EXHIBITIONS______VISIT______COLLECTIONS______SUPPORT rrrrrrrr CONTACT

As Illinois moves to Tier 1 Resurgence Mitigations, all cultural institutions can now open under Phase 4 rules, Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC)remains closed until further notice. Our staff is working remotely, and is available to answer any questions by email.

Happy New Year! Happy Lunar New Year of the Ox!

There are good news and sad news in the beginning of a new year. The good news was that we finally see a silver lining after months of gloominess under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many regions in Illinois are now making progress in fighting the virus, and has moved out of Tier 3 mitigations to less restrictive tiers. The administration is preparing to proceed with Phase 1B of Illinois’ vaccine distribution plan.

The sad news was that we lost a very good friend, Corky Lee, who passed away on January 27, 2021. Corky and a group of descendants of the Chinese railroad workers reenacted the Promontory Summit photo in 2014 together with other Asian Americans to express the so-called “photographic justice.” A large copy of that photo was displayed in our “Chinese Workers and the Railroad” Photo Exhibition in 2019 before it was replaced by “Attic Treasure II.” The “historic” photo was then moved to a new location in our gift shop. Next time when you come to our Museum, don’t forget to stop by our gift shop to look at the photo and pay tribute to such a great photographer and activist.

CAMOC remains closed to the public but will be making preparation to reopen in the near future. We are currently planning for a number of virtual events in the coming months to keep engaging our community. Among them, our annual Chinese New Year Event will go virtual on February 17. Before that, we will partner with Jewel-Osco to launch two Chinese New Year events, one on February 4 and another on February 10. Unfortunately, there will be no Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown this year due to COVID-19. So, please look for our float next year.

We are also working diligently on a number of mini exhibits. One is called “Chinese American Veterans: The American Heroes” which will open on Veterans Day this year to honor the Chinese American veterans.

So stay tuned for these exciting events and mini exhibits! 恭喜發財 [gung hei faat choi] (in Cantonese)! 新年快樂 [xīnnián kuàilè] (in Mandarin)!

Ben Lau

Executive Director

Museum Board President Ed Jung (2nd row, far right) and Executive Director Ben Lau (1st row, 2nd from left) participated in Roots & Routes 2021 Virtual Convening on January 30 to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Lakefront Gathering Spaces, reconnect with partners and plan future Roots & Routes programming.

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.

I look forward to getting to know the Chicago Chinese American community better, and to help the museum share this region's unique history to a broader audience. 

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.