Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and Susana Ruiz + Huy Truong

“The Last Chinatown” will create an interactive public memorial and augmented reality film focused on Santa Cruz’s Chinatown.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History is commissioning artists Susana Ruiz and Huy Truong to create “The Last Chinatown,” an interactive public memorial and augmented reality film. Through the lens of historical erasure, the work will speak to the rich narrative landscape of Santa Cruz with a focus on its last Chinatown. The project is a performative interpretation of an original story by Karen Tei Yamashita supported with insights from community members and historical documents. The final work will incorporate theater and gameplay and will be experienced on mobile devices, including augmented reality glasses, at historically important sites in downtown Santa Cruz to render visible the lives, legacies, and labors of those who lived there.