Chinatown Remembered:
Los Angeles During the 1930s and 1940s
Located in the heart of historic Los
Angeles, Chinatown is a community born out of struggle. Bordering El Pueblo de
Los Angeles plaza, the birthplace of the city, Chinatown has been a vibrant
ethnic community for nearly 150 years. Despite the neighborhood's iconic status,
few Angelenos realize how much the Chinatown of today has been influenced by
the generation that came of age in the 1930s and 1940s. If you ask this older
generation, you will learn that Chinatown didn't always exist in its current
place. Most old time residents still remember the chaos wrought on their
families, relatives and neighbors when they were forced from their homes by
the construction of Union Station. Now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, these
residents played a pivotal role in the creation of New Chinatown, the first
planned Chinese American community in the United States
The Chinatown Remembered Project hopes to capture
the stories and memories of the generation of Chinatown residents who came of
age during World War II. Over the course of the coming year, the society has
a goal of documenting in detail the lives and experiences of as many former
residents of the Chinatown area as possible. Each participating resident will
sit for a series of videotaped interviews about his or her life and experiences
in the area in the 1930s and 1940s. The memories of this generation will then
serve as the basis for a website we plan to launch in the fall of 2008 focusing
on the history of Los Angeles Chinatown. The website will feature essays,
streaming video, and historic photos of the community.
Share Your History
If you lived in Chinatown in the 1930s and 1940s, the CHSSC
wants to hear from you. The society is currently seeking former residents of
the community who are willing to share their memories and experiences.
All residents who are interviewed will have their stories included in the CHSSC
website and archive. We are also looking for photos of Chinatown in the 1930s
and 1940s that we can scan and include in our digital archive. Donate a digital
copy to the society and keep the original for your family.
Donate
The Chinatown Remembered Project would not be
possible with out the monetary donations of local community members. Donate
to this project and help keep the history of Chinatown alive.
Volunteer Positions
The Chinatown Remembered Project is seeking volunteers.
We need volunteers willing to be trained in oral history methodology in
order to conduct interviews, to transcribe and archive existing interviews,
and to write website content. All are welcome regardless of past experience.
For more information about these opportunities, please contact the CHSSC.
The CHSSC runs an internship program providing specialized training in oral
history methodology and the history of Los Angeles's Chinese American community
during the war years. Program participants receive training in the methods and
practice of public history, while gaining valuable experience with an established
non-profit organization. Over the course of the internship, participants
develop many of the skills necessary to work as oral historians while
gaining a strong background in the history of LA's Chinatown. The internship
is unpaid and considered a volunteer position. For more information,
contact the CHSSC, 323-222-0856.
This project is made possible, in part, by a grant from the
California Council for the Humanities as part of the Council's statewide
California Stories Initiatiave."
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