Last Chinatown

“Watermarks of the Last Chinatown” is an interactive public memorial in the form of a site-specific augmented reality experience that speaks to the rich narrative landscape of Santa Cruz, California, through the lens of historical erasure with a focus on its last Chinatown. The work is a collaboration between Huy Truong, Susana Ruiz, and Karen Tei Yamashita. It includes interviews with community members, historical photographs, virtual recreations, and a performative interpretation of an original story by Yamashita. The work incorporates documentary, holographic film, and gameplay and is experienced on mobile devices at historically important sites in downtown Santa Cruz to render visible the lives, legacies, and labors of those who lived there.