MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | APRIL 2022 |
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Wednesday & Friday: 9:30am to 2pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 4pm
Group visits by appointment only.
The health and safety of our visitors, staff, volunteers, and community is our top priority. The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) will require all individuals to wear a mask while in the Museum, regardless of vaccination status. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
We plan to extend our open hours in the summer. Please check our website for the most updated hours.
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| FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
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April is associated with springtime, and a time to bloom! It is also a month worth celebrating!
As our first “Spotlight Series” exhibit “Mahjong and Dumplings” closed at the end of the month, the reading of “Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella” adaptation was played on the very same day. There was enough momentum for us to celebrate the successes of the two events!
To enter the month of May, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, CAMOC has prepared four exciting virtual programs for you: “Shanghai Sonatas” Discussion with Composer Xiang Gao on May 2nd; Interview with Winter Olympian Tiffany Chin on May 7th; “Chinese Brothers, American Sons” Book Talk with Author Ed Shew on May 21st; and “The All-American Crew” Book Talk with Author Russell N. Low on May 25th.
All these exhibits or public programming events will not be possible without your support. We invite you to join us at our 21st Annual Benefit Dinner on June 18th to enjoy the authentic Chinese food and performances and to experience a fun evening. 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."
The following day, June 19th, marks the 20th anniversary of the attack on and death of Vincent Chin. CAMOC will have a program related to the incident. So, stay tuned.
Ben Lau
Executive Director
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The Chinese American Museum of Chicago's
21st Benefit Dinner
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Date: Saturday, June 18, 2022
Time: 6 - 10pm CT
Location: New Furama Restaurant
2828 S. Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616
The Chinatown Museum Foundation is hosting its 21st Benefit Dinner to raise funds for the Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC). Our theme this year is "Our History, Our Culture, Our Voice". Please join us for this night of performances, raffle, authentic Chinese food, cash bar, and much more!
As a nonprofit, CAMOC relies solely on sponsorships, donations, and memberships to put on exhibitions and public programs. Your participation in this event will go a long way to support our mission to promote the culture and history – through exhibitions, educational, and research – of Chinese Americans in the Midwest. Each year we raise money to ensure we continue to preserve our cultural heritage and history. The funds raised will go towards quality exhibitions and public programming.
To purchase tickets, please click the button below, or by contacting the Museum at office@ccamuseum.org or (312) 949-1000.
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Chinatown Museum Foundation is a non-profit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. |
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Reading of Marie Yuen's Adaption of
Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella (C2)
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Picture above (Left to Right): Executive Director Ben Lau, Board Director Rich Frachey, Volunteer Viable Shum, cast Van Ferro, Edward Lai, Ginger Leopoldo, Board President Ed Jung, writer Marie Yuen, Executive Producer Rieny G. Cualoping, cast Victoria Li, Ada Cheng, Larry Leopoldo and techs. |
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CAMOC was thrilled to sponsor the reading of Marie Yuen's Ye-Xian: The Chinese Cinderella adaptation, titled C2, in celebration of the eve of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Quite possibly the oldest version of Cinderella in the world, Marie's adaptation of the story of Ye-Xian (which predates the French version by about a thousand years) is about strength, kindness, fun, friendship, and magic! Thank you to everyone who attended, including Illinois State Rep. Theresa Mah, 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, and 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee.
The reading was presented by Fiery Seahorse Productions and was partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. We were very happy to host this afternoon of theater at the Museum!
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IL State Representative
Theresa Mah
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25th Ward Alderman
Byron Sigcho-Lopez
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11th Ward Alderwoman
Nicole Lee
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Picture below (Left to Right): "Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong & Dumplings" Exhibit curator Larry Lee, Pui Tak Executive Director David Wu, Executive Director Ben Lau, Board Director Rich Frachey, cast Edward Lai, guest, Board President Ed Jung, Board Director Soo Lon Moy, Aileen Sanford and Executive Producer Rieny G. Cualoping. |
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Executive Director Ben Lau Joins WBBM's
Shades of the City Podcast
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CAMOC Executive Director Ben Lau and Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) Executive Director Grace Chan McKibben joined WBBM’s Shades of the City podcast to discuss the history of Chicago Chinatown and how it has become one of the largest in the US. You can listen to the episode on Apple podcasts by clicking the button below. |
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CAMOC Attends Reception for Newly-Appointed
11th Ward Alderman Nicole Lee
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CAMOC President Ed Jung, Executive Director Ben Lau, Advisory Council Member CW Chan, and longtime CAMOC supporters Raymond B. and Jean T. Lee attended newly-appointed 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee's reception at Furama Restaurant. Lee is the first Asian American to sit on the Chicago City Council, filling a vacancy left by former Alderman Patrick D. Thompson. The 11th Ward covers parts of Bridgeport, Canaryville, Armour Square, Pilsen, Stockyards, University Village, and UIC.
