In October, LASA gathered at Union Station to consider Technology and the Future of LA. From visiting ICW’s “Where You Stand: Chinatown 1880 to 1939” that uses augmented reality to hearing about Metro’s future transportation plans to learning more about using AI to understand police bodycam footage, LASA posed terrific questions that reflected student concerns and hopes for the future of LA.
We were honored to welcome Aren Wright and José Alcocer from USC. Thank you to Metro’s Matt Barrett for both hosting and speaking with LASA. Alondra shared, “The Saturday we went to Union Station was my first time ever being at Union Station. It is an unspoken beauty in my community, but learning about the history behind/before its construction really showed its value.
When I heard about how the Chinese lived there and how they were kicked out, I was shocked. I always grew up thinking Chinatown was what was always Chinatown, but knowing that the Chinatown we know today is just where they moved after being kicked out, changed my perspective. I believe there should be something more permanent, specifically inside Union Station to show their forced sacrifice. Seeing the art and everything inside the station showed a different community and how one place can bring so many people together and various communities.”
After listening to all of the speakers, Zoe drew the following conclusions: “one, that cities grow from foundational injustices (i.e. selling the first Chinatown out from under the inhabitants) and, two, that big companies often cheat individuals for corporate profit.”
We are grateful to our speakers and host for helping us pose new questions about the future of LA.