South Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Ahn Family Residence
Photographed By Craig Baker
1. The Ahn Family Residence Marker
This house was residence to the wife and five children of Ahn Chang Ho (1878-1938), Korean patriot, educator, social reformer and statesman. Ahn and his wife Helen were the first Koreans to legally immigrate to America as a married couple. They arrived in San Francisco in 1902, moved to Riverside in 1903 and then to Los Angeles in 1914.
While his family remained in Los Angeles, Ahn relocated to Shanghai to serve as a minister in the newly formed Korean Provisional Government following the March 1, 1919 uprising. Mrs. Ahn and her children (Philip, Philson, Susan, Soorah and Ralph) lived in this house from 1937-1946. Their home served as a central gathering place for the early Korean American community (it is estimated that 80% of the community lived within a mile of USC). It was also here that the family learned of Ahn's death in 1938 and Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
The house was originally located southwest of campus when USC purchased and incorporated the structure during a period of campus expansion in the 1980s. It was moved to this location in 2004 to house the Korean Studies Institute and given historic status by the city of Los Angeles for its American Foursquare architectural style.
Erected by University of Southern
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Asian Americans • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 34° 1.376′ N, 118° 17.049′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in South Los Angeles. Marker is on 34th Street, ¼ mile west of Figueroa Street, on the right when traveling west. Located on the campus of the University of Southern California. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 809 W 34th St, Los Angeles CA 90089, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Public Service (within shouting distance of this marker); Founders’ Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); University Religious Center (within shouting distance of this marker); The Trojan Column (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); University of Southern California (about 300 feet away); A Changing Campus (about 400 feet away); An International University (about 400 feet away); Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.
Regarding The Ahn Family Residence. This is Los Angeles
Photographed By Craig Baker, July 22, 2023
2. The Ahn Family Residence Marker
The Post Office in Koreatown at Harvard and 6th Street was named Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Station. This was the first USPS naming honoring an Asian.
The City of Los Angeles, in the early 1990s, declared the nearby intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Van Buren Place - across from the Korean National Association and Korean Presbyterian church - to be named "Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Square" in his honor. In 2002, the freeway interchange in downtown Los Angeles where the 10 Freeway and 110 Freeway meet was renamed the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Interchange.
His son Philip Ahn is considered the first Korean-American actor in Hollywood and one of the most prolific Asian-American actors of his time, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. — The Young Korean Academy, an important Korean American civic organization established by Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, located nearby.
Photographed By Craig Baker, July 22, 2023
3. The Ahn Family Residence
Photographed By Craig Baker, July 22, 2023
4. Sign at Street
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 26, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
