Heritage and the San Francisco Latino Historical Society (SFLHS) have joined forces on a series of projects to document and preserve the city’s rich Latino history and to support the continued cultural and economic vitality of 24th Street in the city’s Mission District. Projects include a youth-developed walking tour of 24th Street, entitled Calle 24: Cuentos del Barrio, and a citywide historic context statement, entitled Nuestra Historia: Documenting the Chicano, Latino, and Indígena Contribution to the Development of San Francisco.
These groundbreaking community-based projects come at a time of rapid change in the Mission District and throughout San Francisco, when numerous longtime Latino businesses and community institutions face uncertain futures due to gentrification, rising rents, and displacement. Together, Heritage and the SFLHS aim to build public awareness for the diverse and little-known history of Latinos in San Francisco, identify significant historic and cultural places for conservation, and offer recommendations for preserving and protecting this longstanding legacy.
Launched in June 2013, Calle 24: Cuentos del Barrio embarked upon a series of workshops in urban history and oral history methodology for local college and high school students. The project culminated in a series of youth-led walking tours of 24th Street, held on July 28th during “Sunday Streets” in the Mission. To download a self-guided walking tour booklet, please click here.
In 2014, Heritage and the SFLHS will launch a second project entitled Nuestra Historia: Documenting the Chicano, Latino, and Indígena Contribution to the Development of San Francisco. This citywide historic context statement will document Latino history as it pertains to the physical and cultural landscape of San Francisco and will offer recommendations on how best to preserve and maintain architectural, cultural, and historical resources important to Latino communities.
