Conservation and Collections Program: Sites of Unity Map
Introduction:
The Sites of Unity Map is an initiative consisting of a digital and interactive map which will be focused on registering sites of unity recognized by different communities within Chicago. The Map’s goal is to record all types of sites, including any element of the built environment, or artifacts dedicated to the challenges and stories of immigration that every core member had moving to the city. The project seeks to honor and dignify the communities that have built here and the impact they have had on the fabric of our city; revealing the profound effects of racism, xenophobia, and bigotry as well as moments of perseverance and pride. The map will be a tool to add awareness of what happened as a way to recover the layers of history of each community that have gotten lost. It seeks to display the varying expressions of individual and collective memory, allowing for information about each site to be shared so that it can be known inside and outside the city.
The Map will be in a state of constant movement and updating. It involves collaboration of the core members and our team working continuously on the locating and documentation of memory sites. It will also let the general public propose new sites of memory to be incorporated into the map. These gatherings help establish the existence of a relationship between sites of memory and the community in which they are located, so as to contribute to strengthening the link between the site and society. The Map connects the past and present so that people can understand the value of historical memory and its relationship to the city (trans)formation.
Search Criteria:
● Name of the site
● Location (Neighborhood or Address)
● Period of time it was built
● Community
Elements of each site:
● Pictures
● Map
● History
● Perspective from the insiders
● Comment box
Questions:
General Information
1. Core Member you are representing
2. Is there any site, historical or actual, that represents your culture or community within Chicago?
3. If so, could you please provide an exact location, date of built, and between one and four images (300 dpi)?
4. If not, would you like to share an artifact(s) that represents your culture or community?
Specifics
5. How do those sites/artifacts represent your community?
6. What is the impact of those sites/artifacts on the neighborhood where they are situated?
7. Would you like to share a link to your website or to any digital platform?
Cross-Cultural Experiences
8. How have assimilation and gentrification impacted your community and the perspective of the sites selected?
9. How can community stakeholders educate the public and make visible their perspectives on their sites?