Create prints with sunlight in a hands-on activity inspired by the cyanotypes of Wu Chi-Tsung, a featured artist in Lightscapes: Re-envisioning the Shanshuihua 光之景: 山水畫的當代想像. You’ll be able to make your own cyanotype prints and visit the immersive exhibition. Admission to the museum and this family program is FREE. All materials will be provided. Event page.

Family History Workshop

Saturday, June 8, 2019 | 2:30 – 3:30pm

Southern California Genealogical Society

417 Irving Dr | Burbank, CA 91504

CAM will present a Family History workshop at the Southern California Genealogical Society. This workshop will explore family activities that encourage recording and interpreting family histories through inter-generational exchange. There will be a brief introduction about the museum and discussion on how to facilitate your own family history activities with children 4th grade and up. All materials will be provided; participants will receive a copy of the museum’s publication “Family History Scrapbook,” which features twelve engaging activities based on topics of immigration, recipes, food, celebrations, heirlooms, jobs, and music. Event page.

To RSVP, email rsvp@camla.org with the subject line “Family History Workshop.”

Family Day – Storytime

Saturday, April 27, 2019 | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Chinese American Museum

425 N. Los Angeles Street | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Listening and sharing our stories is a great way to learn about each other. Join us for scheduled book readings at the museum. Hands-on activities will accompany the story-time readings throughout the day including a Spring tea meditation and art-making. Admission to the museum and this family program is FREE. All materials will be provided. Event page.

150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad Lecture

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 | 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Chinese American Museum

425 N. Los Angeles Street | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join us for a lecture and reception commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad with speaker and Associate Professor Julia H. Lee of the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine.

On May 10, 1869, the railroads were joined in Promontory, Utah linking the east and west coasts. Facing poverty and civil war at home, laborers from Guangdong Province in China left home to make a living to support their families. Chinese railroad laborers were the first wave of Chinese immigrants in the United States and were recruited by railroad labor contractors to do dangerous and difficult jobs. This lecture will explore how the contributions of these workers to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad were ignored and erased from the historical record and how Chinese American authors, artists, and descendants of the railroad workers have responded to this injustice as well as to the broader exclusion of Asians from the United States. Event page.

Survival and Loss: A Joint Discussion of Los Angeles and San Francisco Chinatowns

Thursday, March 7, 2019 | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Room #405 (4th Floor)

501 North Main Street | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join California Historical Society and the Chinese American Museum at our host venue, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes for a panel discussion on the dual creation, maintenance, preservation, and future of Los Angeles and San Francisco’s Chinatowns. Moderated by UC Riverside Associate Professor of History and Director of the Public History Program, Catherine Gudis, we will explore with historians, advocates, artists, and media specialists how these two Chinatowns emerged, were threatened, survived, and thrived. We will also consider possible futures for both as well as posit how we all can better celebrate and support these two historic spaces.

After the panel, join us at the Chinese American Museum for light snacks and a special evening viewing our exhibitions.

Speakers:

Moderated by: Cathy Gudis | Associate Professor of History and Director of UC Riverside’s Public History Program

Nayan Shah | Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California

Eddie Wong | Co-founder of Visual Communications

Steven Wong | Curator at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, formerly Interim Executive Director and Curator of the Chinese American Museum

Judy Tzu-Chun Wu | Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine.

Visit the Facebook event page here. Download the event flyer here.

Meet our Moderator:

Cathy Gudis is Associate Professor of History and Director of UC Riverside’s Public History Program. She has worked for over twenty years with art and history museums, in historic preservation, and on multi-platform, place-based projects that focus on Southern California and explore how public space is privatized, landscapes racialized, and inequalities of access sustained. She co-founded two collectives: Project 51, whose Play the LA River urges Angelinos to reclaim the L.A. River as public space, and the Bureau of Goods Transport, a clearinghouse to explore the history and import of logistics from the LA Ports to the Inland Empire. Currently, Cathy is piloting the Relevancy & History Project partnership between UCR and California State Parks, aimed to foster community engagement and co-produce more inclusive historical interpretation. The author of Buyways: Billboards, Automobiles, and the American Landscape (Routledge, 2004) and coedited anthologies and articles on visual culture, Cathy is working on a book entitled Skid Row, By Design: History, Community, and Activism in Downtown L.A.

About our Panelists:

Nayan Shah is Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California. He is a historian with expertise U.S. and Canadian immigration, public health, law and Asian American political, social and cultural movements. Professor Shah wrote two award-winning books, Stranger Intimacy: Contesting Race, Sexuality and the Law in the North American West (University of California Press, 2011) and Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown (University of California Press, 2001). He has worked with the National Park Service, Angel Island Foundation and the New York Historical Society to preserve, interpret and convey the history of Asian Americans. To learn more about his research projects and publications visit https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1043400.

Eddie Wong was one of the founders of Visual Communications where he directed the documentary films Wong Sinsaang, Pieces of a Dream, and Chinatown Two-Step. He served as Executive Director of NAATA/Center for Asian American Media from 1996 to 2006 and was the Executive Producer of Kelly Loves Tony and the series Searching for Asian America for PBS.

He later became the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) and produced several short video profiles of immigrants who were detained at Angel Island. In 2014, he served as Guest Curator for the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center’s “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America,” an online photo and video exhibition. His article “Broken Blossoms – Four Chinese Women and Their Journey from Slavery to Freedom” was published as the cover story in Prologue, the magazine of the National Archives, in Spring 2016.

He is currently co-curating “At First Light: The Dawn of Asian Pacific America,” a retrospective of Visual Communications first 20 years of documentary work in still photography, film, and video. The exhibit will be on display at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles from May 25, 2019 to October 20, 2019.

