Ruth Chang wants to share another side of the American story. 

A Taiwanese American herself, she’s grown up in the Toledo area since the 1990s, learning English in the third grade and experiencing first-hand what it’s like to be an immigrant in the Midwest and find your identity. Now, as the creative director and co-founder of Midstory, a Toledo-based nonprofit storytelling organization seeking to uplift diverse and environmental narratives in the region, she’s fulfilling that goal.

From now through the fall, visitors to the Lucas County Library main branch will find Midstory’s “Asian in Ohio,” an interactive exhibit that paints a contemporary picture of the Asian American experience in the Midwest. Compiled with more than 40 interviews from people across Ohio, this interactive gallery pulls together diverse perspectives — differing ethnicities, backgrounds, occupations and overall life experiences — to redefine what it means to be both an immigrant and American. 

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“The goal of the project is ‘How do we reframe the Midwestern identity as well as the Asian American identity that can be found here?’” Chang said. “Because in some ways, we are both overlooked, both misunderstood, both largely generalized.”

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A long-time partnership

This isn’t the first time the library and Midstory have collaborated, said Mely Arribas-Douglas, Welcome Toledo Lucas County librarian. They’ve teamed up on a handful of projects, including Midstory’s two-part “Resettlement to Revitalization: Toledo’s History of Immigration,” before the team approached the library with a proposal to bring the digital version of “Asian in Ohio” to life in the library’s Welcome corner. The library had been looking to take full advantage of that space again following past exhibits with partner organizations like Women of Toledo and thought this was a great fit.

This exhibit has been a long time coming, too, Chang said. The stories of Asians and Asian Americans have risen to prominence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she said, and Midstory wanted to highlight the perspectives from those in the Midwest, rather than those from the West and East coasts that often receive more media coverage. The project began in 2021, and once Midstory received grants from Ohio Humanities and the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, the team went to work finding a variety of perspectives to encapsulate that story. 

“There’s quite a bit of ethnic diversity that is under the umbrella of quote, unquote ‘Asian,’ and we’re interested in telling that story,” Chang said.

Digitizing perspectives

The exhibit is available online, too. While the in-person exhibit features recently updated voice stories that can’t be found yet online as well as Toledo-specific narratives, the digital gallery is “an organic living body of these oral story collections,” Chang said, including interactive maps that talk about the U.S. at large and provide an opportunity to zoom into the Midwestern region.

Chang still recommends going to the library, though, and getting the tangible effects. 

“You’re surrounded by faces,” she said. “We have a television that’s on loop, and it’s more than two hours of all these folks whose story they’re sharing. There’s a series of phone booths, so if you go there, you can pick up these phones and listen to the stories. It’s additive to the online gallery, and it’s an even more immersive experience.”

Since the exhibit blends mediums — audio, visual, historical storytelling — Chang believes there’s a little bit of something for everyone. 

“These stories are meant to be experienced and enjoyed by the public,” she said. “There’s such a diverse breadth of story. You might be surprised how many commonalities you have with someone else.”

Arribas-Douglas echoed Chang’s sentiments, saying it’s a unique way to learn more about your neighbors. 

“Come check out and see some artful ways that facts are presented,” she said. “Come with an open mind and with a sense of curiosity. It’s really engaging. I think it will be of interest to the community here.”

This will not be the last anyone hears of Midstory, either. The team has hit the ground running, currently working on a few documentaries and with a project slated to release next year revolving around historic adaptive reuse buildings and architectural sites across Ohio, Chang said. That mini series, titled “Withstanding,” will highlight how these places leave lasting changes and impacts on people past, present and future.

Midstory believes in a hopeful future for the Midwest, Chang said, and that is reflected in its approach to storytelling — seeking out diverse voices and giving a platform to those who call the Midwest home.

“I think anybody who has any stakes in the Midwest region, which is everybody in Toledo, should keep an eye out for our stories,” Chang said. “We’re a group of young people who want to bring other young people back to this area. Look at our materials on Instagram and also on our website, and really see Midwest communities in a new light — that’s really what we’re trying to do with this organization.”

midstory.org/asian-in-ohio