, see what the project is about and volunteer their time. The meeting will include presentations on Asian immigration to Fairfax County, as well as the organization and structure of similar history projects.

For additional information on the Asian-American History Project, contact Foley at 703-250-1830, TTY 711 or corazonfoley@fanhs-nova.org. For additional information about the community meeting, contact Christina Fullmer in the Braddock District Office at 703-425-9300, TTY 711, or christina.fullmer@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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