Steven Wong was born in the City of Angeles at Queen of Angels Hospital, a place that no longer exists. He is currently a curator at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park. Previously he was the Interim Executive Director and the senior staff curator at the Chinese American Museum where he developed and implemented both contemporary art and history exhibitions. Steven has lectured at UC Santa Barbara and was an adjunct professor at Ventura College and Pasadena City College in Asian American Studies, History and Art Studio Departments. Since 2001 Steven has been collecting vintage postcards primarily depicting Los Angeles’ Chinatown and has amassed over 300 postcards; some of which he has transformed into art and public engagement projects over the years. Steven holds a Masters in Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (1998) and a Master in Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2000).

Judy Tzu-Chun Wu is a professor and chair of the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine. She received her Ph.D. in U.S. History from Stanford University and previously taught for seventeen years at Ohio State University. She authored Dr. Mom Chung of the Fair-Haired Bastards: the Life of a Wartime Celebrity (University of California Press, 2005) and Radicals on the Road: Internationalism, Orientalism, and Feminism during the Vietnam Era (Cornell University Press, 2013). Her current book project, a collaboration with political scientist Gwendolyn Mink, explores the political career of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color U.S. congressional representative and the co-sponsor of Title IX. Wu also co-edited Women’s America: Refocusing the Past, 8th Edition (Oxford 2015), Gendering the Trans-Pacific World (Brill 2017), and Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies (2012-2017). She also co-edits Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 (Alexander Street Press).

In partnership with the Chinese American Museum, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Commemoration of the Chinese Massacre of 1871

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Pico House

424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

On October 24, 1871, seventeen Chinese men including a 15-year-old were killed by a mob in Los Angeles’ historic Chinatown. Known as the Chinese Massacre of 1871, it was the culmination of growing anti-Chinese sentiment leading to racially motivated violence. The incident is said to have begun when Officer Jesus Bilderrain and rancher Robert Thompson responded to a gunfight between members of rival Chinese tongs that broke out resulting in the death of tong fighter Ah Choy. Officer Bilderrain was wounded and Robert Thompson was mortally wounded while responding to the altercation.
Word spread about the shooting of Officer Bilderrain and the death of Thompson, which sparked a riot that lasted for three hours and involved a mob of 500 Angelenos entering Chinatown to loot Chinese homes and businesses and to assault every Chinese person they could find. Join the Chinese American Museum and community leaders to commemorate all the lives lost on this fateful day 147 years ago.

Following the program, the museum will be open to view the exhibitions from 8-9 pm.

Visit the Facebook event page here. Download the event flyer here.

This program is presented by the Chinese American Museum and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Event Chair is David Louie, Commissioner of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Major support provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum with additional support provided by the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation – Los Angeles.

 

13th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar

Saturday, October 20, 2018 | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

USC Doheny Library

3550 Trousdale Pkwy | Los Angeles, CA 90089

CELEBRATING THE ASIAN AMERICAN LGBTQ+ EXPERIENCE

Thursday, October 4, 2018 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Chinese American Museum

425 N. Los Angeles St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

CELEBRATING THE ASIAN AMERICAN LGBTQ+ EXPERIENCE brings together queer identified artists, musicians, and writers in historic downtown Los Angeles at the Chinese American Museum for Lambda Literary’s LitFest 2018. CAM’s current exhibit “Don’t Believe The Hype: LA Asian Americans in Hip Hop” challenges and redefines what hip hop represents, specifically within the Asian American community and how hip hop itself allows for more exploration for gender and sexual identity, defying expectations of “traditional” expectations. But whose expectations shape our experiences? Our community, our parents, ourselves? What does it mean to be queer and Asian American and how does one experience inform the other? Lambda Literary and CAM invite you to explore the exhibit and join us for a panel discussion with D’LO, NATHAN RAMOS, KAY ULUNDAY BARRETT, KITTY TSUI, ADDIE TSAI, MAYA REDDY, and moderated by CB LEE, presented with support from The Gaysian Project. Facebook event page here.

REPRESENT, REPRESENT!
Asian Americans in Hip Hop

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Pico House

424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

CAM presents a summer evening of music by DJ Phatrick and speakers discussing representation of Asian Americans in the hip hop music industry. Don’t Believe the Hype: LA Asian Americans in Hip Hop, CAM’s current exhibition, explores the genre as an outlet of expression and as a site of resistance for the Asian American community. Speakers including Arnel Calvario, Jason Chu, DJ Kuttin Kandi, DJ Phatrick, and Richie Traktivist will explore how the community disrupts the passive “model minority” stereotype by pursuing artistic careers in hip hop as dancers, rappers, DJs, and producers and their challenges of navigating the music industry.

A Q&A discussion moderated by the co-curators Justin Hoover and Ninochka McTaggart, PhD will follow the presentations. This event also celebrates the launch of the zine published in conjunction with the exhibition. Extended hours Aug. 23: museum will be open from 5:00 to 6:30 pm before the program.

Major support for this program is provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum with additional support provided by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

RSVP on Eventbrite.

Help us spread the word: download the flyer.

Family Day

Sunday, July 29, 2018 | 11:30 am – 3:00 pm

CAM Workshop Space

425 N. Los Angeles St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join us for a day of printmaking to celebrate the museum’s latest exhibition Don’t Believe the Hype: LA Asian Americans in Hip Hop. Inspired by the silk-screened tote bags created by LA-based artist Shark Toof, you’ll be able to create your own prints using paint on paper. Add your own artistic flair by etching your custom designs on foam printing plates. After completing your masterpiece, visit the museum and explore the exhibition. Admission to the museum and workshop are free. Materials will be provided.

RSVP on Eventbrite.

