Unconventional Preservation at El Centro de la Raza

Seattle’s El Centro de la Raza (The Center for all Races), a Latino community center created in 1972, represents a case of unorthodox preservation done outside of official channels, by and for a community of stakeholders, and can serve as a case study that demonstrates how limited research, possible during typical cultural resource management, can describe community values without relying on architectural or historical arguments. In the 1970s, denied support from the City of Seattle’s agencies, a group of Latino activists and their allies occupied the historic and recently closed Beacon Hill School, adapting it into a new community center. Through collaborative action and volunteer labor, they restored the derelict building and opened El Centro de la Raza , a successful institution for community support, education, culture, and gathering. The activists, without historical or architectural frameworks, identified what features of the building mattered to their community, and preserved them for themselves and future generations. The building was adaptable as a physical structure, was a recognizable part of the neighborhood, affording a strong collaborative relationship, provided space for building political and social connections and deliver services, and served as a multi-step project demonstrating their legitimacy in the face of City government scrutiny.