Developing the American Economy

Developing the American Economy includes the stories about the ways Americans have worked, including slavery, servitude, and non-wage as well as paid labor. It also includes extraction, agriculture, production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Stories of the diverse working experiences of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders touch on the activities of farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, and managers, as well as the technology around them. They also reveal the historical "layering" of economic society, including class formation and changing standards of living in diverse sectors of the nation.

From stories of allyship and solidarity in the workplace to labor unions, learn how Asian American and Pacific Islanders helped develop the American economy by exploring the featured stories below.

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  Larry Itliong

  Larry Itliong was a Filipino American labor organizer and civil rights activist who had a central role in forming the United Farm Workers.

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  Asian American Businesses, 1848 to 2015

  How have Asian American businesses helped develop Asian ethnic enclaves and communities?

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  Harry S. Kawabe

  In 1916, Kawabe bought a lot on Fifth Avenue and started Seward Steam Laundry. This was the start of his long and successful business.