1st photo (left to right): Executive Director Ben Lau, 11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee, and President Ed Jung.
2nd photo (left to right): Executive Director Ben Lau, CBCAC Executive Director Grace Chan McKibben, Sharon Wong, Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President Patrick McShane, Eddie Ni, Advisory Council Member CW Chan, Raymond B. Lee, Jean T. Lee, and Tony Hu.
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CAMOC featured in momondo's Chicago City Guide |
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German travel guide side momondo featured CAMOC as a top attraction in their Chicago City Guide! The guide is currently available in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. We look forward to welcoming many international visitors to the Museum soon. Click the button below to check out the guide. |
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We're busy with Group Tours! |
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This month, we welcomed groups from the Asian American Cultural Center as well as the Asian American Student Housing Organization at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; JROTC students; seniors from Brookdale Vernon Hills; and students from Highland Park High School. Andrew Leith who used to work in our Collections also brought his cohort of Northwestern University graduate students for a tour!
We have several group tours lined up for the rest of spring into the beginning of summer. Some groups are first-time visitors, while several used to visit the Museum every year before the pandemic and are just starting to resume field trips. In either case, we are thrilled to be able to share the history of Chinese Americans in the Midwest with all!
First photo: Students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Asian American Student Housing Organization touring the Museum with docent Stephen Cheng
Second & third photo: Graduate students (Andrew Leith, Jackson Krause, Shelby Mohrs, and Craig Stevens) and Professor Amanda Logan from Northwestern University on a tour with Board Directors Andrea Stamm and Soo Lon Moy and Curator of Collections Riley Ren.
Fourth photo: President Ed Jung (left) with a tour.
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Consuela Hendricks
CAMOC ASSOCIATE BOARD
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Consuela Hendricks (she/her/hers) is the co-president at People Matter. She has over a decade’s experience in race relations work. Her background is in technology, urban planning, and youth mentorship. She has experience with government and policy at Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office, anti-displacement in Chicago’s gentrifying neighborhoods, and direct service with homeless folks across Chicago. Consuela's interests include art, technology, and urban design.
What is your favorite part of the Museum?
My favorite part of the Museum is the object theater, My Chinatown: Stories from Within. The object theater really reflects the Chinatown that I grew up with, and I've even known some of the speakers since high school. I love the multi-media storytelling method with the videos and artifacts, and I think the stories are told beautifully.
What are you most excited about doing as part of the Associate Board?
I'm excited about the innovative programming and community building we do. The Museum is such a great community space that preserves a lot of untold history and stories. I love the opportunity to activate this space with creative new takes that also speak to current events.
CAMOC is thrilled to have Consuela on our Associate Board!
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Shanghai Sonatas
Virtual Discussion with the Composer & Artistic Director
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Date: Monday, May 2, 2022
Time: 4:00pm CT
Location: Zoom
Please join us for this FREE 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, this musical shares how music helped them to survive the war and how they taught classical music to the local Chinese. The music composed by Xiang is inspired by Jewish and Chinese traditional music, European classical music, and musical theatre.
This discussion is hosted by the Chinese American Museum of Chicago with the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
About Xiang Gao
Named as Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year in 2021, Xiang is one of the world's most successful presenters, producers, composers, and pedagogues. He has solo-performed violin for many world leaders and with 100 plus orchestras worldwide. As the Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of Delaware, Xiang is the founding director of the Master Players Concert Series & Festival. Shanghai Sonatas - the new musical conceptualized and composed by Xiang is being developed by Tony-winning producers and touring as a concert production. Xiang is represented by the California Artists Management.
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To learn more about Shanghai Sonatas, click the links below.
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Interview with Tiffany Chin
Figure Skating Hall of Famer &
First Chinese American Winter Olympian
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Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 2:30pm CT (12:30pm PT)
Location: Zoom
Figure Skating Hall of Famer and the very first Chinese American Winter Olympian Tiffany Chin shares her pioneering life story with the public for the very first time! NBC’s Chris Chen will moderate this FREE webinar.