Catalog Launch + Panel

Friday, February 23, 2018 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Pico House
424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join us in celebrating the release of Circles and Circuits: Chinese Caribbean Art exhibition catalog with a reception and panel discussion featuring co-curator Alex Chang, catalog contributors: Lok Siu and Sean Metzger, and artists featured in the exhibition including Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Richard Fung, and Yoland Skeete. The evening will include a screening of short films by Richard Fung, Peter Chin, and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons during the reception. Visit Circles and Circuits II: Contemporary Chinese Caribbean Art at the Chinese American Museum before the reception and panel.  Extended hours — the museum will be open until 7pm on February 23, 2018. More details to come!

Lead support for this exhibition and publication is provided through grants from the Getty Foundation. Major support provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum with additional support provided by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

RSVP by February 15: rsvp@camla.org

PST Family Day: Photomontages

Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pico House
424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join us at the Pico House for a hands-on activity that takes a spin on
portraits. Inspired by Albert Chong’s photographs, families can
decorate their own photos with flowers, shells, and pebbles to create
a photomontage. Either bring in a photograph or print one out at a
printer station!

Accompanying our arts and crafts activity, the Chinese American Museum
will also host 3 docent led tours of the new exhibition, Circles and
Circuits II: Contemporary Chinese Caribbean Art. Learn about the
Chinese Caribbean diaspora and engage in a conversation about culture
and identity. Tours are approximately 30 mins long, running at 11:30
AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM. Each tour is limited to 10 adults with
children and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please
sign in at the front desk. RSVP to rsvp@camla.org.

This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Circles and Circuits, part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, on view in two parts at the Chinese American Museum and California African American Museum. Lead support for the exhibition and program is provided through grants from the Getty Foundation. Major support is provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum.

 

Engaged Landscape

Saturday, November 4, 2017 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Gateway to Nature Center
130 Paseo de la Plaza | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hurricanes and marine pollution are environmental issues threatening the Caribbean. Artists in Circles and Circuits engage the Caribbean landscape in their work and challenge the image of the islands as “paradise.” Join us all day at the Gateway to Nature Center for a workshop featuring interpretive exhibits on the Caribbean environment and a hands-on art activity reusing natural resources like seashells and flowers. Co-presented by the Chinese American Museum and Western National Parks Association, this program is held in conjunction with Grand Avenue Arts: All Access and DTLA Regional Weekend in celebration of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA. Lead support for the exhibition and program is provided through grants from the Getty Foundation. Major support is provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum with additional support for the program provided by Western National Parks Association. For more information on DTLA Arts & Culture Regional Weekend events, visit grandavearts.tumblr.com/dtlaregionalweekend.

A Musical Journey feat. The Simpkin Project and Chinee Goldentouch

 

Friday, October 6, 2017 | 6:00 pm
Pico House
424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Across the street from CAM
Free to the Public | Please reserve a seat by emailing RSVP@camla.org

Co-presented by the Chinese American Museum and VP Records, join us at
Pico House for a reggae concert featuring The Simpkin Project and
Chinee Goldentouch. There will be a pre-concert talk about the Chinese
influence on Caribbean music highlighting Jamaica-born Pat Chin,
co-founder of VP Records -the largest independent reggae music
distributor. This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition
Circles and Circuits, part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, which
explores the art of the Chinese Caribbean diaspora from the early 20th
century to the present day. Pacific Standard Time is an initiative of
the Getty. Lead support for the exhibition is provided through grants
from the Getty Foundation. Major support for the exhibition and
program is provided by the Friends of the Chinese American Museum with
additional support for the program provided by VP Records.  Limited
capacity. RSVP to rsvp@camla.org.

 

Movements, then and Now

Wednesday, April 12th, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Pico House
424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Across the street from CAM
Free to the Public | Please reserve a seat by emailing RSVP@camla.org

Asian American history is bound to activism, as CAM’s newest exhibition “Roots: Asian American Movements in Los Angeles, 1968 – 1980’s” demonstrates.  Yet the struggles of Asian American communities today- around immigrant rights, intersectional frameworks, housing & gentrification, economic justice, anti-blackness, artistic expression, and more- both resonate and simultaneously diverge with earlier movements.  In this urgent time, how do we stand for the oppressed and marginalized communities?  “Movements, then and Now,” a cross-generational and cross-movement discussion offers a space to recognize and consider these questions, connections to the past, and the future of Asian American activism.

Featuring:

Taz Ahmed
Phyllis Chiu
Alice Hom
Nobuko Miyamoto
Trina Pasumbal

Moderated by Ryan Wong, exhibit curator.

The museum will be open for guests before the event at 5 pm.

Back to Our Roots – Food and Identity: A Night of Conversation

Monday, April 24th, 2017 | 7:00 pm
Pico House
424 N. Main St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Across the street from CAM
Free to the Public | Please reserve a seat by emailing RSVP@camla.org

Why are some cuisines deemed “ethnic” and others not?  Who is their presumed audience?  What stories do chefs and writers feel they’re expected to tell- and what stories, perhaps, would they prefer to tell?

Food is a powerful way to explore ideas around identity, authenticity, and power.  Featuring food writers and chefs from restaurants Good Girl Dinette, Chengdu Taste, Cassia, and more, “Back to Our Roots” offers insightful conversations and dialogue around food, culture, and authenticity.

Co-sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association.

Author Talk and Book Signing with Karen Ishizuka

Thursday, Feburary 9th, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Biscailuz Building
Basement
125 Paseo de la Plaza | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Across the plaza from CAM and across the street from Union Station
Free to the Public | Please reserve a seat by emailing RSVP@camla.org

Until the political ferment of the Long Sixties, there were no Asian Americans. There were only isolated communities of mostly Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos lumped together as “Orientals.” Serve the People tells the story of the social and cultural movement that knit these disparate communities into a political identity, the history of how—and why—the double consciousness of Asian America came to be.

