In this paper, I discuss five themes that unite archaeological studies in the Pacific Rim region. These include (1) the Asiatic origins of indigenous Pacific Rim peoples; (2) the maritime or aquatic adaptations many of these cultures shared; (3) the similarity of many technological traditions of the Pleistocene/Holocene transition; (4) later parallels in the development of cultural complexity; and (5) similarities in the responses of many Pacific Rim peoples to European contacts. My purpose is to illustrate how archaeologists working in California are contributing to a range of anthropological issues with Pacific Rim -- and indeed global -- implications.