Day 8 - Hung Sa Dahn, Los Angeles, California
📌APIA Every Day (8) - The Hung Sa Dahn, located in Expo Park, Los Angeles, is a Craftsman-style residence that played a pivotal role in the Korean American community & the broader historical context. Established as the headquarters of the Young Korean Academy, this organization was founded by Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, a prominent figure in Korean American history and the Korean Independence Movement. The property served as the operational base for Hung Sa Dahn from 1929 to 1979. Dosan Ahn Chang Ho's teachings on democracy and sovereignty were central to the organization's mission, attracting a diverse membership that included day laborers, farmworkers, shopkeepers, as well as ambassadors and diplomats. The property narrowly escaped demolition in 2021, APIAHiP, the Los Angeles Conservancy, and other community members successfully nominated & advocated to designate it as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). The Government of the Republic of Korea later purchased the property in 2023, securing its preservation.
This successful preservation effort demonstrated the collective commitment of local, national, and international community members to safeguard and celebrate a vital piece of the Korean American heritage and the ongoing legacy of the Hung Sa Dahn.
PHOTO 1: Hung Sa Dahn c.1960 | Korean American Digital Archive, USC Libraries Digital Collections
PHOTO 2: Hung Sa Dahn c.2023 | Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
PHOTO 3: Marker erected in 2023 by City of Los Angeles. (# 1274) | Craig Baker
BONUS: Presentation Slides from National Trust for Historic Preservation: #PastForward
Every Place has a Story, presented by Katherine Kim (on the nomination committee!) on November 11, 2023
LEARN MORE:
Los Angeles Conservancy: Hung Sa Dahn
Spectrum 1 News: Hung Sa Dahn named Historic-Cultural Monument by LA City Council
Historical Marker Database: Hung Sa Dahn - Young Korean Academy
#apiaeveryday #asianamerican #koreanamerican #asianamericanhistory #koreanamericanhistory #aapi #aapihistory #hungsadahn #losangeles #laconservancy #historiclosangeles #historicpreservation #koreanheritage #koreanhistory #craftsmanstyle
