There Was A Chinatown Here: Objects and Stories from Downtown San Jose

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new digital archaeology exhibit There Was A Chinatown Here: Objects and Stories from Downtown San Jose.

There Was a Chinatown Here uses artifact-based interpretation to tell the story of San Jose’s first Chinese community, the Market Street Chinatown (1866-1887). The exhibit is a collaboration between local Chinese Americans, archaeologists, educators, and museum staff.

The digital exhibit is linked through QR codes to artifact displays in the Chinese American Historical Museum in San Jose’s History Park. On-site museum visitors can scan the QR codes with their smartphone or tablet to be instantly linked to the videos, photographs, and stories in the digital exhibit. Off-site, the exhibit can be accessed through any web browser.

This digital exhibit was produced by the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project, a collaborative research and education program among Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, History San Jose, Stanford University, and Environmental Science Associates. Financial support was generously provided by the Stanford University Office for Community Engagement, the Stanford Archaeology Center, and the Department of Anthropology.