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About Chinese Historical Society of America
The Chinese Historical Society of America collects, preserves, and illuminates the history of Chinese in America by serving as a center for research, scholarship and learning to inspire a greater appreciation for, and knowledge of, their collective experience
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As a non-profit organization, Chinese Historical Society of America relies on the generosity of the community, individual members, corporations, foundations and public agencies to support our mission of being a steward of the Chinese American narrative. Your support is crucial in helping CHSA promote the history, culture, and legacy of Chinese in America.
Donate to CHSA
As a non-profit organization, Chinese Historical Society of America relies on the generosity of the community, individual members, corporations, foundations and public agencies to support our mission of being a steward of the Chinese American narrative. Your support is crucial in helping CHSA promote the history, culture, and legacy of Chinese in America.
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Our online shop features original publications and books on Chinese American and Asian American history, art, and culture, as well as works and pieces by local artists, and other merchandise that promote the legacy of the Chinese in America. Additionally, it is home to our We Are Bruce Lee merchandise.
Bruce Lee T-Shirt Merchandise
Jack Lee Prints
Fighting on All Fronts Book
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A collaboration between the CHSA and Western Neighborhoods Project, CHINESE IN THE RICHMOND illuminates the lives of Chinese Americans in San Francisco’s Richmond District from the community’s point of view.
Featuring personal stories and testimonies collected by family members of the earliest Chinese American homeowners and business owners, this traveling exhibition describes life in the Richmond District as early adaptors when San Francisco’s northwest quadrant became increasingly populated by Chinese Americans. The goal of this exhibit is to continue shedding light on the Chinese American migration of many families leaving the cultural needs and resources of Chinatown to pursue the American Dream in the more suburban western parts of the City.
With the compilation of these histories, the exhibition will travel throughout San Francisco, beginning today at @onerichmondsf for two months and then on display at CHSA Museum. Other venues earmarked for exhibit display include community centers, public schools, and public libraries to reach a broader audience beyond the Richmond District.
Visit CHSA.org for more information.
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#ChineseInTheRichmond #ChineseInSanFrancisco #ChineseAmericans #ChineseAmerica #ChineseAmericanHistory #SanFranciscoHistory #CHSAMuseum #ChinatownSanFrancisco #SFChinatown #RichmondDistrictSF #SanFranciscoRichmondDistrict
Thank you to ATLAS OBSCURA for the great write-up on CHSA:
THIS UNIQUE BUILDING IN SAN Francisco’s Chinatown was built in the 1920s as a YWCA. It was designed by Julia Morgan, the architect behind Hearst Castle, and houses the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum.
Downstairs one can find small-scale scenes of San Francisco Chinatown in the 1940s. These are like miniature dioramas that were created by Frank Wong, who was raised in San Francisco and became a professional set designer. There is a high level of detail and precision involved in these “frames” of his memories of growing up in San Francisco; for example, a laundry, a home kitchen, a shoe stand, and a Chinese New Year celebration dinner setting. For miniature fans, this collection is obscure but a real treasure.
The museum is home to a permanent exhibit @WeareBruceLee, highlighting the life of Bruce Lee and, if timed right, there are docents available who lead tours. They share stories about his life, his trials and tribulations, values and how he inspired and empowered so many. One docent of note is Jeff Chinn, an avid fan, who offers more personal stories about Lee’s influence on him as a youth. Lee stood at just 5’7” and weighed 130 pounds, yet he possessed such great presence, power, and strength. He pioneered the use of mixed martial arts applying cross-training techniques from a variety of styles to build upon each style’s strengths and weaknesses to get a holistic result.
And lastly, there is another room that hosts rotating exhibits. The current display is about the history of California’s Chinese American Women, from early immigration, labor, World War II, to today. It is a great historical summary that isn’t really covered in such detail in most schools.
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#AtlasObscura #CHSAMuseum #ChineseHistoricalSocietyOfAmerica #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerica #ChinatownSanFrancisco #SFChinatown
Chinatown History & Culture Association, Yau Kung Moon, Lotus Tao Culture Association, and CHSA are excited to present Kung Fu Day in Chinatown, on Saturday, June 3.