Tiffany Chin will be discussing her childhood upbringing in San Diego, her 1984 Winter Olympic competition, her 1985 U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medal & World Bronze Medals, her life after competitive skating, and her current career as an Olympic figure skating coach where she helped her althlete compete at the recent Beijing Winter Olympics.
CAMOC is thrilled to team up with San Diego State University, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Chinese American Heritage Foundation, Chinese American Museum in Washington, DC, Wing Luke Museum, and Museum of Chinese in America for this event.
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Chinese Brothers, American Sons
Book Talk with Author Ed Shew
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Date: Saturday, May 21, 2022
Time: 2:00 - 3:00pm CT
Location: Zoom
The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is pleased to host this book talk with Ed Shew, author of the historical novel Chinese Brothers, American Sons.
Two Chinese brothers arrive in America in 1854 on a death ship to escape poverty and oppression in China. Li Chang and Li Yu, ten years younger, search for Gold Mountain in the historical novel, Chinese Brothers, American Sons. Fighting the inhumanity and discrimination of the West, they work perilously to drive in the Golden Spike in 1869 and become inspirational builders of the first Transcontinental Railroad and this country.
From the author
"It’s the story of two Cantonese brothers who along with tens of thousands of men from southern China conquer the back-breaking construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s, the tunnels through the granite of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. No first-hand account describing the life of a Chinese railroad worker of the Transcontinental Railroad has ever been found. Historians have searched this nation and the winding road back to China, to the roots of these forgotten, invisible men. Many were literate, yet not a scrap of their writing remains. As a Chinese American, my goal is to tell this little-known story of these brave adventurers."
- Ed Shew
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The All-American Crew
Book Talk with Author Russell N. Low
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Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Time: 7:00pm CT
Location: Zoom
The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is excited to announce this book talk with author Russell N. Low, as he returns to CAMOC to discuss his new book published this year, The All-American Crew.
About the book
On January 23, 1943, a B-24 Liberator and its crew of ten men disappeared without a trace in New Guinea, leaving ten families wounded permanently and without closure. Now, after almost 80 years of silence, using long-forgotten letters and dusty photographs from another era, the lives and loves of these ten men are brought to life on the pages of The All-American Crew.
They did not intend to be heroes and would not welcome the description. They were the sons of farmers, oil company engineers, cotton brokers, garment industry workers, and Chinese laundrymen. Many were descendants of the oldest colonial families in America, who set foot on the soil of Colonial Virginia in the 1600s. Others came from families that migrated to America in the 1800s from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Austria, and China during the tremendous immigration wave that built America. In truth, this group of young men could only have been formed in America. They were the best that America had to offer. Each was willing to sacrifice everything for the country he loved, driven by a patriotic fervor that was only matched by his love of flying.
The All-American Crew is based upon a true story. Stanley's transformation from a Chinese American boy, not yet old enough to vote or drink beer, into a B-24 Liberator nose gunner is set against the lives of the other nine American men, who are his crew members. Along the way, Stanley experiences loneliness, racism, his first beer, first romance, and the horrors of war, themes that are as relevant today as they were 80 years ago.
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| BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! |
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Becoming a member is a simple and effective way to get involved with the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Your membership represents a personal investment in the Museum and ensures the continuation of the wide array of quality exhibitions, programs, and events we bring to the community. In addition, you are affirming the importance of the Museum’s commitment to bring the Chinese American experience in the Midwest to as many people as possible.
$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)
For Members who support us beyond the basic level, we offer extra recognition and the following benefits:
$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)
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TOP:
Large Brick
7.5" X 7.5"
LEFT:
Donor Wall in Front Lobby
BOTTOM:
Small Brick
3.5" X 7.5"
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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. |
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We are looking for dedicated, reliable, and energetic individuals who would like to experience our historic institution from the inside — as volunteers! We need volunteers for docents, greeters and special events. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please use the button below to visit our related page and download a volunteer form. |
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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. |
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CAMOC Together Against COVID-19
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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.
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ABOUT US
The mission of the Chinese American Museum of Chicago - Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center (CAMOC) is is to advance the appreciation of Chinese American culture through exhibitions, education, and research and to preserve the past, present, and future of Chinese Americans primarily in the Midwest.
The museum building, formerly the Quong Yick Co., is located in Chicago's Chinatown, at 238 West 23rd Street in Chicago. The Museum opened to the public on May 21, 2005. After a devastating fire in September of 2008, the Museum was closed for renovation and reopened in 2010.
CAMOC is governed by the Board of Directors of the Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF), a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation located in Chicago, Illinois.
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