Karen L. Ishizuka is a third-generation American of Japanese descent who was part of the Asian American movement in Los Angeles. She is the author of Lost and Found: Reclaiming the Japanese American Incarceration, as well as many published articles, and coeditor of Mining the Home Movie: Excavations in Histories and Memories. An award-winning documentary film producer and museum curator, she helped establish the Japanese American National Museum and received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese

Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese is a documentary that examines a little known aspect of the Chinese American experience. Writer, director and producer E. Samantha Cheng will be on hand to introduce the film and conduct a Q&A following the screening.

Thursday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

South Pasadena Library Community Room
1115 El Centro St.
South Pasadena

More information can be found here.

Friday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m.

Shadow Park Clubhouse
12800 South St.
Cerritos, Calif 90703

Part of the Southern Chinese Picnic event. Finding Cleveland will also be screened.
John Jung will introduce both documentaries

Contact Gordon Hom by emailing gcrdcn (at) yahoo (dot) com for more information.

Sunday, Nov. 20, 2-4 p.m.

Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library
318 S. Ramona Ave.
Monterey Park

More information can be found here.

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Commemoration of the 1871 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre

Monday, October 24, 2016 | 7pm – 7:30pm
Chinese American Museum
CAM Courtyard
425 N. Los Angeles St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Join the Chinese American Museum and local leaders on Monday, Oct. 24, as we observe the 145th anniversary of the Chinese massacre.

PARKING
There are many paid parking lots located around El Pueblo.  We are also conveniently located near several public transit stops and across the street from Union Station.

More information about parking can be found here:
http://elpueblo.lacity.org/GeneralInformation/Parking/index.htm

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Film Screening
The Home of My Heart

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 | 7:30pm
Chinese American Museum
425 N. Los Angeles St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012

Award-winning Hong Kong film director Can To will debut her latest production, “The Home of My Heart,” at the Chinese American Museum on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. The 45-minute documentary-style film will be presented in Chinese and English with subtitles.

“The Home of the Heart” tells the story of Melody, a young woman determined to preserve the home of her ancestors–a place on the brink of drastic changes. Melody’s journey takes her from Hong Kong to California, beginning in Taishan, a small region in Southern China known for the large number of immigrants to the United States during the 19th century.

Ms. To is co-founder of the Hong Kong-based independent film company, Canto Works. Before starting her own firm, she was a senior producer at Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), where she produced over 20 episodes of the acclaimed documentary series, Hong Kong Connection.

She is internationally acclaimed for such films as Little Photographer, the story of young photographers in Sichuan after the May 12, 2008 earthquake, which won the 2010 New York International Film Festival Gold Award; and A War Without Guns, a documentary about children orphaned by AIDS in China, which won the 2005 United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) Silver Award.

In addition to RTHK, To’s films have been broadcast by the Discovery Channel.

Seating for the free screening is limited.  Reservations may be made by email to rsvp@camla.org.

We gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors whose support have helped make this event possible.

 

Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China
A Discussion with Paula Madison

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 | 1:30pm -2:45pm
Cal State LA | University Student Union Theater
5154 State University Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90032

campus map: http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/maps/index.php

Free to the public | RSVP to rsvp@camla.org

In support of Winter 16 lecture of the AAAS Scholars Lecture Series at Cal State LA and “Tales of the Distant Past: The Story of Hong Kong and the Chinese Diaspora (A Tribute of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals)” exhibition at the Chinese American Museum

Three successful black siblings from Harlem, Paula Williams Madison and her brothers, Elrick and Howard Williams, were raised in Harlem by their Chinese Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe.  The three travel to the Toronto Hakka Chinese Conference to discover their heritage by searching for clues about their long-lost Chinese grandfather, Samuel Lowe. As the mystery of their grandfather’s life unfolds, the trio travels to Jamaica, to learn about grandfather’s life.

Taking family tree research to an epic proportion, the siblings and 16 of their family members travel to two Chinese cities, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Together, they visit their family’s ancestral village, finding documented lineage that dates their family back 3,000 years to 1006 BC. The trip culminates in an emotional and unforgettable family reunion with 300 of their grandfather’s Chinese descendants. Paula Madison will discuss her film and her journey in finding Samuel Lowe.

Author McCunn Explores APIs in Civil War

Saturday, September 12, 2015 | 10:00 am
Alhambra Civic Center Library

Award-winning author Ruthanne Lum McCunn uncovers a little known facet of Chinese American history when she presents Hidden History: Asians and Pacific Islanders in the American Civil War, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Alhambra Civic Center Library.

In recent years, researchers have learned that approximately 300 Asians and Pacific Islanders served in the Civil War.  McCunn’s latest book, Chinese Yankee, tells the true story of Thomas Sylvanus (Ah Yee Way), a Hong Kong orphan who was sent to America in the mid-1850s for schooling but was enslaved in Baltimore. He ultimately fled to the north and fought in the Freedom Army.

Open to the public free of charge, the Sept. 12^th program is presented by the Chinese Family History Group of Southern California in partnership with the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Chinese American Museum, and Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.

The library is located at 101 S. 1^st St., Alhambra.  Parking will be available in the Alhambra Civic Center lot.  For directions, call (626) 570-5008 or go to www.alhambralibrary.org/hours.html.

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The Changing LAndscape of the United States

Thursday, May 28, 2015 | 7:00pm
Chinese American Museum

Panel Discussion
Please email RSVP@camla.org to reserve a seat

50 Years since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act

The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act’s authors may not have fully realized the role that the Act would play in changing the face of the United States, and significantly increasing the number of Asian and Latino immigrants. This panel discussion will commemorate 50 years of this monumental point in American history and discuss its impact in Los Angeles.

