Franklin Odo

Dr. Franklin S. Odo (born 1939) is an Asian American author, scholar, activist, and historian. Dr. Odo has served as the director of the Asian Pacific American Program at the Smithsonian Institution since the program’s inception in 1997. As the director of the APA Program, Dr. Odo has brought numerous exhibits to the Smithsonian Institute highlighting the experiences of Chinese Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Korean Americans, and Indian Americans. [(2006). "Press Room for the Smithsonian." Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://newsdesk.si.edu/admin/bios/odo.pdf] He is also the first and only Asian Pacific American curator at the National Museum of American History. [ Hong, Terry (2004). "Silent No More: The Varsity Victory Volunteers of World: A Profile of Historian Franklin Odo." Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://www.bloomsburyreview.com/Archives/2004/Franklin%20Odo.pdf ]

Background

Franklin Odo was born in and grew up in Hawaii and was the first from his high school to attend Princeton University, where he received his B.A. in Asian Studies (China and Japan) in 1961. He then received his M.A. in East Asia regional studies at Harvard University in 1963. He returned to Princeton University, where he completed a doctorate dissertation on Japanese feudalism in 1975.

While his academic background and training had been in traditional Asian Studies, Dr. Odo became involved in the movement that created Asian American Studies and other ethnic studies in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a result of the anti-war and anti-racism activism in the United States. [Andrei, Amanda (2008). "Night of Recognition: OCA to Honor Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program." Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://www.asianfortunenews.com/site/article_0708.php?article_id=33]

Dr. Odo has taught for over 30 years at numerous academic institutions, most recently at the University of Maryland, College Park. In the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Odo taught at Occidental College; the University of California, Los Angeles; and California State University, Long Beach. In the 1990s, he served as a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Hunter College, Princeton University, and Columbia University. He has also served as the director of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

As Director of Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program

Since its formation in 1997, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American (APA) Program has provided vision, leadership, and support for Asian Pacific American activities at the Smithsonian, while also serving as the Smithsonian's liaison to APA communities. [(2008). "Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program". Retrieved July 15, 2008 from http://www.apa.si.edu/] Dr. Odo was selected in 1997 to serve as the director of the program, and throughout his tenure, he has brought attention to Asian Pacific American culture and arts to various Smithsonian exhibits. Some of his efforts include a photo exhibit entitled "Through My Father’s Eyes," which featured Filipino American photographer Ricardo Alvarado at the National Museum of American History. In 2003, Dr. Odo co-organized a traveling exhibit of Korean American contemporary artists entitled "Dreams & Reality." [(2003). "Korean American Museum Programs." Retrieved July 15, 2008 from http://www.kamuseum.org/programs/exhibits/dreams.htm] He has also led projects to commemorate the centennial of Filipino immigration to the United States, and is the co-curator of “Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon,” a project that highlights the growth of the Vietnamese American community after the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. ["Press Room for the Smithsonian", loc.cit.]

Published work

Along with Amy Tachiki, Eddie Wong, and Buck Wong, Dr. Odo co-edited the first breakthrough Asian American anthology "Roots: An Asian American Reader" (1971).

In 1985, he published "A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawai‘i 1885-1924", which opens with the experiences of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawai’i and ends with the 1924 exclusionary laws that effectively denied further Japanese entry into the United States.

In 2003, Dr. Odo authored "No Sword to Bury: Japanese Americans in Hawai’i During World War II", which explores the experiences of a shrinking group of Japanese American men who survived World War II as part of the Varsity Victory Volunteers (VVV).

He is also the editor of the "Columbia Documentary History of the Asian American Experience" (2003), the first book that brought together the canon of various documents pertinent to Asian Pacific American history. [(2004). "Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program- Franklin Odo, Program Director." Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://www.apa.si.edu/APA_aboutdirector_Odo.htm]

Dr. Odo is currently working on "Hole Hole Bushi", a book on Hawaiian folk/plantation songs.

Awards

Odo will be awarded the President’s Award by the Japanese American Citizens League in July 2008 [(2008). "2008 JACL Convention To Honor Distinguished Community Members At Banquet." Retrieved July 15, 2008 from http://www.jacl.org/documents/06-23-08ConvAwardees.pdf] and will also receive an award from the Organization of Chinese Americans in August of 2008. [Andrei, loc.cit.]

External links

* [http://www.apa.si.edu Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program]

References