Monthly Newsletter | September 2020 |
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Museum Hours
10/1/2020 - 10/31/2020
Tue-Fri: 9:30 am to 2 pm
Sat-Sun: 11 am to 3 pm
Since reopening in July, CAMOC has followed the strict safety guidelines established by the City and health officials to ensure the health of our visitors and employees. We take great pride in practicing and enforcing best practices including: requiring face coverings for all individuals and providing additional PPE, visual signage regarding hygiene and social distancing, limiting space capacity to 25%, frequent temperature checks, and constant sanitization of surfaces.
In light of the current COVID-19 health and safety concerns, we have moved all events to virtual platforms. We hope you can join us in person during our open hours, as well as online for our upcoming events!
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| From the Executive Director|
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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! “Zhōngqiū kuàilè” in Mandarin.
Mid-Autumn Festival of this year will fall on October 1st (Thursday) when you can see the roundest moon in the autumn. May the round moon bring you a happy family and a successful future!
We will have four exciting events in October and you can find them below. Our virtual Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few days away. You don’t want to miss it so please RSVP here now if you haven’t done so.
2020 Election Day is November 3rd (Tuesday). Deadline for online registration is October 18th (Sunday), by mail must be postmarked by October 6th (Tuesday), and in person is November 3rd (Tuesday). That being said, our virtual screening of documentary First Vote is on October 8th (Thursday), just in time to remind people to vote or to register to vote.
Our annual fundraiser is also in October. It will be on October 28th (Wednesday) at 7pm on a virtual platform. We need your support! More information will be sending out in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Ben Lau
Executive Director
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| September Highlights|
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WGN-TV includes Chinatown as one of many diverse and culturally historic neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side. The reporting crew recently took a tour of the museum to cover the history of Chinatown:
"It was just over 100 years ago when widespread racism and exorbitant rents started to drive the newly immigrated Chinese community out of the downtown area. Centers such as the Chinese American Museum on 23rd Street serve as a reminder of a discriminatory past, as well as triumph over persecution."
You can view their full coverage here. |
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CAMOC Joins CBCAC and ICIRR's Mid-Autumn Festival in Ping Tom Park |
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Since March, Chinatown organizations have been rallying for community members to fill out the 2020 Census. This month, we added a census and voter registration station in our Museum lobby, where we welcomed individuals to come and be counted! Our Museum joined CBCAC (Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community) and ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights) to reflect on our efforts. We celebrated our accomplishments, shared our goals and aspirations for the community, and asked for more luck in the coming decade. |
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Chinatown Museum Foundation Associate Board |
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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. |
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CAMOC Together Against COVID-19 Special Collection |
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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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Welcome Artist-In-Residence Lucy P. Liu
Lucy P. Liu is a Scissor Paper-Cutting Artist, Instructor, and Presenter. Lucy is a member of the Guild of American Papercutters (GAP). We warmly welcome her as our Artist-in-Residence!
Her artwork has been juried and exhibited at many art galleries and shows. Lucy has been commissioned to do demonstrations at BP in 2011, and at the opening ceremony for Asian American Heritage Month held by the Chicago Public Library in 2013. In 2020, she was commissioned to give a live presentation paper-cutting exhibit at the Lunar New Year Celebration Festival held by the Art Institute of Chicago, which drew an audience of thousands.
Lucy has taught Chinese paper-cutting courses at Benedictine University, the Center for Lifelong Learning, Chicago Public Libraries, the University of Chicago, and many other museums and schools. Lucy also teaches online papercutting workshops. She has uniquely fused scissor paper-cutting art with storytelling, medication, and self-care, enriching the very art itself.
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|New Exhibition in Preparation|
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Eating bitterness: Stories of Chinese American Cuisine (opening Date TBD)
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Through waves of Chinese immigrants beginning with California’s gold rush pioneers, Chinese American cuisine continuously transformed itself up to modern times where it is now becoming more authentic and reflects a variety of regional styles. Come explore this fascinating history, experience our restaurateur stories and cooking demonstrations, and examine the complex history of Chicago Chinese American restaurants. |
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Date: Saturday, October 3, 2020
Start time: 5pm CDT
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional events in Asia, like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West. Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the round shape and completeness of the full moon symbolize family and friends reunion. In light of COVID-19 health and safety concerns, we have decided to move this year's festival to a virtual platform. This interactive site includes videos of storytelling, performances, poetry, lantern making, and museum and park tours.
As the famous Mid-Autumn poem by 蘇軾 (Su Shi) goes, "但願人長久，千里共嬋娟." (May we all be blessed with longevity. Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.) We hope you can join us for this year's online celebration!
This program is co-hosted by the Chicago Park District and the Chinese American Museum of Chicago as part of the Night Out in the Parks program, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the Field Museum, and the Roots & Routes Initiative.
