Since six Filipino students first came to Western in 1905, Asians and Asian Americans have comprised a vibrant element of the university's history. In 2024, 6% of Western's students were foreign students from Asian countries; nearly 400 were from India alone.

But that history has, at times, been marked by stereotypes, and discrimination.

This exhibition was conceived partly in response to instances of anti-Asian discrimination and violence reported in the United States in 2022. Building on the words of Korean American comedian and actress Margaret Cho, the exhibition seeks to help make Asian and Asian American history at Western visible.  It does this by suggesting how Asians and Asian Americans have been perceived by others. And it captures some of the struggles and achievements of Asians and Asian Americans on campus and in the Western Illinois region. 

The exhibition draws on artifacts in Western's Malpass Library Archives and Special Collections. The artifacts suggest how Asians and Asian Americans have been perceived at WIU, and show some of their diverse experiences and contributions to Western's identity in its first century. 

The exhibition is organized into six galleries. Each gallery showcases perceptions and experiences of people at Western with an ethnic or cultural background in a particular Asian country or world region.