This FREE event will be moderated by Linda Vo, Associate Professor of the Department of Asian American Studies, School of Humanities, of UC Irvine.

Panelists will include:

– Jose Calderon, Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies, Pitzer College
– The Honorable Mike Eng, Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Community College District
– Stewart Kwoh, President & Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Department of Cultural Affairs
OCA-GLA
UCLA Labor Center
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County
LA Plaza de Cultura Y Artes

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Signing of the Immigration Act of 1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson gives Edward (Ted) Kennedy a pen, while others, including Robert Kennedy and Vice President Hubert Humphrey look on

LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto

 

Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China
Screening and Author Talk with Paula Madison

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 | 6:30pm
Chinese American Museum

We love the overwhelming support of film screening of ‘Finding Samuel Lowe’ with Paula Madison on May 20th. Unfortunately, we have reached maximum capacity and cannot accept anymore RSVPs. Any guests that have sent their reservations to RSVP@camla.org should have received a confirmation from us.

If anyone who RSVP’d, but can no longer attend, please contact the front desk at 213.485.8567.

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Three successful black siblings from Harlem, Paula Williams Madison and her brothers, Elrick and Howard Williams, were raised in Harlem by their Chinese Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe. The three travel to the Toronto Hakka Chinese Conference to discover their heritage by searching for clues about their long-lost Chinese grandfather, Samuel Lowe. As the mystery of their grandfather’s life unfolds, the trio travels to Jamaica, to learn about grandfather’s life.

Taking family tree research to an epic proportion, the siblings and 16 of their family members travel to two Chinese cities, ShenZhen and GuangZhou. Together, they visit their family’s ancestral village, finding documented lineage that dates their family back 3,000 years to 1006 BC. The trip culminates in an emotional and unforgettable family reunion with 300 of their grandfather’s Chinese descendants.

Facebook: FindingSamuelLowe
Twitter and Instagram: @findingsamlowe

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Chinese Family History Group of Southern California
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
GE
Asian and Asian American Studies @ Cal State LA
Visual Communications
Asian American Studies Center @ UCLA

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Exploring the History of Chinese Pioneers: A Hike to Elysian Park

Saturday, May 2, 2015 | Starts at 8am
Chinese American Museum
Difficulty: easy, two star **, 7 miles; suitable for the whole family
Elevation gain/loss:   +600/-600 ft.

Join us for a half-day, 7-mile easy, half-street, half-trail hike to Elysian Park, concluding with a dim sum lunch.

Elysian Park was one of the training grounds for a secret army to support General Homer Lea/Dr. Sun Yat-Sen during the Chinese Revolution of 1911. A series of battles defeated the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China. The shooting range that trained 300 cadets during the Revolution is now the home of the Los Angeles Police Academy.

The hike will begin at the Chinese American Museum and end at a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. Historical highlights of these Chinese Pioneers will be shared during the hike. The registration cost will cover the cost of the meal. Participants who wish to opt-out of the dim sum lunch will still need to pay for the full price of registration.

Recommended materials to bring:

• 1 quart of water
• Snacks
• Hiking boots
• First aid kit
• Extra clothing

Please check the weather and dress accordingly. All participants must sign the liability waiver form before the hike; waivers can be viewed and downloaded here. Parents must provide consent and sign the waiver for participants under 18 years of age.

Please purchase your tickets in advance at here Brown Paper Ticket. For inquiries, please email rsvp@camla.org or call (213) 485-8567.

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Photo used with permission, creative common license, Eric Richardson, Flickr user ericrichardson

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Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants with Judy Yung

Saturday, March 28, 2015 | 10am
Chinese American Museum

Judy Yung, Professor Emeritus of American Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz and co-editor of the newly published 2^nd ed. of Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940, will discuss new research, poetry and oral histories of Chinese immigrants detained at the Angel Island Immigration Station.

Island tells these immigrants’ stories while underscoring their relevance to contemporary immigration issues. First published in 1980, this updated edition includes a new historical introduction, 150 annotated poems in Chinese and English translation, extensive profiles gleaned through oral histories, and dozens of additional photographs from public archives and family albums.

Books will be available for purchase and signed by Yung.

Space is limited. Reserve your space by emailing cfhgsc@gmail.com

Co-Presenters
家譜 Chinese Family History Group of Southern California – a Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) Interest Group and the Chinese American Museum

Community Partner
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California

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Lantern Festival
March 7, 12 Noon – 7 PM
Chinese American Museum

Visit www.camla.org/LALanternFestival for more details

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Social and Cultural Understandings of Being Disabled
December 14, 2014 | 3pm
Chinese American Museum

Join the Chinese American Museum as we explore the cultural barriers and stigmas surrounding mental, physical, and developmental disabilities in the Asian American community.

In Support of Transpacific Ties: Bridging Los Angeles and Hong Kong Through Art, an exhibit currently on view at the Chinese American Museum.

SPEAKERS

Raymond Kwong
Leadership Graduate
Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California

Francis Siu, Ph.D., C.R.C.
Special Education and Counseling
California State University,Los Angeles.

