San Francisco Chinatown is known around the world, but hey, Oakland Chinatown is pretty fab too. Located downtown, Oakland Chinatown has a fascinating history going back to the 1850s making it one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America. This Saturday afternoon, September 19, The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) is having an exhibit opening and website launch party celebrating the rich history of Oakland Chinatown.
In 1984 the OACC was founded to preserve the history and culture of Oakland Chinatown. Since then the all volunteer organization has sponsored many cultural and artistic events. Their latest endeavor is The Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project, which is a series of taped interviews with Oakland Chinatown residents discussing their lives, families, and community.
The celebration will include video excerpts of Oakland Chinatown memories, an exhibit of neighborhood photographs, live storytelling, an interactive Oakland Chinatown map, and an opportunity to share your memories from OACC’s growing oral history archive.
Meet some of the oral history interviewees and the OACC staff at the launch party this Saturday, September 19, 1:30-3:00, Pacific Renaissance Plaza, 388 Ninth Street, 2nd Floor, Oakland.
For a sneak peek, check out the website: http://memorymap.oacc.cc/project-info/upcoming-events.html
Thanks for helping spread the word!
Posted by: Jennifer Chu | September 21, 2009 at 06:56 PM