About Us

Participate in contemporary art, history, and popular culture. Visit our museum housed in the historically landmarked Julia Morgan-designed Chinatown YWCA building at 965 Clay Street, San Francisco. Shop at our gift shop to pick up one-of-a-kind items by local artists and enrich yourself with our scholarly publications.

What we do

CHSA provides 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. Our rotating exhibits take deep dives into a wide range of Asian American content. Our traveling exhibits providing learning opportunities as pop-ups in public spaces such as at farmers markets, libraries, and other cultural centers. And CHSA collaborates with numerous groups locally and nationally to provide opportunities to engage with the content and history of/by/for our communities.

Mission

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 through exhibitions, public programs, and any other means for reaching the widest audience.

Who we are

When founded in 1963, there were fewer than 250,000 people of Chinese descent living in the US and CHSA was a lone voice for the study and dissemination of the history of this segment of the US population. Today, as the number of Chinese in the US has risen to nearly 5 million, CHSA strives to be a responsible steward of the remarkable narrative of this rapidly growing and increasingly visible community.

Share your thoughts on your experience at CHSA

Please complete the 5-minute survey below to let us know how we’re doing.

Please contact us with any questions online or at (415) 391-1188 x109. Thank you for your support!

Location

965 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

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Hours

Mon – Tue: Closed
Wed – Sun: 11 A.M. – 4 P.M.