“Kung Fu Day in Chinatown” celebrates community and promotes Chinatown’s small businesses, deep history and live performances through a cultural learning experience about the impact of kung fu and Chinese martial arts.
Visitors will have a chance to participate in:
👊 Basic kung fu lessons
👊 Games and activities will be provided for children
👊 Panel discussions with kung fu masters and teachers
👊 Discussions about health and exercise benefits of practicing kung fu
👊 Lessons of Filial Piety (respect of elders), self-determination, self-discipline, and community building.
👊 Expert discussions about the impact of kung fu in entertainment and media.
Join this FREE event in the heart of SF Chinatown!
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#kungfudaysf #kungfuday #chinatownsf #sanfranciscochinatown #chinesemartialarts #kungfuperformance #kungfudemonstration #chinatownevents
Proud to co-present this special screening with our friends at San Francisco Cinematheque.
Posted @withregram • @sfcinematheque Upcoming screening…
IT DON’T LOOK LIKE RAIN: Recent Films by Simon Liu
presented association with the Chinese Historical Society of America and The Lab
June 2, 8pm at The Lab
< LINK IN BIO >
With dramatic kineticism, a thrilling use of color, a freewheeling and improvisatory approach to editing and deeply layered soundtracks, the dynamic films of New York-based, Hong Kong-born filmmaker Simon Liu paradoxically embody attitudes of travel, drift and observation.
pictured: Devil’s Peak (2021) by Simon Liu
@chsamuseum @thelabsf #SimonLiu #experimentalfilm #avantgardefilm #sfcinematheque #CHSA
CHINESE IN THE RICHMOND is an exhibit featuring stories and oral histories taken from family members of the earliest Chinese home and business owners who described their lives in San Francisco’s Richmond District.
This companion piece to Chinese in the Sunset aims to continue uplifting and celebrate community voices and shed light on a historically underreported and unstudied aspect of San Francisco history.
Join us as we launch CHINESE IN THE RICHMOND with a very special grand opening ceremony and reception with exhibit subjects and contributors and remarks from local dignitaries and civic leaders.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 24, 1:30PM
WHERE: One Richmond SF, 802 Clement Street
RSVP: link in bio
Presented with support from @chinatowncdc @outsidelandz @onerichmondsf
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#ChineseInTheRichmond #ChineseInTheSunset #ChineseAmericans #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseInSanFrancisco #SanFranciscoHistory #CHSAMuseum #ChineseHistoricalSocietyOfAmerica #RichmondSanFrancisco #SFRichmondDistrict #CCDC #WesternNeighborhoodsProject #OutsidelandsSF
CHSA is proud to co-present this amazing tribute to Chinese American photographer Corky Lee and his legacy and enormous impact on the AAPI community.
Posted @withregram • @aajasf There's still tickets left for "Photograpic Justice: The Corky Lee Story" at @caamedia's #CAAMFest. AAJA S.F.-Bay Area is co-presenting the documentary about the late photojournalist and longtime AAJA NY member. Use code HX685 for a $2/ticket discount.
The screening is 3 p.m., May 14, at the Great Star Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown.
AAJA-S.F. Bay Area Chapter Interim President Harry Mok will moderate a Q&A with filmmakers after the screening. Link for tickets at CAAMFEST.com.
One hundred fifty-four years ago, the Golden Spike Ceremony took place to commemorate the finalizing of the first transcontinental railroad (TRR) across the United States.
While the Chinese workforce was painfully left out of the iconic transcontinental railroad ceremonial photo in 1869 and dismissed from the centennial program in 1969, CHSA is celebrating the comprehensive historical overview of how the railroad was built, and how thousands of Chinese laborers made the completion of the railroad possible.
This TRR-inspired BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS T-shirt is designed by Chinese American artist Will Lee, whose great-grandfather helped lay down the "iron road."
Available for purchase in our online CHSA gift shop. Visit CHSA.org for more information.
