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Lily Wai Committee papers

 Collection
Identifier: MG 390

Scope and Contents

This collection contains 40 U-Matic tapes and 4 VHS tapes related to the video "Other Faces, Other Lives: Asian Americans in Idaho." This video and project was sponsored by the Palouse Asian American Association of Moscow/Pullman with the assistance of a grant from the Ethnic Heritage Committee of the Idaho Centennial Commission. Lily Wai was the project administrator of the project. The project also included involvement from Jeff Mio, Loreca Stauber, and Joann Muneta. Eight Asian-American families (specifically Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino) were interviewed and asked how they or their families came to Idaho. They were also asked about their experiences living in Idaho – whether they faced discrimination or prejudice, how they raised their children in the environment, any changes they have seen regarding Asians in Idaho, and how they felt about intermarriages. Other interview topics included maintaining their native cultural heritage practices and identity, and if there were any benefits of living in Idaho as an Asian American.

Beyond the U-Matic and VHS tapes, this collection includes many paper records from the project, such as interviewee release forms, correspondence with the production company, financial documents, press release statements, and other general correspondence.

This collection also contains other materials related to Wai's work on the Idaho Centennial Commission's Ethnic Heritage Committee, the University of Idaho's Borah Foundation Committee, her work in the University of Idaho's Master of Library Science graduate program, and her work as a University of Idaho Librarian.

Dates

  • Creation: 1981-1990

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permissions for use.

Biographical / Historical

Lily Wai was born 29 September 1939 in Hangzhou, China and died on 7 September 2013 in Seattle, Washington.

Wai earned her B.A. in History from Tunghai University in Taiwan in 1960. She earned her M.S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois in 1965. In 1969, Wai and her husband (Chien M. Wai) and two children moved to Moscow, Idaho where she worked as the librarian and Head of the Government Documents Department at the University of Idaho Library. She became a library faculty member in 1970 and earned her second Master's degree, an M.A. in History, from the University of Idaho in 1979. She achieved the rank of Professor at the University of Idaho in 1997.

For more information, see Wai's full obituary. in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. For more information, see the Lily Wai Memorial Video. on YouTube.

Extent

4.0 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Minutes and other papers relating to the Idaho Centennial Commission's Ethnic Heritage Committee, transcripts and U-Matic audiovisual media used to prepare the video "Other Faces, Other Lives: Asian Americans in Idaho." Minutes and other papers relating to the University of Idaho's Borah Foundation Committee. Minutes, photographs, and other materials relating to Wai's work at the University of Idaho and the university's Master of Library Science graduate program.

Arrangement

Original order was kept where possible. Some materials were combined from multiple donations and grouped under similar series.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials were donated by Lily Wai in 1990, 1992, 2005, and 2010.

Bibliography

Title
Guide to Lily Wai Committee papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Michelle A. Shannon (2020) and Judith Nielsen (1997); updated by Kelley Moulton (2024).
Date
29 October 2020; updated 2024.
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Repository