Judy Lee at a SOCC fundraiser, 2009. Image courtesy of Judy Lee

Lately, I’ve been learning about digital preservation efforts. It’s no secret; I’m interested in digital and online culture. However, earlier in my life, I was fascinated with archaeology, public history, and cultural preservation. So much so that I got my B.A. in anthropology (classes in archaeology were part of the degree requirement.). I recently realized that that interest didn’t go away. Not really. It just went, um, underground.

I met Judy Lee at a public lecture conducted by Dr. Judy Yung on Angel Island in May 2012. Judy Lee, a librarian from University of California Riverside, is a wonderful local activist and educator who works for the sake of cultural and heritage preservation, namely to save the historic Chinatown site in Riverside, California. At the May 2012 lecture, it dawned on me that members of APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) can benefit from knowing more about SOCC (Save Our Chinatown Committee). So Judy and I sat down for an interview-slash-chat in July 2012. I originally intended the article for the APALA newsletter. I ended up publishing the article as a web feature in January 2013.  Please check out the link below.

APA Library Leader Interview — Judy Lee, Riverside, California | APALA.