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#TranscontinentalRailroad #ChineseRailroadWorkers #RailroadWorkers #GoldenSpikeAnniversary #BuiltByImmigrants #WillLee #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerican #AmericanHistory #CHSAMuseum #CHSAGiftShop
Today, in commemoration of the 154th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony, CHSA joined the Florence Fang Foundation for the opening of the Chinese Railroad Workers History Center in San Francisco Chinatown, honoring the Chinese workers' contribution to building the U.S. transcontinental railroad.
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#GoldenSpikeAnniversary #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerica #ChineseAmerican #TranscontinentalRailroad #ChineseRailroadWorkers #RailroadHistory #SanFranciscoChinatown #ChinatownSF
On This Date in History
May 10, 1869
The Golden Spike Ceremony, which took place May 10, 1869, was held at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, connecting the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha.
During that ceremony, four special spikes were presented: two gold, one silver and one gold+silver. On the Central Pacific side, the final tracks were laid down by eight Chinese laborers.
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#GoldenSpikeAnniversary #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerica #ChineseAmerican #TranscontinentalRailroad #ChineseRailroadWorkers #RailroadHistory
Thank you to Caleb Pershan & Yalonda M James and SF Chronicle for capturing the joyous movement of yesterday's JOY ON JOICE Street Fair.
HUUUUUUUUUGE thank you to EVERYONE for showing up and showing out yesterday. We are beyond excited, humbled and appreciative for the demonstrative joyfulness and love in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
We are especially grateful to our vendors and performers for making this spotlight of AAPI creativity, culture and community happen. It was an amazing afternoon that showed our AAPI community's strength, support and solidarity.
Additional props to our volunteers, neighborhood partners and supporters, and everyone who helped spread the word.
Of course, we are extremely inspired by our partners @cutfruitcollective and @cameronhousesf for a wonderful production. #ForeverJoyful
Read more about yesterday's event in the SF Chronicle. See link in bio.
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#JoyOnJoice #ChinatownStreetFair #JoiceStreetSanFrancisco #CHSAMuseum #ChineseHistoricalSocietyOfAmerica #CameronHouse #CutFruitCollective #SanFranciscoChinatown #ChinatownSF #ChinatownEvents #AAPIHM #CelebratingAAPI #AAPICreativity
PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: THE CORKY LEE STORY is Jennifer Takaki's documentary honoring the colorful life and legacy of an inspirational Chinese American photographer. Famous for having taken over 800,000 photos of Asian American events, activities and moments, Corky had committed his life to documenting the community's ever-growing histories of resistance, struggle and celebration. Corky’s photographs of Asian America capture the indescribable, offering visual portals into the inner worlds of human life and connection. From photos of anti-war movements to hot dog-eating contests, Corky’s artful vignettes seem to live and breathe in this documentary, sharing with us his reverence for the vibrant and interwoven souls of Asian America.
CHSA is extremely proud to co-present this film screening about the one-of-a-kind story of an inspirational Chinese American photographer as part of CAAMFest 2023 and AAPI Heritage Month.
Join director Jennifer Takaki and producer Linda Woo for a post-screening conversation about the making of this incredible documentary.
WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 3PM
WHERE: Great Star Theater, SF Chinatown
Tickets on sale at CAAMFest.com.
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#CorkyLee #PhotographicJustice #TheCorkyLeeStory #CAAMFest2023 #CAAMFest #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerica #ChineseAmericanCommunity #AAPIJournalism #AAPIPhotography #SanFranciscoChinatown #ChinatownSF #GreatStarTheaterSF
Let’s RUN this town!
Come out and celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by participating in the Our Heritage 5K this weekend. CHSA is proud to support this great event connecting the City.
Stop by the museum along the way.
Let’s Goooooooo!
Posted @withregram • @asiansarestrong 🏃🏻♀️‘Our Heritage 5K’ 🏃🏻
📣 Save the date! 📣
***Registration Link in Bio***
"You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been"
Help us kick off the 2023 AAPI Heritage Month with a 5K fun run that honors and celebrates the rich Asian and Pacific Islander history in San Francisco.
This is a FREE family friendly fun walk/run through the heart of the city where we will pass by over 14 historic AAPI landmarks. Each landmark will have goodies, resources, and information about each location.