Peter Wong, Ph.D.
Research Director,
Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California

Please reserve your seat by emailing RSVP@camla.org

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Chinese American Citizens Alliance – Los Angeles Lodge
Exceptional Children’s Foundation
Charter College of Education – Cal State LA

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Chinese Islamic Cuisine: A Delectable Discussion
December 7, 2014 | 6pm

Chinese Islamic Restaurant
7727 E. Garvey Ave.
Rosemead, CA 91770

Directions to the Restaurant

$20 per person | $18 per CAM member

RSVP is required.  Space is limited.  You can reserve a seat by emailing rsvp@camla.org

Photography Courtesy of Rubina H. (yelp user)

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Liquid Heat: The Evolution, Production, and American Obsession of Hot Sauces
June 5, 2014 | 7pm
Chinese American Museum

Looking back to the 17th Century, Charles Perry discusses British attempts to make imitation soy sauce and its role in the evolution of hot sauces, and director Griffen Hammond screens his short documentary Sriracha that chronicles Huy Fong Food owner David Tran and the cult following that Sriracha has developed.

A Discussion by Charles Perry
Co-founder and President of the
Culinary Historians of Southern California

A Screening of Sriracha
by Griffin Hammond
Director and Writer

Community Partners
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Department of Cultural Affairs – Los Angeles
Cal Humanities
Culinary Historians of Southern California

*This project was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, visit www.calhum.org.

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A Decade of Change: Asian Pacific America from 2003-2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014 | 7pm
Chinese American Museum

The Chinese American Museum celebrates its 10th anniversary by reflecting on events, challenges, and achievements within Asian Pacific America during the past decade. We invite you to join us as community members look back at events, community issues and policies that have impacted our communities in recent history.

PANELISTS

• Warren Furutani, Director of  Serve the People Institute
• Stewart Kwoh, First Vice Chair, Board of Directors of Asian American Advancing Justice
• Ryan Wong, Curator of ‘Serve the People: The Asian American Movement in New York’

MODERATOR

Linda Vo, Department of Asian American Studies of University of California, Irvine

Please reserve your seat by emailing rsvp@camla.org or by calling 213.485.8567

‘A Decade of Change: Asian America from 2003-2014’ is part of CAM’s 10th Anniversary programming and observes Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

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Past Events

Let’s Dish it Out!  A Discussion on Asian American Foodies
May 13, 7 PM
Chinese American Museum

Asian Americans utilize social media more than any other ethnic group in the United States.  This may explain why there appears to be a disproportionate number of Asian American food bloggers and “Yelpers” in Los Angeles.  This panel explores the growing influence and role of Asian Americans in contemporary Los Angeles food trends. Are Asians Americans truly the new “taste-makers” in Los Angeles, or even nationally?

• Cathy Chaplin, writer of ” The Food Lover’s Guide to Los Angeles” and creator of gastronomyblog.com.
• Robert Ji-Song Ku, author of Dubious Gastronomy: The Cultural Politics of Eating Asian in the USA, co-editor of Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader, and Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at Binghamton University.

Reserve your seat by email rsvp@camla.org

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Cal Humanities
Department of Cultural Affairs – City of Los Angeles
OCA-GLA
Culinary Historians of Southern California
Project by Project

“This project was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, visit www.calhum.org.”

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Lantern Festival
March 1, 12 Noon – 10 PM
Chinese American Museum

Visit www.camla.org/LALanternFestival for more details

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Author Talk with Sylvia Sun Minnick
March 18th, 7 PM
Chinese American Museum

The Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles hosts community activist and author Sylvia Minnick on March 18, 2014. Abandoned as an infant and raised as a refugee in Japanese-occupied Malaya during World War II, Never a Burnt Bridge is a memoir of humility, humor and pluck.

Reserve your seat by email rsvp@camla.org

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Friends of the Chinatown Library
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Chinese American Citizens Alliance

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Past Events

CAM Exhibition Remix
January 19th, 2 – 4 PM
Chinese American Museum

Ten years ago CAM opened its doors to share with the public the Chinese American experience and the history in the region.  To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we revisit a few of these exhibits to discuss these topics through artistic expression. You will receive a unique experience of seeing selected works displayed once again, but this time, occupying the same space with one another to tell a new story.

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El Pueblo Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 6th, 5pm – 9:45pm
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

Kick off your holiday cheer with a season’s greeting card of your own making. Use the festive surroundings of El Pueblo to inspire memorable papercraft with your own personal holiday messages, guaranteed to generate warm smiles on a winter’s night. We provide the paper, markers, glue and scissors. You provide the creativity.

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Origins: Uncovering Your Family History
December 14th, 10am – Noon
Chinese American Museum

In partnership with the Chinese Family History Group of Southern California, the Chinese America Museum will host Origins: Uncovering Your Family History on Saturday, December 14^th at 10am to assist those who are beginning their quest to research and record their Chinese family histories.

Do you wish you knew more about your family’s history in China and in America, but don’t quite know how to begin to do the research? Do you want to find out how and why your ancestors immigrated and what kind of lives they led once they settled here? Would you like to uncover information and stories about your ancestors and their descendants, perhaps to construct your family tree, record your family history, or pen a biography of an interesting relative?

Join us as we share important resources for Chinese family history research and genealogy, tips on interviewing your relatives, visiting the National Archives to find immigration and Exclusion Act files, and what to know about Chinese names when doing research. Speakers will also highlight stories and case studies from their personal research on their ancestors.

Event is open to the public.  Please reserve your seat by emailing rsvp@camla.org

SPONSORS
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Friends of the Chinatown Library
Asian Pacific Resource Center – County of Los Angeles Library
Asian Pacific American Library Association
Pacific Asia Museum

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Monterey Park in the 80s and 90s:
Storefront Signage and the English-Only Movement
November 14th, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Chinese American Museum

On Thursday, November 14th at 6:30pm, the Chinese American Museum will host a panel discussion on the controversy that enraged the ethnically diverse community of Monterey Park. Beginning in the 80s, the Slow-Growth movement and the English-Only movement, were attempts to slow down the population growth and limit Chinese language storefront signage. A recent review of the general code regarding signage in August 2013 has reignited the debate.

