Category: EXPO 2024 Courses

Heritage lynching is the act of terrorizing and/or controlling an individual’s or a community’s heritage including built landscapes, physical artifacts, cultural forms, intangible culture and biological traits which affirm and reproduce identity (Franklin, 2024).

Eufaula, Alabama boasts over 700 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. State of Denial (Whitmore, 2022) highlights a whitewashing of history within the town. In 2021, more than $250,000 was given to preservation groups and none went to the preservation of Black or Indigenous histories. Behind the Antebellum houses and falsified historical markers (NPR, 2024), the preservation of a whitewashed history has all but erased the stories of racialized violence, land and political struggles.

As a descendant of one of the lynching victims of Eufaula, I understand the painful discourse for those who are left behind to preserve these erased histories and navigate the undecipherable geographies. According to Ida B. Wells (1900), “The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the crowd.” I vie that in the 20th century, lynching mobs cut off the legacies of individuals and communities through heritage and parses them out. In this thesis, I aim to confront the heritage lynchings by analyzing five specific lynchings as cases for consideration of preservation. This thesis will analyze the lynching of William “Willie” Jenkins, the Eufaula Voter Massacre of 1874, the land theft of Albert Street, the legacy of Elijah Franklin as both the first Black county commissioner and integrator of Eufaula High School and the killing of Hamp and Anthony Russaw.

Tucked along a stretch of the historic 110 freeway, amidst lush, native Californian foliage, stands the Lummis House, or El Alisal. Crafted by Charles Fletcher Lummis in the late 19th century, this rustic abode, hand-built of stone from the nearby Arroyo Secco, embodies a harmonious and groundbreaking blend of early Spanish, indigenous, and Arts and Crafts architectural influences.

It is a testament to Los Angeles’ place in the mythology of the American West with rich cultural diversity, and creative, boundary-pushing vitality. For over a century, El Alisal has captured visitors’ imaginations from near and far, young and old.

Lummis, a revered and reviled figure, left an indelible mark on the city’s identity. From founding the California History and Landmarks Club and playing host to the who’s who of this era to controversial activism on behalf of indigenous communities, his legacy is as multifaceted as the structure erected.

The Lummis House is a nostalgic relic of the past and a living embodiment of the dynamic interplay of history, art, and societal exchange that defines Los Angeles. Amidst the city’s ever-evolving urban landscape, preserving the Lummis House presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. This thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach, melding architectural analysis, historical inquiry, and cultural exploration to unravel the layers of significance attached to the site. It involves ‘placekeeping ‘, the active management of a place’s cultural significance, and ‘placemaking ‘, the process of creating a sense of place and belonging. The Lummis House requires an active heritage conservation practice in order to continue its role as a nexus of our shared past and bright future.

The Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden is regarded as the height of classical Chinese garden architecture because of its rich cultural value and elaborate sceneries. This study explores the garden’s rich historical and cultural legacy, following its development from a secluded study haven for academics to its current incarnation as a Garden Museum. Based on a multidisciplinary approach that includes historical research, architectural analysis, and cultural interpretation, the study sheds light on the garden’s lasting legacy in modern culture as well as its significant influence on Chinese landscape architecture.

By utilizing academic literature, archival materials, and field observations, the study explores the design concepts, spatial arrangement, and symbolic elements that characterize the Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden. It looks at how the garden, acting as a microcosm of traditional Chinese culture, reflects Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian ideas. In addition, the research looks at the sociopolitical environment that surrounded the garden’s establishment and later changes, providing insight into how politics, art, and society
interacted in ancient China.

The transformation of the Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden into a Garden Museum—a process motivated by attempts to protect its cultural legacy and encourage tourism—is at the heart of this inquiry. The study closely examines the potential and problems brought about by this shift, including the monetization of cultural heritage, visitor management, and conservation techniques. Through an examination of the techniques utilized to retell the garden’s historical story in a modern setting, the research provides an understanding of the challenges associated with cultural tourism development and heritage preservation in contemporary China. In the end, this study advances our knowledge of the Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden as a dynamic cultural landscape and historical relic. The study highlights how crucial it is to strike a balance between preservation and adaptation when it comes to preserving the memory of famous cultural sites for future generations by providing insight into its transformation into a Garden Museum.

This research aims to shed light on the transformative potential of generative AI (genAI) technology in creating more inclusive and equitable cultural landscapes by reimagining the experiences and aspirations of diverse Asian Pacific Island American (APIA) communities. Specifically, it aims to contribute to a more equitable built environment that celebrates the richness and diversity of Los Angeles’ APIA communities, while also acknowledging the ethical considerations and challenges inherent in its implementation.

Through an examination of decolonizing pedagogy, cross-cultural collaboration, and established ethical AI practices, this study investigates:

The role of generative AI in fostering reimagined representations and interpretations of APIA heritage sites, including ethnic enclaves, cultural centers, historically significant locations, and landmarks.
How community engagement, combined with AI-driven analysis, can empower APIA communities to participate in the design and preservation of public spaces that reflect their cultural heritag
The potential of genAI to facilitate collaborative design processes among diverse APIA communities and other marginalized groups by devising strategies for collaborative visioning with multicultural, multiracial groups to integrate futurist principles into cultural narratives, urban design, and heritage practices.
Additional opportunities and limitations of integrating diverse perspectives, cultural expressions, and community aspirations into revitalization initiatives using generative AI and futurist art.

AI holds immense transformative potential while raising concerns regarding its impact on society. This study explores potential of genAI technology within an Asianfuturist framework to facilitate the reimagining of cultural landscapes of APIA communities in Los Angeles, California.