EXHIBITIONS______VISIT______COLLECTIONS______SUPPORT rrrrrrrr CONTACT

May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

It was also a very busy month for CAMOC! We launched five virtual programs in collaboration with other peer museums or individuals; Two new art exhibits that were installed in the month: 2nd Spotlight Series Untitled (Nicole Leung is too American to be Chinese and too Chinese to be American) at CAMOC and A Family Meal in Ping Tom Memorial Park.

Entering the month of June, here comes our big and important event: CAMOC’s 21st Annual Benefit Dinner on June 18th. We will be awarding the Pui Tak Center for its excellence in community service. We will also be honoring Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam and Illinois State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for their vital contributions in passing the TEAACH (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) Act. 

Please join us, meet old friends and enjoy a fun and meaningful night at our 21st Annual Benefit Dinner! More details can be found on the poster below. You can purchase the ticket online here or write us a check payable to "Chinatown Museum Foundation."

Ben Lau

Executive Director

CAMOC opened its second exhibition of the Spotlight Series, featuring artist Nicole Leung. The exhibition highlights Leung's site-specific piece Untitled (Nicole Leung is too American to be Chinese and too Chinese to be American), composed of an inflatable sculpture and framed wall piece. The exhibition will run from May 21 through July 2.

First photo: Early visitors to the opening reception, staff, Board Directors, Spotlight Series Curator Larry Lee, and artist Nicole Leung

Second photo (back row, left to right): Executive Director Ben Lau, Curator of Collections Riley Ren, Spotlight Series Curator Larry Lee, Nicole's father Franklin Leung, artist Nicole Leung, Nicole's mother Michelle Leung, and Board Director Rich Frachey.

The opening reception of Spotlight Series: Nicole Leung was chosen as one of Chicago arts calendar The Visualist's Top V Weekend Picks. Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao also promoted the opening.

A Family Meal art installation

People Matter and CAMOC's Associate Board collaborated and launched an art installation A Family Meal in Ping Tom Park. The art installation explores the relationship between food and the Chinese American family, ahead of CAMOC's upcoming exhibition Chinese Cuisine in America: Stories, Struggles & Successes, opening later this year.

First photo: A Family Meal installation

Executive Director Ben Lau attended and spoke at the 2022 APAHM Kickoff event co-hosted by OCA Greater Chicago, the Asian American Executive Network, and the Asian American Coalition of Chicago. President Ed Jung, Vice President/OCA Chicago President Mabel Menard, Board Director Soo Lon Moy, Associate Board Member Ada Tong, Advisor CW Chan, and 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee also attended. (First three photos)

President Ed Jung, Vice President Mabel Menard, and Executive Director Ben Lau also joined Mayor Lori Lightfoot's celebration for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (Fourth and fifth photo)

Executive Director Ben Lau also tabled on behalf of CAMOC at the Asian Heritage Month Celebration and Health Fair at Chinatown Square. The Fair was hosted by the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, Midwest Asian Health Association, and the Malaysian American Community.

Executive Director Ben Lau also joined ABC7's virtual celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

Board Director Rich Frachey tabled for CAMOC at the Chicago History Museum's Resource Fair. He introducted visitors to our Museum and spread the word about our many events!

At the end of the month, Executive Director Ben Lau and Associate Board member Ada Tong attended the Evanston Veterans Center's Annual Veteran Program for AAPI Heritage Month. The national theme for this year is "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration". Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita also attended.

To close out the month, Executive Director Ben Lau joined the AAPI Heritage Month - We Love Chinatown event in Chinatown Square!

Earlier this month, CAMOC hosted a reading of playwright Marie Yuen's C2, an adaptation of Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella. NBC5 interviewed Marie about her adaptation as part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Click the button below to watch the interview.

This month, CAMOC hosted several virtual events as part of AAPI Heritage Month. The first was a virtual discussion with Xiang “Sean” Gao, the creator-composer of Shanghai Sonatas, a pioneering new musical that combines musical theatre, live classical music, and visual art. Based on the memoirs of Jewish refugee musicians who escaped Nazi Germany and found refuge in Shanghai in the 1930s and ’40s, the musical shares how music helped them to survive the war and how they taught classical music to the local Chinese.

Later that week, we co-hosted an interview with Tiffany Chin, Figure-Skating Hall of Famer and the first Chinese American Winter Olympian. It was her first time sharing her life story with the public!

Later in the month, CAMOC held two virtual book talks, one with Ed Shew, author of Chinese Brothers, American Sons and another with Russell N. Low, author of The All-American Crew.

Executive Director Ben Lau also gave a virtual tour of the Museum for the Chinese American Heritage Foundation. Thank you to everyone who joined us for any of the virtual events! If you would like to watch recordings of them, please click the buttons below.

CAMOC supported fellow Chinatown organizations the Chinese American Service League and Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community this month by attending their fundraisers! We are looking forward to welcoming them to our 21st Benefit Dinner next month!

As the weather gets warmer, we have been welcoming more and more visitors and group tours come to the Museum. This month, we had the pleasure of hosting groups from South Division High School, Janesville Craig High School, and Verona Area High School in Wisconsin; Lake County Health Department; Lake Forest Country Day School; Day One Agency; Kennedy High School; and a couple Girl Scout troupes. We're looking forward to an even busier summer!

$150 = Free event admission for member & 3 guests for 1 year

$100 = Free event admission for member & 1 guest for 1 year

$60 = Free event admission for member only for 1 year

$30 = Free event admission for seniors & students for 1 year

$500 = Corporate Membership for 1 year (with 10 individual memberships, recognition in program & on plaque)

$250 = Bronze (Honorary Membership)

$500 = Silver (Honorary Membership)

$1,000 = Gold (Lifetime Membership or a small donor brick)

$1,500 = Platinum (Lifetime Membership and a small donor brick)

$5,000 = Diamond (Large donor brick)

$5,500 = Jade (Large donor brick plus Lifetime Membership)

You can read the full list of benefits on our website by clicking the button below. There are also instructions on how to join at the bottom of the page, along with the Membership Form.

Do you have any thoughts on a possible program, a collection to donate, or a fundraising idea for our Museum? Please let us know! We value and welcome your input on how we can continue to provide great programming and resources for our community. If you would like to share an idea, please contact us at office@ccamuseum.org.