Join our mailing list
The MuseumPast Events
Beyond the Page with Lisa See
The Chinese American Museum is excited to host best-selling author Lisa See on Thursday, July 11th at 6:30 pm to celebrate the paperback launch of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. Join the conversation as Lisa explores the themes of her latest historical novel, which is inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th century China as she navigates the pillars of Chinese medicine and friendship. Further explore the tapestry of traditions and culture in this captivating reimagining of a remarkable woman in the Ming dynasty, in conversation with the author herself.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women will be available for purchase at the event.
About the Author:
Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, a memoir that tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the Historymakers Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.
**CAM’s Beyond the Page series features conversations with AAPI authors and focuses on amplifying Asian American voices and their diverse experiences.
Register now at camla.org/lisasee
Commemorating Vincent Chin
Join us for Commemorating Vincent Chin in front of Monterey Park City Hall from 7:00 – 8:00 pm on Sunday, June 23rd. The Chinese American Museum annually dedicates this evening in remembrance of Vincent Chin’s murder, which served as a pivotal point in the Asian American civil rights movement. This annual commemoration allows for the reflection of racial inequality and discrimination that continues to persist in today’s highly polarized social climate, just as it did decades before.
The evening’s program will include special remarks from invited guest speakers and will conclude with a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Vincent Chin. This event does not require a rsvp beforehand, and parking can be found throughout the neighborhood streets.
More about the tragic murder of Vincent Chin:
On June 23rd, of 1982, Vincent Chin was violently beaten to death by two white men, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz, in a racially motivated attack. The tragedy occurred against the backdrop of economic downturn in the United States wherein many Americans in the auto industry were laid off and they blamed the Japanese auto industry for their plight. Vincent Chin’s assailants, Ebens and Nitz, never served jail time and walked free with minimal fines for the senseless murder. The verdict of Chin’s murder trial was perceived as a gross miscarriage of justice and highlighted the racial inequities within the American legal system and further galvanized the Asian American community in its aftermath—leading to widespread advocacy for justice and brought attention to issues of racial violence and discrimination.
Kids’ Storytime
Join the Chinese American Museum and Miss Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for this month’s Kids’ Storytime on Tuesday, May 28th, at 4pm PDT. Miss Rita will be reading A Friend for Eddy by Ann Kim Ha.
About the book:
A Friend for Eddy tells the story of a lonely fish, named Eddy, who yearns to have friends to play with in his fishbowl. One day, Eddy spots not one but two new friends on the other side of the glass. Eddy then decides to take a leap of faith to be closer to his new friends, leading to unexpected adventures and discoveries. This book is suitable for ages 4-8, though we welcome children of all ages with parental supervision.
About the author:
Ann Kim Ha is an author-illustrator and architect. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Ann Kim Ha enjoys telling stories through design—whether it be spatially in a built environment or graphically within the pages of the book, itself. She holds a Master of Architecture and is an “around-the-clock” mom to two young kids.
Kids’ Storytime featuring Asian American Authors is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library and virtually held through Zoom. Register now at camla.org/storytime.
Unmasking Anna May Wong Exhibit and Opening Reception
The Chinese American Museum invites you to the opening reception of our latest exhibition, Unmasking Anna May Wong on Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30 – 9:00 pm. CAM Members can have a special preview at 5:30pm.
Unmasking Anna May Wong honors Chinese American actress and legend, Anna May Wong. The exhibition pays tribute to the trailblazer and icon who challenged conventions against all odds and paved the way for greater diversity and representation. Look behind the curtain and explore her life beyond Hollywood. Unmasking Anna May Wong will run from May 24, 2024 – Jan 26, 2025.
The opening reception will be open to the public, but we encourage you to register now at camla.org/annamaywong/.
Co-curated by CAM and Not Your China Doll author Katie Gee Salisbury.
Beyond the Page with William Gow
Join the Chinese American Museum on Sunday, May 19th at 10:30am for the next installment of Beyond the Page where we will be celebrating the launch of Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community by William Gow. Gow’s book explores the Chinese American community’s contributions to the Hollywood film industry and Los Angeles tourism scene during the early 20th century.