We will start the 5k with opening ceremony performances and end it with an amazing Finisher's Festival with more performances, activities, goodies, and vendors.
There will be cheer stations, photo ops, candy, and entertainment on the route for runners to enjoy.
We will be giving away 600 commemorative T-shirts on a first-come-first-serve basis. You must be registered to receive.
Tentative details:
Date: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
Time: 10 am PST - 1 pm PST
Where: San Francisco
Start: Peace Plaza, Japantown
End: Portsmouth Square, Chinatown
Landmarks:
-Japantown Peace Plaza
-Korean Center
-Olive St. Mural
-Little Saigon Entrance
-Asian Art Museum
-SE Asian Development Center
-Dragon Gate on Grant
-St. Mary's Square
-Chinese Historical Society of America
-Vicha Mural
-Ross Alley / Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
-International Hotel on Kearny
-Portsmouth Square
#AsiansAreStrong #BeYourOwnHero #DontBePassive #StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate #aapiheritagemonth #5k #running
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Interested in helping us celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this Saturday in San Francisco Chinatown?
Join our team of dedicated and selfless individuals for our second Joy On Joice Street Fair and Festival. Multiple shifts available throughout the day, from 10am to 5pm.
We are looking for greeters and general support staff to assist in our efforts to bring the joy, the creativity and the culture to our community as we kick off AAPI Heritage Month.
No experience necessary. Kindly send a DM or contact CHSA at info@chsa.org with your name and area of interest. .
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#callforvolunteers #eventvolunteerism #sanfranciscoevents #sanfranciscovolunteering #SanFranciscoChinatown #JoyOnJoice2023 #ChinatownSF #CHSAMuseum #CutFruitCollective #DonaldinaCameronHouse
As part of its AAPI Heritage Month celebration, CHSA, in support of the Chinese American GI Project, is proud to help present Duty, Honor, Country, Courage: Asian Americans In Military Service, Together We Serve, an exhibit that honors the service of diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander servicemen and -women. From the Civil War to Afghanistan, we celebrate their stories of courage, loyalty, and sacrifice.
WHEN: May 3 through June 4
WHERE: Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco.
Visit link in bio for more information.
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#ChineseAmericanGIProject #ChineseAmericanVeterans #AAPIVeterans #AAPIHM #VeteransGallery #VeteransBuildingSF
Did you know?
Over 22 million people in the U.S. identify as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. AAPIs are the fastest-growing demographic in the country.
In celebration of our 60th year serving the community, CHSA is excited to honor this diverse and burgeoning community during Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.
Join the festivities as we continue STRENGTHENING THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY
Wednesday, May 3, at Herbst Theatre.
Learn more at apasf.org.
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#AAPIHeritageMonth
#AAPI
#APAHM
#SanFrancisco
REPOSTING FROM @oaklandasiancc
Join us on Saturday, May 13, 2023, 6PM-8PM, at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for the second show in our Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage performing arts series featuring @sonofpaper!
A native of San Francisco, Son of Paper (SOP) is a songwriter and performing artist that blends Conscious Hip-Hop flows with R&B grooves and East Asian influences, reflecting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of our community.
We're excited to bring the community together for this FREE CONCERT along with other fun activities!
🏮Special performances by Guzheng player Winnie Wong, Dragon of the West, DJ Dailo Mac, & Bianca Brown
🏮 Free 5 minute photo sessions for registered guests with @anniestcakes @oaklandfortunefactory @sashahouseoakland
🏮Free snacks and light food provided for the community
🏮Local vendors
🏮Dance party!
Make sure you register for the event at our website! Head to the link in our bio or visit oacc.cc/event/cohh-sop.
Support the AAPI Community. #GiveInMay
Held in May to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the purpose of the Give In May campaign is to raise awareness about issues AAPIs face that are often unseen. It is hosted by Asian Pacific Fund, a community foundation committed to improving the lives of AAPIs in the Bay Area, and AAPI Data, a national publisher of demographic data and policy research.
