Chinese American Museum of Chicago

The Chinese American Museum of Chicago seeks to commemorate and interpret the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the American Midwest.[1] The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood.[2][3] Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010.[4]

Chinese American Museum of Chicago
Chinatown Museum Foundation
Established2005
LocationRaymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center 238 West 23rd Street
Chicago, Illinois 60616
P: (312) 949-1000
PresidentSoo Lon Moy
OwnerChinatown Museum Foundation founded in 2002 by Dr. Chuimei Ho, Dr. Kim K Tee, Sam Ma, John S Tan, Dr. Tao Luo & Wai Chee Yuen.
WebsiteOfficial website
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
Traditional Chinese美洲華裔博物館
Simplified Chinese美洲华裔博物馆

History

The museum building was built in 1896 as a warehouse, and was later home to the Quong Yick Co. After a devastating fire in September 2008, the museum was closed. Raymond B. Lee, whose family ran a food wholesale business in the museum building, donated $660,000 to buy the building to start the museum. Lee, who as a teen slept on the third floor, has donated another $250,000 for renovations since the fire. It reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010.[4]

Exhibits

Events

Chinese New Year Celebration

Each year a Chinese New Year Celebration is held at the museum, featuring live Chinese traditional music, lion dancing, Chinese chess, calligraphy design and delicious food.

Dcumentary screenings

  • A Village Doctor's Choice: It portrayed the challenges that faced a Shanghai Medical College student when he was sent to the wild and savage Tibetan prairie to work as their one and only doctor "Manba" in the late 60s.
  • Dancing Through Life: The Dorothy Toy Story: 100-year-old Dorothy Toy Fong is a living dance legend. During the 1930s, '40s and '50s she teamed up with Paul Wing to become the most famous Asian American dance duo in this country's history. Toy and Wing were pioneers, performing on Broadway and in Hollywood films.
  • Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China: Three successful black siblings from Harlem discover their heritage by searching for clues about their long-lost Chinese grandfather, Samuel Lowe.
  • Journey of a Paper Son: a paper son (one who illegally immigrated to the U.S., using fake documents and claiming he's the son of an American citizen) and asks them for a final wish to change back his name.

See also

References

  1. "Chinese-American Museum of Chicago". CAMC. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  2. "Chinese American Museum of Chicago". Open House Chicago. Chicago Architecture Foundation. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  3. "Chinese American Museum of Chicago". Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  4. "IN THE NEWS: Chinese American Museum". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  5. "A House of Memories The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago reflects the community's past, present, and future". South Side Weekly. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
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