Join Gow and Dr. Kathy Yep, Professor of Asian American Studies at Pitzer College, as they discuss Los Angeles Chinatown’s long-overlooked history and the community’s impact on Hollywood, which in turn shaped mainstream perceptions of the Asian American identity.
About the Author:
William Gow is a Sacramento-based community historian, educator, and documentary filmmaker. A fourth-generation Chinese American and a proud graduate of the San Francisco Unified School District, he holds a B.F.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU, an M.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley. He currently serves as the co-director of the Five Chinatowns Community History Project for the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and holds a position as Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies in the Ethnic Studies Department at California State University, Sacramento.
About the Moderator:
Dr. Kathy Yep is a tenured Professor of Asian American Studies at Pitzer College. Dr. Yep received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. With a focus on feminist pedagogies, community-based learning, and cultural politics, her writing has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Harper Collins and Temple University Press. Dr. Yep was also awarded the Claremont Colleges 2020 Diversity Mentor Award for her role as co-architect of the Claremont Faculty Leadership Program, where she integrated anti-racist pedagogies and contemplative practices in the professional development curriculum.
**CAM’s Beyond the Page series features conversations with AAPI authors to amplify Asian American voices and their diverse experiences.
Register at camla.org/williamgow
Spring Tea Tasting
Join the Chinese American Museum and Wing Hop Fung for an afternoon of learning and tea appreciation. Participants will enjoy a hands-on tea experience with Wing Hop Fung tea experts as they guide through techniques and traditions that have been cherished for centuries.
Your ticket will include a 45-minute tea session at your selected timeframe (1pm, 2pm or 3pm), a custom gift to take home, and a 20% coupon for loose leaf tea at Wing Hop Fung’s Arcadia store (400 S Baldwin Ave 2185, Arcadia, CA 91007). All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Chinese American Museum to fund future exhibitions and programming.
Don’t miss the chance to participate in this tasting and expand your tea knowledge. Reserve your spot today and join the Chinese American Museum and Wing Hop Fung for a delightful afternoon of tea exploration!
Kids Storytime
Join the Chinese American Museum and Miss Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for this month’s Kids’ Storytime on Thursday, April 18, at 4pm PDT. Miss Rita will be reading “Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon” by Ying Chang Compestine.
This book is suitable for ages 4-8, though we welcome children of all ages with parental supervision.
This program is hosted virtually on Zoom, with the zoom link to be sent closer to the program date. Register today at camla.org/storytime.
“Kids’ Storytime featuring Asian American Authors” is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library.
About the book:
Everyone thinks they know this story, but do they really? In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood travels to her grandmother’s house and encounters something much scarier than a wolf—a dragon! With her sword in hand, Little Red must learn to protect the people she loves.
About the author:
Ying Chang Compestine is an award-winning author. She has written several children’s books, young adult novels, and cookbooks. She has also hosted several cooking shows and even served as food editor on Martha Stewart’s “Body+Soul”. Ying grew up in Wuhan, China, and has used both her childhood experiences and her love for food in all of her writing.
Beyond the Page with Katie Salisbury
Join the Chinese American Museum on Tuesday, March 19th at 6:30pm for the next installment of “Beyond the Page” for the West Coast launch of “Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong” by Katie Gee Salisbury. Salisbury’s debut book celebrates Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star, to bring an unsung heroine to light and reclaim her place in cinema history.
Explore in-depth the life of Anna May Wong behind the glittering backdrop of Los Angeles during the gin-soaked Jazz Age and the rise of Hollywood. Joining the conversation with Salisbury is pop culture specialist Nancy Wang Yuen.
Attendees can purchase a signed copy of “Not Your China Doll” at the event.
