In one corner of the Lone Fir Cemetery—Block 14, a neglected open field, lie graves with no markers.
The people buried here were primarily Chinese immigrants and their families—laborers and railroad workers—whose role in building this city remains unacknowledged, whose communities were displaced and stories were erased. In the 1940s, Multnomah County forced the disinterment of the bodies, destroyed their headstones, disturbed the gravesites, and paved over the land to use for their vehicles. Some of the women and children’s bodies remain at Block 14 with no visible headstones or markers to this day—another forced displacement and family separation.
CETI, in collaboration with a broad and diverse community of participants and partners, will create a series of immersive and interactive experiences using emerging technologies and the creative imagination and fragmented memories of a collective of artists, technologists, storytellers, and community members, to tell the stories of these Chinese communities so integral to the creation of our city; to acknowledge, to remember, and to celebrate their contributions. We will center the voices and stories of the communities involved and collaborate with and draw upon the work done already in planning a potential physical memorial and use these ideas as inspiration.
Our collective work will be a reflection, a remembrance, an XR (hi)storytelling and a joyful celebration of culture and rituals, launched on the Hungry Ghost Festival (Aug 24, 2024), the Double Ninth festival (Oct 11–12, 2024), and a final experience by Dong Zhi Festival on Dec 21, 2024.
Coming Home: Memory Activism in Historic Old Town
Hosted by Vanport Mosaic, Coming Home is a transformative week of reflection, celebration, and community building as we come together to honor the rich history and cultural legacy of Old Town.
September 28–October 5
220 Building
220 NW 2nd, Portland, OR 97209
We will have a preview experience of XRchive: Block 14 as a part of The Indelible Spirit: Artists in Situ—Revitalizing Old town, curated by Roberta Wong
Creators, Researchers, and Advisors
Amy Meyer
Annie Tonsiengsom
Benjamin Lee
Drew Runner
Hilary Tsai
Horatio Law
Josh Sin
Limei Lai
Martin Smith
Matt Kelly
Nandini Ranganathan
Peter Vickery
Ran Sheng
Rebecca Watkins
Roberta Wong
Sarah Leong Chung
Scott Nieradka
Shu Ju Wang
Stephen Lee
TJ Orloskii
Zach Marlow-McCarthy