EXHIBITIONS______VISIT______COLLECTIONS______SUPPORT rrrrrrrr CONTACT

We are thrilled to reopen and excited to welcome the public back on Saturdays and Sundays only beginning on March 6 with slightly shortened hours for both days from 10:30am to 3:30pm. Group visits by appointment only. We will closely monitor the pandemic situation and may extend the reopening to some weekdays. We have established protocols to ensure the safely of our visitors, volunteers and staff.

In March there were outcries from the Asian American communities denouncing racism and hate amid the recent uptick in violence against Asian Americans.

The Anti-Asian Racism and Hate rally on March 27 in Chicago Chinatown involved hundreds if not thousands of individuals that not only came from Asian American communities but also from other ethnic groups. During this historic moment, Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) was in place to witness the event.

Looking back at the history, discrimination against Chinese Americans can be traced back to the 19^th century. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act blamed the Chinese immigrants as criminals who caused the economic downturn. Even though the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, the Chinese Americans were and still are facing discrimination, and often scapegoated for social or economic problems. The most well-known hate crime was the murder of Vincent Jen Chin in Michigan in June 1982. During the recent epidemic, Chinese and Asians have been frequently attacked by racists.

Qingming Festival (清明節) 2021 falls on April 4. It is also known as Pure Brightness Festival or commonly referred to as Tomb Sweeping Day that is generally observed quietly among families by visiting the gravesites of relatives or ancestors. It will be a good time for us to mourn the loss of our community members to Anti-Asian violence. It will also be a great opportunity for us to honor the past with a spirit of determination to stand in solidarity to challenge hate and violence.

We will pay tribute to those Chinese immigrants and their descendants, who helped bring Chinese cuisine into mainstream society, by launching a mini exhibit titled "Era of Opulence: Chinese Find Dining" in late April. Please stay tuned.

For those who asked for the wonderful recipes for the cooking demonstrations in our Chinese New Year Celebration video. You can find them here.

Ben Lau

Executive Director

$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)

On March 27, CAMOC joined other Chinatown organizations in rallying against anti-Asian racism. Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic there has been a significant increase in violent attacks and harassment toward Asian Americans. As seen through the history of Chinese Americans in the Midwest that CAMOC continues to share, we know that anti-Asian racism isn't something new. Centuries of anti-Asian racism have led to this moment.

CAMOC mourns the victims of the recent racially motivated killings in Atlanta. We continue to stand together with the AAPI community in solidarity to denounce the escalating violence.

Top photo from left to right: Ben Lau (ED) and Mark Chiang (Secretary). From right to left: Ed Jung (President), Rich Frachey (Board Member), and Viable Shum

Middle photo: Rally organizers, speakers & community leaders

Bottom photo from left to right: Ram and Soo Lon Moy (Immediate Past President & Board Member), Viable Shum, Rich Frachey, Ed Jung and Mark Chiang (on the far right)

Chicago China News & Digest (CCND) covered the event and interviewed Ben Lau. The online article can be found here.

Thank you to those who joined us on February 26 for the Chinese New Year Lantern Festival hosted by Chinese American Museum DC (CAMDC) and Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), co-presented by CAMOC. It was the first time CAMOC collaborated with other museum and organization on an event pertaining to Chinese culture. ED Ben Lau shared childhood memories of the Spring Lantern Festival as one of the panelists. If you missed the event or would like to rewatch it, click the button below!

This month, online travel agency KAYAK featured CAMOC as a top travel destination for the city of Chicago. Having reopened our doors this month, we are excited to welcome new visitors into the Museum and to continue to advance the appreciation and preservation of Chinese American history. We are proud to be included alongside Chicago's other wonderful cultural institutions!

Born and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, Melissa earned her Bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and history at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After taking a few years off to work in museums, she moved to Denver to earn her Master’s in anthropology with a concentration in museum and heritage studies.

Melissa is passionate about cultural heritage and views museums as an accessible medium to share history and stories. She is excited to see how the relationship between museums and the communities changes with social distancing and the increased use of digital tools. She recently moved to Florida to work at Everglades National Park but is still an active Associate Board member and is passionate about working with the museum. While not physically around, Melissa is excited to meet members of the community virtually and is always available to talk.

Chinatown Museum Foundation, which governs the Chinese American Museum of Chicago, is forming an Associate Board with the purpose of generating new opportunities for the Museum, especially with programming for high school and college students and young professionals. All skill sets will be considered. If interested in serving on the Associate Board to expand the Museum's public programming and fundraising efforts, please email a letter of interest/cover letter with your resume/curriculum vitae to office@ccamuseum.org.

An old Chinese saying, 時勢造英雄 (Shíshì zào yīngxióng ), which means a hero is made in the time of misfortune aptly describes how people rally together in the pandemic. During this challenging time we are deeply moved by the proactive steps and incredible acts of generosity and support exhibited by the Chinese Americans. Thousands of individuals and organizations have been raising money, donating personal protective equipment, and providing free meals to those in need, especially to front-line healthcare workers and others. CAMOC is inviting you to help us preserve these heroic moments by sharing the stories to our Together Against Covid-19 Special Collection.

CAMOC started this special collection with the goal of recording the experiences and stories of individuals, families, and organizations during these unprecedented times. The Together Against Covid-19 Collection will include various forms of content, which can be photos, videos, articles, audios, letters, paintings, certificates, or any form you can think of. If you are not sure whether your content fits our collection or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please send your story to covid19@ccamuseum.org , with the subject Together Against Covid-19 Collection. And please include your contact information , including full name, organization or community if applicable, email, phone number, and mailing address.