Join community members Jose Calderon, Ph.D. and Leland Saito, Ph.D. as they share how they organized against these movements; Los Angeles Times journalist Frank Shyong will also discuss his coverage of the community’s reactions this year when Monterey Park was forced to confront its past.

Event is open to the public.

Please reserve your seat on facebook or by emailing rsvp@camla.org.

More information on Monterey Park and the English-Only Movement can be found here: goo.gl/dYPX6c

Sponsors:
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Cal State LA – Asian & Asian Americans Studies Program
C.A.C.A. – Los Angeles Lodge
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Pitzer College’s Center for Asian Pacific American Students

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Unity Observance
October 24th, 7 – 8:30 PM
Chinese American Museum

In Los Angeles on October 24, 1871, a mob of 500 local vigilantes publicly lynched and shot to death 18 Chinese men and boys in one of the most deadly incidents of racial violence ever recorded in the American West.  In the late 1800s and 1900s, anti-Chinese sentiment spread across the America and outbreaks of violence were recorded in Washington, Wyoming and Mexico against the Chinese.

The Chinese American Museum will host a discussion on October 24, 2013 to mark the 142nd year of the Chinese Massacre.  The event will feature a short film from film-maker Valerie Soe and a discussion from Dr. Robert Romero.  The Honorable Mike Eng will close the evening.

Event is open to the public.

Please reserve your seat by emailing rsvp@camla.org

More information can be found on our facebook event page by clicking here.

Sponsors:

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Cal State LA – Asian & Asian Americans Studies Program
Visual Communications
C.A.C.A. – Los Angeles Lodge
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
OCA-GLA
UCLA Asian American Studies Center

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Shaping Los Angeles: The History Behind Historic Chinatown and Union Station
August 10th, 1 – 3:00 PM
Chinese American Museum

Join the Chinese American Museum and our community partners as we explore the significance of Alameda and Los Angeles Street while taking a closer look at the location of both Historic Chinatown and Union Station.

More information can be found on our facebook event page by clicking here.

Past Events

2013 Lantern Festival
March 2nd, Noon – 7:00 PM
Chinese American Museum

Join us for the 12th annual Lantern Festival and street fair. More information here.

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2013 National Art Contest
Deadline for Submissions: March 8th, 3:00 PM

The Chinese American Citizens Alliance’s National Art Competition in Parntership with the Chinese American Musiceum are pleased to announce a juried nationwide art competition for students during the 2012-1013 school year. Click here for more information.

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N is for Neighborhood
Sunday, September 23, 2012 with Audrey Chan
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
CAM at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
No RSVP required

Join artist Audrey Chan in an activity sure to stimulate your creativity. This interactive,
family-friendly workshop encourages visitors to create original artworks about their unique neighborhoods. Families will craft postcards and participate in a collaborative video inspired by letters of the alphabet.

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16th Annual Historymakers Awards Banquet!
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
5p.m. President’s Reception & Silent Auction /6:30 p.m. Dinner & Awards Program
Venue to be announced

Join Honorary Diner Chair, Charlie Woo, and the Board of the Friends of the Chinese American Museum at the 16th Annual Historymakers Awards Banquet! Prominently recognized as one of the premiere Chinese American events in Southern California, the Banquet honors the achievements of extraordinary individuals who have made a significant impact or lasting contributions towards the advancement of the Chinese American community and beyond in the fields of art, literature, journalism, medicine, film, science, business, government, law, athletics, and their community. In addition, the Banquet also serves as the major annual fundraiser for CAM, helping to raise critical funds to cover operational and program costs.

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Artist Tour and Discussion
Sunday, October 28th
2–3 p.m. General Public / 3–4 p.m. Members only*
CAM at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

Learn more about the creative process and the inspiration behind the art on an in-depth tour with the exhibition artists. Whether shaped by personal experience or influenced by historical or current events, the works of art featured in the exhibit take on a grand life of their own, adding visual commentary to the rapidly changing views of Chinatown. Featured artists to be announced.

To RSVP, call (213) 485-8567 or email rsvp@camla.org by Friday, October 26.
* The 3–4 p.m. members-only event includes refreshments and conversations with the artists.

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The Accidental Sociologist in Asian American Studies – Book Talk and Signing with Professor Min Zhou
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 7:00PM
at Chinese American Museum
425 N. Los Angeles Street | Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Chinese American Museum & the UCLA Asian American Studies Center Endowed Chairs Research Series are pleased to present The Accidental Sociologist in Asian American Studies – Book Talk and Signing with Professor Min Zhou. The Accidental Sociologist recounts Min Zhou’s journey of critically examining the ever-changing experience of Chinese/Asian Americans. Zhou will discuss how contemporary patterns of Chinese immigration, settlement, and integration differ from those of the past and how Chinese Americans are positioned in 21st-century American society. Particular attention will be paid to the San Gabriel Valley.

Books will be available for purchase. The talk will be followed by a reception and a tour of the Chinese American Museum. For more information on the event, contact UCLA Asian American Studies Center: www.aasc.ucla.edu / 310-825-2975. Click here for the FLYER

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Stories From Chinese America: An Arthur Dong Dvd Release Event and Reception
Saturday, November 6, 2010 / 3:00pm – 5:00pm
The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
(111 N. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012)

Come celebrate the launch of a new, limited-edition DVD anthology by renowned documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong. Headlining the event will be a screening of the newly scored 1916 silent film, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON, the earliest known Chinese American feature film that Arthur helped to rescue during his work on the documentary, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE.

Dong will be present to give a tour of the many hours of extra archival and interview footage that comes with this new DVD anthology. A reception sponsored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, with a donation by API Equality-LA, will follow the screening.

