Remembering Our Past

Remembering our past is important. A place like Hollywood did not just appear out of thin air. It was formed by the hard work of many people from many walks of life. Sadly the story of these people often becomes lost, especially when those stories are of those behind the scenes. The gardeners, maids, hotel staff and day workers. Those that make the city function, but rarely have their experience documented or their story told.

May is not only Preservation Month but it is also Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Although we are almost at the end of May, we still wanted to share some of vital history of the Japanese American community as it contributed to the shaping of Hollywood.

Our hope with this article is to bring some of that story back, so that we can begin to appreciate the role of this community. So much of the neighborhood they lived in has changed, but we are fortunate some of their original homes still stand. They remind us to never forgot, and to work hard to preserve the history of how we arrived where we are.

Check out the full article HERE, written by Lindsay Mulcahy and Christy McAvoy from Hollywood Heritage. Lindsay delved deep into city records and surveys, piecing what she could find of the people and experiences of these first Japanese American families that helped make Hollywood what it is. There is much more to uncover, but we wanted to start the conversation.

To learn more about Asian Pacific American Heritage Month please go their website and learn about all the different stories being told from around the country. You can find that site HERE.

As we continue on in 2020, expect to see more stories, more historical deep dives and more adventures in preservation. Right here.

June here we come!