Interpreting Multiracial Historic Properties: Whose History?

Multi-Racial History is not about race Racial distinctions are historic, political, social, and economic classifications "All human beings belong to a single species." "All peoples of the world possess equal faculties for attaining the highest level in intellectual, technical, social, economic, cultural and political development." "The differences between the achievements of the different peoples are entirely attributable to geographical, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors." "Any theory which involves the claim that racial or ethnic groups are inherently superior or inferior, thus implying that some would be entitled to dominate and eliminate others, presumed to be inferior, or which bases value judgments on racial differentiation, has no scientific foundation and is contrary to the moral and ethical principles of humanity.“ UNESCO “DECLARATION ON RACE AND RACIAL PREJUDICE, 1978”

What are the central goals of Historic Preservation? Engaging the diverse population in cultural programs and institutions is imperative if these programs and institutions are to survive. [as publicly funded activities] Earlier interpretation emphasized “the principal narrative” architect as designer (rather than team leader) owner as principal occupant (rather than head of family) This need to diversify is recognized by private foundations that are now funding efforts to diversify museums, historical societies, and cultural institutions. Diversifying these organizations and agencies means diversifying programming, diversifying attendance and public supporters, and diversifying professional staff.

It is not about the structure The central goal of preservation is to tell the story of heritage communities. The objects are the evidence or frame for the interpretation a. Then who should decide which stories to tell? Many individuals and organizations perceive that their cultural heritage is being underestimated by the "professional elite" who have little, if any, experience with diverse cultures. This perception has limited the interest of ethnic communities in supporting the historic preservation programs of all levels of government.

Can the inclusion of diverse stories cannot be done without changing the narrative? A more diverse preservation profession will likely hold different views of what is worth preserving, how heritage should be preserved, and who should be involved in interpreting the past. Not all preservation standards are used equally. The preservation community has developed a set of architectural styles which can be categorized, evaluated with the canonical context, and regulated with some degree of predictability. The assessment states that a place merits protection because of its aesthetic, historic or cultural importance. In theory each of the three carry equal weight. In practice, historical and cultural significance often take a back-seat to aesthetic significance, that is, a property’s architectural distinct or pedigree. (Laura Hansen, Place Matters).

Place Matters What is questioned is how experiences are evaluated-the value of a sense of place. The Place Matters is an non-profit organization whose mission is to foster the conservation and acknowledgement of New York City’s historically and culturally significant places. “These are places that hold memories and anchor traditions for individuals and communities, and that help tell the history of the city as a whole. We are convinced that such places promote the well being of New York’s many communities in ways that too often go unrecognized.” See the toolkit that Place Matters has developed for community action.toolkit

Historic Preservation and cultural values A cultural value is a contribution made by an property to a cultural system. How should cultural values be evaluated for properties for the national register? Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties Amish culture, for example, presents a distinctive cultural landscape featuring large clean farms without electrical powered facilities, special patterns of land use and architecture, and artifacts like horse-drawn buggies, clothing styles. While interesting for outsiders, the cultural landscape is fundamentally important to the Amish themselves, being a physical embodiment of their society. Traditional and non-Traditional values. Traditional values have historical depth. A mountain may be seen as sacred by a native-American group. It has been for many generations, and is traditional. A non-traditional value has little or no historical depth. A recently established utopian group may also view a mountain top as sacred, but it does not have historical depth, and is not traditional. The equality of "rule-based" decision making is that the lines of decision making pre-exist the situation and are not arbitrary. The inequality of "rule-based" decision-making lies in the inherent bias toward designed forms and away from evolved forms. No matter how complex the aesthetic of an architect composition it is clearer than the accretion of experience surrounding the occupation of a place.