CHSA's goal is to raise $50,000 by May 31 to continue our work in providing opportunities to learn about the ways that our community of Chinese Americans and Asian Americans have fought for equity, diversity, and inclusion in American society. In our museum we have permanent exhibits about the people, places and movements in Chinese American culture that have set the stage for our current era.
To donate and support, visit CHSA.org or link in bio.
IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVE IN MAY WE ARE OFFERING REDUCED ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM UNTIL MAY 31:
🎟️ Adults: $10
🎟️ Child/Youth: $3
🎟️ College/Seniors/Military: $8
We thank you for you continued allyship and generosity.
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#AAPIHM #GiveInMay #SupportAAPI #AAPINonProfits #CHSAMuseum #StopAAPIHate
It’s that time of year! CHSA is excited for CAAMFest this May.
We are particularly honored and thrilled to be co-presenting the documentary film PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: THE CORKY LEE STORY, about the life and legacy of one Chinese American photographer and his quest to preserve and document the struggles and celebrations of Asian American life.
WHEN: May 14
WHERE: Great Star Theater
The full lineup and tickets will be on CAAMFest.com.
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#CAAMFest #CAAMFest2023 #CorkyLee #CorkyLeePhotography #PhotographicJustice #TheCorkyLeeStory #JenniferTakaki #ChineseAmericanHistory #ChineseAmerican
Chinese tending vineyards and orchards in Sonoma County where wine caves were dug in Limestone Hills. Laborers helped lay the foundation of viticulture in the early days of the Sonona and Napa Valleys in California. Levees and irrigation channels using techniques learned in China's Pearl River Delta were used in the swampy, flood prone junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Chinese knowledge of agriculture, ingenuity and labor created one of America's most productive farming regions.
Jake Lee (1911–1991) was born in Guangzhou, China, and grew up in Monterey, California. Lee studied at San Jose State College and Otis Art Institute and had a prolific career as a commercial artist and an art teacher.
Check out this one-of-a-kind display of original artwork tonight at CHSA's first wine tasting soiree, Chinese In Wine Country.
Enjoy:
🖼️ Artwork by Chinese American artist Jake Lee.
🍷An array of wine tastings from Napa and Sonoma wineries.
🥐 Delectable hors d'oeuvres
📕 Book discussion with author John McCormick and historian Connie Young Yu [CHINESE IN NAPA VALLEY, 2023]
👊 Access to the CHSA landmark exhibit WE ARE BRUCE LEE
WHEN: TONIGHT, April 22, 5-8pm
WHERE: CHSA Museum, 965 Clay St, SF
TICKETS: Link in bio.
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#JakeLeeArtist #JakeLeeArtwork #ChineseInWineCountry #ChineseInSonoma #ChineseAmericanHistory #WineHistory #CaliforniaHistory #CHSAMuseum #ChinatownSanFrancisco #SFChinatown #WineTastingsEvents #WineEventsSF
Did you know that Chinese laborers were once the backbone of Napa Valley?
Throughout the late 1800s, they worked the grape fields, mines, hop farms, leather tanneries and laundries while carving out Chinese neighborhoods throughout the Valley. Their contributions were plentiful amid discrimination and Anti-Chinese Leagues that continued to harass and intimidate immigrants. Eventually, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act accelerated the demise of local Chinatowns. These once vibrant communities disappeared as the industries they helped build flourished.
Join author John McCormick and book contributor and historian Connie Young Yu for a spirited evening spotlighting the contributions of Chinese labor in cultivating the internationally acclaimed Northern California wine region.
Enjoy a series of wine tastings, hors d'oeuvres, original Chinese American artwork and a look back and forward at the intersection of Chinese Americans and the wine industry.
WHEN: Saturday, April 22, 5-8PM
WHERE: CHSA Museum, 965 Clay St., SF Chinatown
Visit link in bio for ticket information.
Cheers!
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#ChineseInNapaValley #ChineseInWineCountry #CaliforniaHistory #ChineseAmericanHistory #NapaValleyWineries #SonomaWineries #ChineseAmerican #CHSAMuseum #WineEvents #SanFranciscoEvents #SFChinatown #ChinatownSanFrancisco
