EUREKA, Calif. — A new monument honoring Humboldt County’s Chinese American history will be unveiled Sunday in Old Town Eureka, marking the culmination of a five-year effort to preserve a part of local history organizers say is often overlooked.

Organizers with Humboldt Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity, or HAPI, said the monument commemorates the history of Chinese residents in Humboldt County, including their expulsion from Eureka.

“So it’s been five years of organizing, from conceptualization to now. And this is really an opportunity to commemorate the history of Chinese residents here in Humboldt County,” said Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza.

Atienza said the monument also looks to the future by highlighting Asian Americans’ continued contributions to the community.

“I think that this monument helps us see both the past and the future of not just the Chinese, but Asian Americans in Humboldt County,” Atienza said.

The monument includes a timeline detailing that history, a moon gate representing local historical figure Charlie Moon, a poem by a local poet, and native plants incorporated into the space.

Organizers said Sunday’s unveiling will also feature food vendors, community partners and performers. Atienza said remembering this history is especially important as communities work to preserve stories that aren’t always taught or widely discussed.

“These parts of our history that don’t always get talked about, especially now when so much of our histories, people of color’s histories, are being erased by people in power,” Atienza said.

Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity invites the community to celebrate the grand opening of the Eureka Chinatown Monument on Sunday, October 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the monument site on the corner of First and E streets in Old Town Eureka. Community members are invited to attend.

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