Smithsonian wants photos, videos for ‘Day in the Life of Asian Pacific Americans’

WASHINGTON – The Smithsonian is documenting the everyday lives of Asian Pacific Americans in U.S. and abroad with photo shoots and videos on Sat., May 10, for an exhibition that documents the transnational scope of Asian Pacific Americans.

The institution will be taking submissions via Flickr, as well as on Instagram via the tag #LifeAPA.

Anyone, young and old, professional or weekend photo buff, can participate so long as pictures and videos are taken on Saturday, May 10, which coincidentally is the 145th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Although Chinese workers built the entire western half of the railroad, they were not included in the historic photograph marking this monumental achievement.

Submitted creative works will be featured in Flickr and possibly selected for an online photo/video exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center for display from late May to Dec. 2014.

To register for the project, learn how to take and upload photos and video and see sample work, entrants are asked to visit www.smithsonianapa.org/life2014.

Today, Asian Pacific Americans are visible in every strata of U.S. society. The Smithsonian is celebrating their diversity and achievements by creating a huge family album depicting how they live, play, work, and worship in “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America.”

(To sign up before May 1, 2014 www.smithsonianapa.org/life2014)