Side-by-side composite of L.A.’s Union Station in modern times and when it was Chinatown

USC’s interactive Chinatown History Project transports users back in time to when Union Station was Los Angeles’ original Chinatown. (Image: Courtesy of Chinatown History Project.)

NEH grant to support immersive exploration of L.A.’s historic Chinatown

February 6, 2025

A $300,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant will advance the Chinatown History Project collaboration led by Bill Deverell, divisional dean for social sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and co-director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, and Scott Fisher, professor of media arts + practice at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and director of the USC Mobile & Environmental Media Lab.

The Chinatown History Project is an initiative that uses augmented reality to digitally reconstruct artifacts and spaces from Los Angeles’ historic Chinatown. The project blends history with immersive technology, offering users an interactive experience that brings the neighborhood’s cultural legacy to life.

Founded in 1965, the NEH is an independent federal agency that funds research and learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities through competitive, peer-reviewed grants.