Learning from Historic Sites/Members Meeting: El Centro de la Raza
November 4, 2013 |
El Centro de la Raza is a success story from several perspectives—an historic building and people who took action to save it and make it a vibrant community gathering place. El Centro was founded in 1972 by Chicano/Latino activists and people of several other ethnic groups who occupied Beacon Hill School, a 1904 frame elementary school that had been closed due to declining enrollment. It has taken over 30 years of constant vigilance and commitment to bring the building up to code through repair and
replacement of outdated and failing systems and refurbishment of interiors. El Centro de la Raza offers comprehensive programs and services and works to raise awareness with the general public, government, business and civic leaders about the needs of the
Chicano/Latino community in the United States.
The City of Seattle’s Historic Preservation program recently completed a three-year project documenting the history of S.E. Seattle through the efforts of El Centro, N.W. African American Museum, Rainier Valley Historical Society, Washington State Jewish Historical Society, and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Learn about the process and the finished product—posters, essays, and reports focusing on the era after World War II and looking at the historical roots of the area’s ethnic diversity.
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Website:
www.historicseattle.org |
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| Location Information |
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El Centro de la Raza |
2524 16th Avenue South
Seattle, WA |
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| Contact Information |
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Larry Kreisman, Program Director |
| Email:
larryk@historicseattle.org |
| Phone:
206-622-6952 |
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