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All of my research projects include community-oriented programming that makes archaeology more accessible to diverse publics.

Archaeology Open Houses

2002 - present

Archaeology open houses are a core practice in public archaeology. Heritage stakeholders, their guests, and the public are welcomed into archaeological field sites and laboratories. This virtual gallery (currently under construction) includes photos from archaeology open houses and related events for my research at the Presidio of San Francisco, the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project, the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project, and the Arboretum Chinese Labor Quarters Project.

Making Ties: The Cangdong Village Project

2019–present – Documentary Film (streaming)

Making Ties: The Cangdong Village Project is a bilingual documentary produced by Barre Fong that provides a classroom-friendly overview of the Cangdong Village Project research process and its outcomes.

Chinese Workers and the Railroad (2017–2019)

2017–2019 – various locales in the American West

This traveling exhibit was created by the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The exhibit brought the findings of our transnational and interdisciplinary research to schools, libraries, community centers, museums, and other venues who might not be able to produce such an exhibit on their own.  The collaborative, bilingual format allowed each venue to adapt the materials to their space and to extend the travellng exhibit materials with their own collections. In 2019, the exhibit was awarded the California Preservation Foundation Design Award and a Trustees Award for Excellence. 

There Was a Chinatown Here

2013–present – Chinese American Historical Museum / digital exhibit

This hybrid exhibit uses scannable QR codes to connect the galleries of the Chinese American Historical Museum in San Jose, California with digital content . The online exhibit was developed as a collaboration between archaeology students at Stanford University and members of Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. Featuring seven artifacts from the Market Street Chinatown, There Was a Chinatown Here includes video interviews with Chinese American cultural experts who interpret the artifacts and describe their significance for Chinese Americans today.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (2013-2014)

2013–2014 – San Jose Museum of Art

In this interactive art installation, artist Rene Yung displays a single Double Happiness rice bowl from the Market Street Chinatown in downtown San Jose. Historic photographs and drawings on the gallery walls surround the bowl, inviting museum visitors to contextualize, and then comment on, the rice bowl.

City Beneath the City

2011 - San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

2012 – Stanford Archaeology Center

Developed by artist Rene YungCity Beneath the City is a contemporary art installation that explores the buried histories of Silicon Valley through displays of artifacts excavated from the site of the Market Street Chinatown in downtown San Jose.

Public Archaeology Days

2009 –2014 - Chinese American Historical Museum and the Peralta Adobe

This co-curricular education program supported grade-school children and their caregivers in developing STEM skills and learning local history through hands-on archaeology. The five activity stations simulated all stages of archaeological research: excavation, screening, artifact reconstruction, artifact analysis, and interpretation. Attendees who completed all five stations received a gold badge proclaiming their qualifications as a certified Junior Archaeologist.