About the Author
Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of “Not Your China Doll”, a new biography of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey”. She also writes the newsletter “Half-Caste Woman”. A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
About the Moderator:
Nancy Wang Yuen is a sociologist and pop culture expert. She is the author of “Reel Inequality: Hollywood and Racism” and co-author of “The Prevalence and Portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders Across 1,300 Popular Films”. She has appeared on multiple networks, including PBS, BBS World and Turner Classic Movies. She is a guest writer for CNN, Elle, LA Times, NBC, Newsweek, Today, and Vanity Fair. Yuen is currently writing a book about her life through the films and TV shows she grew up watching.
** CAM’s “Beyond the Page” series features conversations with AAPI authors and focuses on amplifying Asian American voices and their diverse experiences.
Kid’s Storytime
Register today: https://camla.org/storytime
Join the Chinese American Museum and Miss Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for this month’s Kids’ Storytime on Tuesday, March 12, at 4pm PDT. Miss Rita will be reading “I Can Open It for You” by Shinsuke Yoshitake.
This book is suitable for ages 4-8, though we welcome children of all ages with parental supervision.
“Kids’ Storytime” is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library with stories read by Children’s Librarian Rita Law.
About the book:
“I Can Open It for You” is about a young boy named Akira, who is too small to open packages for himself and must always rely on grown-ups to help him. But Akira hopes that one day, hopefully soon, he can open more than packages on his own. In this book, acclaimed author-illustrator, Shinsuke Toshitake, explores a child’s feelings about growing up and learning to do things on one’s own, leading to exciting new experiences.
About the author:
“I Can Open It for You” is one of Shinsuke Yoshitake’s many children’s stories. Born in Kamakura, Japan, Yoshitake mainly creates illustrations and sketch books. He uses humor and wit to connect readers with his characters and draws much of his inspiration from his children and his own childhood. He also aspires to make illustrations that both kids and adults can enjoy in their own ways.
Kids Storytime
Join the Chinese American Museum and Miss Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for this month’s Kids Storytime on Thursday, February 15th at 4pm PST. Miss Rita will be reading “Wish Soup: A Celebration of Seollal” by Junghwa Park.
This book is suitable for ages 4-8, though we welcome children of all ages with parental supervision.
This program is hosted virtually on Zoom. The link will be sent via email closer to the date of the program.
“Kids Storytime” is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library with stories read by Children’s Librarian Rita Law.
About the book: This story follows Sohee, whose favorite part of the New Year is eating Tteokguk—a traditional Korean rice cake soup. This year, Sohee wants to eat as many bowls of tteokguk as she can, so she can finally be considered a “big girl” by her family. However, Sohee soon learns that being a big girl is more than just about how many bowls of tteokguk one can eat.
About the authors: Park Junghwa is a Korean-American author and illustrator who currently lives in New Jersey. She graduated with a BFA in Illustration and was the Grand Prize Winner of SCBWI’s Winter 2020 Portfolio Showcase. “Wish Soup” is her North American author-illustrator debut, having published several works in Korea, beforehand.
Join the Chinese American Museum and Miss Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for this month’s Kids Storytime on Thursday, January 11th at 4pm PST. Miss Rita will be reading “This is Not My Home” by Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh.
This book is suitable for ages 4-8, though we welcome children of all ages with parental supervision.
This program is hosted virtually on Zoom. The link will be sent via email closer to the date of the program.
“Kids Storytime” is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library with stories read by Children’s Librarian Rita Law.
About the book: Co-written and illustrated by Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh, “This is Not My Home” is about a fourth grader named Lily who immigrates from the United States to the Taiwan to care for her grandmother. Lily is scared and upset to leave behind her life and friends. In Taiwan, school is difficult for her, and she feels sad. However, through friendship, family, and love, she begins to see that the United States and Taiwan can both be home for her. The book features a unique cartoon illustration style that captures Lily’s emotions.
About the authors: “This is Not My Home” is the first children’s book from authors Vivienne Cheng and Eugenia Yoh. The writing and illustrating duo met at Washington University. Eugenia studied Communication Design and works for Chronicle Books, and Vivienne studies Economics. They hope their books tell relatable stories through humor.
Check out the menu to the left to navigate through CAM through the years!