California Preservation Foundation Conference

The California Preservation Foundation Conference, held from May 29 to June 1, 2024, featured a critical session titled "Histories Revealed: Recognizing Culturally Significant Sites in Los Angeles." This session, part of the Engagement, Interpretation, and Innovation track, explored the challenges and triumphs of preserving two culturally significant homes in Los Angeles.

Preservation advocates shared their experiences in saving the Morris Kight Residence and Hung Sa Dahn (Young Korean Academy), both of which were designated as Historic-Cultural Monuments in 2020 and 2021. These homes hold significant historical value, with the Morris Kight Residence being a hub of LGBTQ activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and Hung Sa Dahn playing a pivotal role in the Korean independence movement and early Korean American community in Los Angeles.

The session was a collaborative effort spearheaded by Katherine Kim, Program Director of the Koreatown Storytelling Program at KYCC, and spoke on the importance of recognizing and preserving culturally significant sites to reflect the diversity and heritage of Los Angeles.