L.A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project

FAIN: PW-259144-18

University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA 90089-0012)
Susan Luftschein (Project Director: July 2017 to May 2022)
Rachel Mandell (Co Project Director: February 2019 to October 2019)
Deborah Ann Holmes-Wong (Co Project Director: October 2019 to May 2022)

Digitization of around 17,000 items including paper materials, historic photographs, video recordings, and cultural objects from collections held by six community archives in the L.A. as Subject research alliance.

The L.A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project will make publicly accessible via the USC Digital Library and Digital Public Library of America collections held by 6 community archives from the L.A. as Subject research alliance: the Filipino American Library, the First AME Church of Los Angeles, the Go for Broke National Education Center, the Pasadena Museum of History, the Southern California Library, and the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum. The 6 collections document the experiences of post-WWII Filipino immigrants; videos of 400 sermons by Rev. Dr. Cecil "Chip" Murray at a socially engaged African-American church in South Los Angeles; firsthand perspectives of Japanese-American WWII veterans in 1,100 video oral history interviews; the daily lives of late 19th and early 20th century African-American, Asian-American, and Latino communities; and Jewish women's groups. The project will publish 2,950 hours of video and 15,000 photos and pages of paper materials.

Associated Products

Using our power for good: shedding light on local history (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Using our power for good: shedding light on local history
Author: Zoe Nissen
Abstract: A report of the work in progress on the USC Digital Library’s L.A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project, which aims to make publicly accessible materials held by six community archives that represent less visible narratives in Southern California history.
Date: 10/15/2019
Primary URL: https://osf.io/puwst/
Primary URL Description: Slide deck for presentation
Conference Name: Digital Library Forum

Go For Broke Collection Education Center Collection (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Go For Broke Collection Education Center Collection
Author: Go for Broke Education Center
Abstract: The Go for Broke National Education Center Collection contains materials from the Go for Broke National Education Center. Hanashi Oral History Program The Hanashi Oral History Program subcollection is comprised of approximately 1,100 oral histories of Japanese-American WWII veterans and their contemporaries in the war effort gathered by the Go for Broke National Education Center. The mission of this program, initiated in 1998, is to gather and preserve the life stories of Japanese American war veterans. Interviewees include Senator Daniel Inouye and others who were highly decorated for their service and bravery as they reflect on the historical significance of WWII, their reasons for serving, the incarceration of their families in camps, their service in segregated Japanese-American combat units, and the complexities of their wartime experiences. Hiroshi Sugiyama Collection, circa 1941-1945 The Hiroshi Sugiyama Collection, circa 1941-1945, is comprised of photographs, memorabilia, correspondence, and bound volumes relating to Hiroshi Sugiyama, a medic who served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II. The subcollection focuses on Sugiyama’s military service, as many of the items are military regalia that show signs of Sugiyama’s personalization. A portion of the photographs and correspondence are personal in nature. Some items of note are letters from Sugiyama to family members incarcerated in camps and Sugiyama’s posthumously awarded Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals. Materials are in English and Japanese. Materials from the Hanashi Oral History Program and Hiroshi Sugiyama Collection, circa 1941-1945 are part of the L. A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project. Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (https://www.neh.gov/), the USC Libraries are digitizing this collection for public access.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Go-for-Broke-National-Education-Center-Collection-2A3BF1WK72
Primary URL Description: About page that provides information about the organization and this collection.
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Go-for-Broke-National-Education-Center-Collection-2A3BF1WK72?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Browse page that provides access to the oral histories and photos from the collection.
Access Model: Open access; GFB retains rights to collection.

Filipino American Library Collection (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Filipino American Library Collection
Author: Filipino American Library
Abstract: The Filipino American Library Collection consists of materials owned by the Filipino American Library in Historic Filipinotown that were transferred to the University of Southern California Special Collections in 2017. The Filipino-American Library was founded in a church basement in 1985 as the Pilipino American Reading Room and Library (PARRAL) in a neighborhood close to Echo Park by Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown, affectionately referred to as “Auntie Helen” in the local community. In January of 2000 PARRAL moved to a new location on Temple Street and was renamed the Filipino American Library (FAL). It contained the largest collection of Filipino and Filipino American reading materials at more than 6,000 titles, and promoted literacy and cultural engagement through many community programs and exhibits. When the FAL closed its doors, its collections were dispersed among the USC Libraries and the Echo Park Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Items selected by affiliates of the FAL to be made digitally available include lantern slides, bound volumes, photographic prints, maps, and loose printed materials that all reveal the Filipino American experience spanning life in the Philippines, contributions by Filipino Americans in the World War II effort, and the acculturation and growth of the Filipino American community in Southern California. Materials are written in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano. Highlights of the Filipino American Library Collection include: ❧ Items commemorating Filipino veterans from World War II, including publications and a certificate of commendation from President Clinton ❧ Bilingual short stories written by staff from the Asian American Bilingual Center about Asian immigrants and their journey and settlement to the United States ❧ Reports, summaries, and recommendations surrounding the health, education, and welfare of Asian Americans ❧ Ephemeral materials from the Philippines
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Filipino-American-Library-Collection-2A3BF1WZF4
Primary URL Description: Information/ about page for Filipino American Library Collection
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Filipino-American-Library-Collection-2A3BF1WZF4?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Browse page that provides access to all of the files in the collection.
Access Model: Open access

