Southern Mix

In 2017, seeking to see more Asian and Asian American stories in Carolina’s oral history archives, UNC alumna Anna-Rhesa Versola founded Southern Mix, a project dedicated to collecting and preserving Asian and Asian American oral histories in the US South. Southern Mix is a collaboration between the Southern Oral History Program, Carolina Asia Center, the UNC Alumni Committee for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, and the Asian American Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, which was founded in 2020.

Two young Asian American girls are seated on the ground wearing elegant fuchsia shirts and bottoms that have a satin sheen. Each girl's hair is in a bun on top of their head, surrounded by a metallic band.

A Lunar New Year celebration in Morganton, NC

Southern Mix collects and shares oral histories of Asian and Asian American community members, collaborates with students and others on their oral history projects, and welcomes donations of oral histories with Asians and Asian Americans in the South.  All of the interviews, which include a wide range of stories of Asian and Asian American community members, are part of the Southern Oral History Program collection.

The Southern Mix collection can be accessed through the SOHP database, and more information is available through the Southern Mix website.