Presented by Visual Communications and co-presented with the Chinese American Museum, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, API Equality-LA, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Organization of Chinese Americans – Greater Los Angeles chapter.

Click here for the event flier [pdf].

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Hollywood Chinese Film Screening and Curator Talk with Arthur Dong
Thursday, December 3, 2009 / 6–8 p.m.
CAM at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
Co-presented by Visual Communications

Lights, camera, action! The film that inspired the exhibit—Arthur Dong’s Award-Winning documentary, Hollywood Chinese! The 90-minute film screening was kicked-off with an insightful Curator Talk with Arthur Dong, where he discussed the origins, inspirations and motivations for the Hollywood Chinese project.

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“Shanghai Girls” Book Talk with Lisa See / Thursday, October 29, 2009 / 6–8 p.m.
CAM at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

Presented in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves’ Community Conversation series, New York Times best-selling author Lisa See presented and signed her latest novel “Shanghai Girls” (2009), which follows the story of two sisters through 1930s Shanghai, Angel Island, and Los Angeles Chinatown. This program continued the dialogue of Chinese and Chinese American presence in Hollywood sparked by the exhibit, Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection.

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Hollywood Chinese Red Carpet Exhibit Reception / Friday, October 23, 2009 / 6–8 p.m.
CAM at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

CAM members enjoyed a Hollywood-styled grand opening of the Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection exhibit complete with red carpet access! The celebratory evening included celebrity guests, delicious refreshments, and an exclusive opportunity to preview the blockbuster exhibition before it opened to the general public.

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The 13th Annual Historymakers Awards Banquet Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
5pm President’s Reception and Silent Auction/ 6:30pm Dinner
Hilton Hotel in Universal City

A premiere event in Southern California, this annual banquet heralds the inspiring achievements of individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the Chinese American community. In addition, this event also serves as the chief fundraiser for CAM. We invite you to make history with us as a guest, sponsor or volunteer! Click here for more info: Historymakers 2009

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New CAM Website / Launch date: May 2009

Check out CAM’s new website! The newly designed site will feature an inviting modern look that balances Chinese design elements with a local, contemporary vibe. Improved user-friendly navigation, a cleaner, streamlined homepage, quality presentation of cultural, historical and educational content and interactive features like secured online membership registration, a search engine, and social media tags will enhance the user experience. In celebration of the launch, all online membership sign-ups and renewals during the months of May and June will receive a free gift! See details below.

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Special Membership Promotion / May and June 2009

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the launch of our newly redesigned website, CAM will be offering a special membership promotion beginning May 1, 2009 thru June 30, 2009. All ONLINE membership sign-ups and renewals will receive a FREE “Hollywood Chinese” documentary poster autographed by award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong. This keepsake gift is a prelude to CAM’s upcoming blockbuster exhibition, “Hollywood Chinese” opening this fall. The gifts are for pick-up only at the museum, one poster per membership signup and/or renewal, while supplies last.

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CAM co-presents three films at the 25th Anniversary Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival / April 30 – May 7, 2009

CAM is proud to co-present three noteworthy films at Visual Communications’ (VC) 25th Anniversary Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, happening April 30, 2009 – May 7, 2009! Join us in supporting VC and the film festival by purchasing tickets at www.vcoline.org. We hope to see you at the screenings of:

WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?:

On June 9 1982, at the height of anti-Japanese fervor in the U.S. Vincent Chin, a Chinese American Draftsman, was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by two autoworkers. Christine Choy and Renee Tajima’s Academy Award-nominated documentary explores the Vincent Chin Story, raising questions about the complexity of race relations, immigrant life, and labor hostilities during a period of US “trade war” with Japan.

CHILDREN OF INVENTION:

Based on Tze Chun’s own award-winning short film WINDOWBREAKER, which screened at the 2007 Los Angles Asian Pacific Film Festival, CHILDREN OF INVENTION is a drama about the influence of an adult world on children, the immigrant mentality, and shortcuts to the American dream.

DIM SUM FUNERAL*:

In a stately home, sixty-something Mrs. Xiao lies in her bed, immobile, eyes shut. Her longtime housekeeper and, some might say her only friend, Viola Gruber, must now call each of the four children to inform them their mother has passed away. All the Xiao children had issues with their mother. Mrs. Xiao had made them compete for her affections pitting one against the other, and, so they came to view one another as opponents. And they still do. Now here they are, gathered in the mansion built by their late father… to bid farewell to their mother.

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Democracy and Diversity Art Contest / Dec. 14, 2008 – March 6, 2009

The Chinese American Museum in partnership with the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A) is launching a public art contest for students in grades K-12. Themed Democracy and Diversity, students are encouraged to submit artwork and a brief statement that reflects what democracy means to them. Twenty-four winners will be chosen from this contest.

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Lantern Festival 2009 / Saturday, February 7, 2009

Everyone’s favorite community tradition is celebrating its eighth year at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument! Lantern Festival 2009 will spotlight the sights and sounds of this popular Chinese holiday with a recreation of a traditional village street fair featuring brilliant lantern displays, exciting stage performances, a variety of interactive workshops showcasing Chinese traditional and culturally-diverse arts and crafts, and a new evening film screening to experience. Save the date now — participation at the festival will be free of charge as always!

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Underground Undergrads: UCLA Undocumented Immigrant Students Speak Out / March 8 at 1pm at CAM

CAM is proud to partner with the Organization of Chinese Americans, UCLA Labor Center, and the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council to present an in-depth discussion based on a new UCLA Labor Center book, Underground Undergrads that profile immigrant students and the issues and struggles they face in completing their degrees without the aid of governmental financial assistance. Admission is free, please RSVP by calling (213) 485-8567 by March 5, 2009.