First AME Church of Los Angeles: Rev. Cecil Murray's Sermons (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: First AME Church of Los Angeles: Rev. Cecil Murray's Sermons
Author: Reverend Cecil "Chip" Murray
Author: First AME Church of Los Angeles
Abstract: The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles Collection currently consists of approximately 400 sermons given by Reverend Cecil “Chip” Murray. These recordings capture the evolution of Reverend Murray’s thinking during his time leading the church in addition to the messages he gave his congregation after pivotal moments in U.S. life, such as the acquittal of the LAPD officers captured on video beating Rodney King. These sermons, delivered with passion, great humor, and insights into the structural inequalities that led to events like the 1992 L.A. civil unrest, are a record of important events interpreted through the lens of Rev. Murray’s socially engaged African-American Christianity. Originally captured on VHS, a selection of these sermons have been digitized by the USC Digital Repository and uploaded and transcribed for optimum access in the Digital Library. Founded by Biddy Mason in 1872, the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (also known as the First AME, or FAME Church) is the oldest African-American church in Southern California. During his 27 years as pastor, Reverend Murray transformed a small congregation of 250 people into an 18,000-member institution that brought jobs, housing, and corporate investment into South L.A. neighborhoods. After the 1992 civil unrest, the economic development arm of the church brought more than $400 million in investments to L.A.’s minority and low-income neighborhoods. After retiring from his ministry in 2004, Reverend Murray was named a senior fellow of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC). He chairs the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, a leadership training and capacity-building organization that equips clergy and lay leaders to guide their communities into full partnership in the development of underserved neighborhoods in Greater Los Angeles.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/First-African-Methodist-Episcopal-Church-of-Los-Angeles-Collection-2A3BF1W9O8
Primary URL Description: Information/About page
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/First-African-Methodist-Episcopal-Church-of-Los-Angeles-Collection-2A3BF1W9O8?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Collection browse page that provides access to all of the videos in the collection and their transcripts.
Access Model: Open access

Pasadena Museum of History Collection (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Pasadena Museum of History Collection
Author: Pasadena Museum of History
Abstract: Pasadena Museum of History (PMH) is located on the Fenye’s Mansion grounds on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena. PMH maintains the area’s largest and most comprehensive collection of documents and artifacts related to the history of Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley. The ever-expanding collection spans years from 1834 to the present. Pasadena Museum of History’s Black History Collection is comprised of photographs, letters, family records, property deeds, and other materials revealing history of African-American community in Pasadena. This collection was a result of a documentary, Changing Rose, created by PMH in 1984. Robin Kelley, an American historian, interviewed black community members and collected photographs and memorabilia for the documentary, which make up the bulk of the collection. Many of these materials date from the early 20th century, and shed light on a less-visible period in African-American life prior to the second Great Migration. The collection tells the stories and struggles of black citizens who either migrated or grew up in Pasadena. The interview tapes in this collection were digitized as a part of California Revealed Project and can be accessed at https:/californiarevealed.org/collections/pasadena-museum-history. PMH staff chose to digitize only the materials that they have explicit copyrights to. Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (https://www.neh.gov/), the USC Libraries are digitizing this collection for public access as part of the L.A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Pasadena-Museum-of-History-Collection-2A3BF1OX0HB
Primary URL Description: Information/About page
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Pasadena-Museum-of-History-Collection-2A3BF1OX0HB?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Browse page that provides access to all of the digitized materials in this collection.
Access Model: Open

Workman-Temple Homestead Museum Collection, 1830-1930 (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Workman-Temple Homestead Museum Collection, 1830-1930
Author: The Workman Temple Family Homestead Museum
Abstract: The Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum Collection, 1830-1930 consists of materials from the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum in the City of Industry, California. The Homestead Museum is located in a former Mexican rancho and is home to rich collections documenting many aspects of Southern California history between 1830 and 1930. Staff from the Homestead Museum have selected approximately 500 photographs and ephemera highlighting Mexican-American, Chinese-American, and Japanese-American life in the Los Angeles region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among these items are broadsides from two Mexican-American theatres in Boyle Heights during the 1920s and an 1863 Democratic party poster written in Spanish. Photographs depicting businesses, celebrations such as festivals and parades, and daily life in these early communities are also included in this collection. These materials are some of the rare traces of mass entertainment and community life of the region during this era, as much was lost in the rapid development of Los Angeles after World War II. Materials from the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum Collection are part of the L. A. as Subject Community Histories Digitization Project. Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the USC Libraries are digitizing this collection for public access. Edit information
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Workman-Temple-Homestead-Museum-Collection--1830-1930-2A3BF1OIPWQ
Primary URL Description: About page
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Workman-Temple-Homestead-Museum-Collection--1830-1930-2A3BF1OIPWQ?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Browse page that provides access to all of the files in the collection.
Access Model: Open Access

Emma Lazarus Jewish Women's Clubs of Los Angeles Records, 1945-1980 (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Emma Lazarus Jewish Women's Clubs of Los Angeles Records, 1945-1980
Author: Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
Abstract: This is a collection of the records of the Emma Lazarus Jewish Women's Clubs of Los Angeles. This organization of secular Jewish women, most active in the 1950's through the 1970's, was dedicated to: promoting secular Jewish culture, advocating for civil rights at the local and national level (in particular Black civil rights campaigns of the 1950's in Los Angeles), peace actions, developing international understanding and peace through education and cultural exchange.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Emma-Lazarus-Jewish-Women-s-Clubs-of-Los-Angeles-Records--1945-1980-2A3BF1O19B5
Primary URL Description: About page
Secondary URL: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Archive/Emma-Lazarus-Jewish-Women-s-Clubs-of-Los-Angeles-Records--1945-1980-2A3BF1O19B5?Flat=1
Secondary URL Description: Browse page
Access Model: Open

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