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“One of the Most Unique Papers”: Documenting Chinese American Citizenship in Virginia

On a Monday morning in May of 1903, six men waited in the Richmond federal courthouse to learn whether they would remain in Virginia or…

Jessi BennettMay 28, 2025

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

“A Very Excellent Trip” : Governor Linwood Holton’s Trade Mission to Japan and Australia

On April 12, 1972, at 11:00 a.m., Governor Linwood A. Holton and 24 representatives of Virginia’s state government and private businesses left from Richmond’s Byrd…

Cara GriggsMay 21, 2025

Archives Education & Programming

Was the First Filipino American Citizen Naturalized in Norfolk County?

While working on records in the Naturalization Records Digital Collection, I came across one that made me stop and do a double-take. It was the…

McKenzie LongMay 14, 2025

Archives Education & Programming Virginia Authors

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025

The Library of Virginia is observing Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! During the entire month of May, look for a display of books…

Cara GriggsMay 2, 2025

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

“We have everything to gain by working together”: Virginia – Korea Relations

In 1973, the Korea-U.S. Economic Council (KUSEC) formed “to boost mutual understanding and to strengthen economic ties between the US and Korea.” This private organization…

Cara GriggsMay 17, 2024

Archives

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024!

On April 30th, a new exhibit opened in the Library’s Local History and Genealogy Room showcasing Governor Mark Warner’s trade mission to Japan and India…

Cara GriggsMay 1, 2024

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Evidence of the Armenian Genocide at the Library of Virginia

Between the spring of 1915 and the fall of 1916, between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenians within the Ottoman Empire died.1 The Armenian Genocide and…

Cara GriggsMay 24, 2023

Archives

Governor L. Douglas Wilder and The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): “Greater Opportunities”

Virginia has pursued trade with Japan in earnest since the first state trade mission to Japan in 1972. Since then, every governor except one has…

Cara GriggsMay 1, 2023

Archives

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

The U.S. Census Bureau defines Asian as “A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the…

Cara GriggsApril 28, 2023

Archives

Finding Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans in the U.S. Census

The U.S. census population schedules provide a glimpse into the Asian American population over time. As is so often the case, the questions asked and…

Cara GriggsMay 30, 2022

Archives

“Enormous Opportunities” : Governor Mark R. Warner’s 2005 Trade Mission to Japan and India

At 12:17 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2005, Governor Mark R. Warner left Richmond International Airport aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 5830 bound for Detroit. After…

Cara GriggsMay 18, 2022

Archives Newspapers

Triple Murder Mystery in Prohibition-Era Hampton Roads

Author's Note: The spellings of names evolved over time. In order to be consistent, names were spelled as they appeared in government records.1 On Tuesday,…

Cara GriggsMay 2, 2022

Archives Education & Programming

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022 at the Library of Virginia

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Please join the Library of Virginia as we recognize this month. According to the 2020 United…

Cara GriggsApril 29, 2022

Archives

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company of China, Federal, Inc., U.S.A.

Tobacco has been an important part of Virginia’s economy for centuries, starting with the Virginia Indians who cultivated native plants and John Rolfe’s attempts in…

Cara GriggsMay 26, 2021

Education & Programming

Whiteness on Trial: Asian Americans and the Right to Citizenship

CONTENT WARNING: Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and…

Emma ItoMay 19, 2021