MAPPING RESISTANCE
FAQ’S

Who we are?
We are three individuals who are deeply passionate about preserving arts and culture. Coming all from immigrant families with diverse narratives of displacement, our activism is rooted in personal experiences and a shared commitment to social justice. As trained architects, we bring a unique perspective to our activism, as we question the results of our practice and its impact on our communities. Coming from California, two of us are native to Los Angeles, while one originates from San Diego. We witness firsthand the rapid effects of gentrification reshaping our neighborhoods and eroding our cultural heritage.
What is Mapping Resistance?
"Mapping Resistance: The Fight for Cultural Preservation in Highland Park" is a project that explores the impact of gentrification on the cultural heritage of Highland Park. Over the past decade, the neighborhood has seen significant displacement of communities of color and low-income households due to rising property values and rents. This project aims to highlight the cultural cost of such changes.
How are we funding our Project?
Through a Fellowship!
What is a Fellowship?
Fellowship: The selection process for fellowships may involve submitting an application or proposal, but the focus is often on the qualifications and potential of the individual applicant. Fellowships may be awarded based on academic achievement, professional experience, research interests, or artistic talent.

Duration and Renewal: Fellowships may be awarded for a fixed period of time, such as one academic year, or they may be renewable for multiple years. Some fellowships provide support for a specific project or course of study, while others offer more flexible funding that can be used for various purposes.
Obligations and Expectations: Recipients of fellowships may also have certain obligations, such as meeting academic or research milestones, participating in program activities, or contributing to the scholarly or professional community.

Where is our fellowship coming from?

We have been awarded with the AWAF Fellowship!
Awarded by the Association for Women in Architecture Foundation, Inc. (AWAF) Established in 1997. AWAF is a tax-exempt charitable 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to fostering educational and professional leadership opportunities for women in architecture and related fields.
We have received $5000 to freely use for research and/or development for a project.

How and Why are we doing this Project?

The ultimate goal of this project is to provide a platform for the community to share stories, discuss strategies for cultural preservation in the face of gentrification, and document the rich intersectional history of the urban and cultural landscape of this region. The project’s long term goal is to work with the communities and local activists to generate strategies to change policies that have led to the scale of gentrification and cultural erasure we are seeing in Highland Park and other vulnerable communities in Los Angeles.

The intent for the use of the money is to develop the outreach and community workshops and support community members that might want to participate in the project with compensation for their time, childcare needs, transportation etc.
Are we affiliated to someone?

We are NOT affiliated to any firm, developer, studio, gallery, group, real state, agency, etc.
We are proudly working this project by ourselves, not to anyone just us three.
We are volunteering our personal time and efforts.

About the Research and Information

We are NOT required to provide any reports, documents, etc. to the fellowship organization. All information that is shared with us will not be shared publicly without the consent of the community member and/or participants. As such, and as previously mentioned we are NOT funded by any corporation, institution, developer, architecture firm or for profit entity. Your experiences and contributions to this topic will always be more valuable than anything we could say or do.
Please know that we value you and your work and are willing to do whatever it takes to make things right over time. We are prepared to have an open and honest conversation; we would be happy to share more if needed. We understand that trust is not easily regained, but we are willing to put in effort and demonstrate through our actions. Once again, we are truly sorry for the pain we caused you with the miscommunication and lack of clarity. Here we are with our efforts explain our reasons for this project.
Have any more questions?

Please email us any possible questions you still may have at mappingresistancehp@gmail.com