RSVP here (a link to the virtual event will be sent prior to the festival) |
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First Vote: Screening and Q&A |
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2020
Screening: 7 - 8:15pm CDT
Q&A: 8:15 - 9pm CDT
A film by Yi Chen
Running Time: 60 minutes
United States, 2020, English and Mandarin Chinese, with English subtitles
First Vote is a character-driven verité documentary with unparalleled access to a diverse cross section of politically engaged Chinese Americans: a gun-toting Tea Party-favorite candidate courting GOP votes in the South; a podcaster in Ohio who became a citizen in order to vote for Trump; a long-haired journalist confronting Chinese Americans for Trump after moving to a battleground state; and a University of North Carolina professor teaching about race and racism in the US. The film weaves their stories from the presidential election of 2016 to the 2018 midterms, and explores the intersections between immigration, voting rights and racial justice.
Until 1952, federal law barred immigrants of Asian descent from becoming U.S. citizens and voting. Today, Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in the United States. More than 11 million Asian Americans will be able to vote in 2020. Directed by Yi Chen, a Chinese immigrant and first-time voter herself, First Vote is a rare long-form look at the diverse Asian American electorate.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
May 5, 2020, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, LA
May 15, 2020, CAAMFest, San Francisco
May 2020, Hot Docs Doc Shop, Canada
June 12, 2020, Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival
June 19, 2020, AFI DOCS, Washington, DC
July 9-12, 2020, Nevertheless Film Festival, Ann Arbor, Michigan
August 7-14, 2020, Hawaii International Film Festival
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Straight to the Heart!
Storytelling Workshop with Ada Cheng
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Date: Saturday, October 10, 2020
Time: 1 - 4pm CDT
Do you want to tell stories to connect with people emotionally, to convey meanings with urgency, and to exert impact? In this storytelling workshop, we will discuss central tenets of this art form, such as the story arc, detailed descriptions, emotions (the importance of vulnerability), meanings, relationships with the audience, who you are as a storyteller, and the purpose of storytelling. Participants will have the opportunity to integrate these elements of storytelling and practice them during the session.
Instructor bio:
Ada Cheng is a professor-turned-storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling show producer. She is the producer and the host of five storytelling shows, including Pour One Out, Am I Man Enough?, Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show, Speaking Truths Series, and This Is America: Truths through My Body. She creates platforms for people to tell difficult and vulnerable stories as well as spaces for people and communities who may not have opportunities otherwise. She currently works as the Education and Outreach Specialist with Women’s Leadership and Resource Center at UIC, providing training on issues related to gender-based violence. Her interests span multiple fields, including academia, storytelling/performance art, and advocacy. Her motto: Make your life the best story you tell.
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Book Talk: Gold Mountain, Big City
with Jim Schein
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Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Time: 6 - 8pmCDT
Virtual book talk with the author of "Gold Mountain, Big City: Ken Cathcart's 1947 Illustrated Map of San Francisco's Chinatown," Jim Schein.
"Gold Mountain, Big City" provides a unique opportunity to experience the history of Chinatown through a new, immersive lens. Each quadrant of Cathcart's map - which doubles as a guide for explorers of the book - is supplemented by never-before-seen black-and-white photographs and meticulous research. "Gold Mountain, Big City" drops the reader into a world of curious characters, revealing a glimpse of the immigration story so universal to American in both its celebratory aspects and its darkness.
About the author
Jim Schein lives in San Francisco and is the owner and operator of Schein & Schein Old Maps Store along with his wife, Marti Schein.
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TBD
Asian Pop-Up Cinema is held seasonally in the spring and in the fall. We are excited to have another screening again in October.
Movie Summary:
A group of four telecommunications employees at Pegasus Broadband, headlined by Francis Ng in his most charming role in recent memory, begrudgingly join the company dragon boat team hoping such a pledge of loyalty will keep them immune from encroaching layoffs. Under the tutelage of the pretty young no-nonsense coach, Dorothy (Jennifer Yu) they learn not just how to really race, but also to confront their own impending mid-life crises. From nagging families and infidelity to unrequited love and elusive Andy Lau concert tickets, myriad demons are exorcised as our bungling protagonists overcome the odds and take charge in this life-affirming comedy-drama.
Stay tuned. We will send the tickets registration link once available.
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[Postponed to 12/16/2020] TALK STORIES |
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Time: 7PM
Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asia Diaspora Storytelling Show will return to the Chinese American Museum of Chicago on Wednesday December 16.
Talk Stories showcases storytellers of Asian identities and backgrounds through different storytelling medium, including personal narrative, music/dance, and improv comedy. We include both performers as well as community members in storytelling to reflect upon their experiences as Asian Americans as well as members of the Asian diaspora.
We will send the tickets registration link once available.
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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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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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