The Chinatown History Project (CHP) is a multi-faceted research and outreach endeavor to uncover the people and places of Los Angeles’ “first Chinatown” prior to its demolition in the late 1930s. The CHP will be working throughout 2021-2022 with potential partners, including the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Metro, to design and build digital projects that commemorate Old Chinatown for the 150th anniversary of the 1871 Chinese massacre.
Through the first term, Collaboratory students will assist with the historical research regarding the establishment of Los Angeles Chinatown, the people and businesses that arose there from the mid-19th century forward, and the topography and urban layout of this polyglot community. As the term deepens, Collaboratory students will begin to work with Ahmanson Lab staff as well as students in Cinema to strategize a digital project that best visualizes what was lost of “old Chinatown.”
Through the Spring term, Collaboratory students will help design a digital project and explore installation opportunities with CHP partners. This digital project may take the form of an AR or VR experience, or an interactive 3-D model of “first Chinatown.”
