The Chinese American Museum (Chinese: 華美博物館; abbreviated CAM) is a museum located in

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...

as a part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. It is dedicated to the history and experience of

Chinese American Chinese Americans are Americans of Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans have ancestors from mainland China, Hong Kong ...

s in the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, the first such museum in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. It presents exhibits of

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

by Chinese American artists as well as historical exhibits. Planning for the museum began in October 1984, with the grand opening taking place on December 18, 2003. The museum is housed in the Garnier Building, the oldest surviving Chinese building in

. The original Los Angeles Chinatown was located here before it was moved to New Chinatown for the construction of

Los Angeles Union Station Los Angeles Union Station is the main railroad station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande Sta ...

. It is funded by the State of California, the City of Los Angeles, Friends of the Chinese American Museum, the

Chinese Historical Society of Southern California Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC, zh, first=t, t=南加州華人歷史學會, p=Nán Jiāzhōu Huárén Lìshǐ Xuéhuì) is an historical society and organization based in Los Angeles Chinatown, California. There are ...

, the

Getty Foundation The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California, at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...

, the El Pueblo Association, the Center for Chinese Medicine, and hundreds of other donors.

Exhibits

A permanent exhibit at the museum is the recreation of the Hing Yuen Hong Chinese Herb Shop of yesteryear. Another permanent exhibit opened on December 13, 2012, is "Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles", celebrating the growth and development of Cantonese American enclaves from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley. Past exhibits have included "Sunshine and Shadow: In Search of Jake Lee", showcasing the 60

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...

work of prolific artist Jake Lee; " Milton Quon's Los Angeles" (2005-2006); "The Art of Diana Shui-In Wong" (2006); and " Tyrus Wong (Chinese: 黃齊耀): A Retrospective" (2004), who was one of the earliest and most influential Chinese American artists. * The exhibit on "Hollywood Chinese: The

Arthur Dong Arthur Dong (born October 30, 1953) is an American filmmaker and author whose work centers on Asia America and anti-gay prejudice. Career Arthur Dong was born on October 30, 1953, in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. He graduated from Ga ...

Collection" was opened on October 23, 2009. It was based on Arthur Dong's '' Hollywood Chinese'' documentary that was broadcast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

on May 27, 2009. The documentary, a study of more than 90 years of Chinese Americans in films, ranging from the first Chinese American film '' The Curse of Quon Gwon'' that was produced in 1916 to

Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...

's 2005 ''

Brokeback Mountain ''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from Brokeback Mountain (short story), the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx, the screenplay ...

''. It closed on November 7, 2010. * "Remembering Angel Island", commemorating the centennial anniversary of the opening of the immigration station in California, July 16, 2010 – January 31, 2012. * ''Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration'', December 10, 2010 – December 18, 2011. This exhibition showcased local artists exploring the tensions, repercussions, hopes, and dreams of immigrant communities in the face of new immigration legislation, through a broad spectrum of art including street art, graffiti art, sculptures, painting and multimedia installations. Artists included: Augustine Kofie, Cache, Eriberto Oriol, Ernesto Yerena Montejano, Eyeone, K. Lovich, Jesus Barraza of Dignidad Rebelde, Joel “rage.one” Garci, John Carlos De Luna, LeHumanBeing, Oscar Magallanes, Patrick Martinez, Sand One,

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989, he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campa ...

, Shark Toof, O.G. Slick, Swank, and Tempt. * ''Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles'' (1945-1980), January 19, 2012 – June 3, 2012. Part of Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980, this exhibition showcased the achievements of four pioneering Chinese American architects whose contributions were critical to the development of Los Angeles’ urban and visual landscape between 1945 and 1980. The exhibit focused on the lives and work of Eugene Kinn Choy, Gilbert L. Leong, Helen Liu Fong, and Gin D. Wong, FAIA, four architects who played pivotal roles in the development of

Mid-Century Modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

and

Googie Architecture Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, Jet aircraft, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popu ...

movements, unique to California's Post-War architectural renaissance. * ''LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments'', March 13-July 12, 2014. This art exhibition explored the impact of

Sriracha Sriracha ( or ; , ) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, pickled garlic, sugar, and salt. It was first produced in 1932 by a native of Si Racha, a town and district of Thailand, though ...

and Tapatio in Los Angeles. The exhibit included a curated selection of artwork from artists of diverse backgrounds passionate and reflective about notions of identity, community, and foodways. Participating artists included: Edith Beaucage, Erik Benjamins, Audrey Chan, Ching Ching Cheng, The Chung!!, Chris Christion,

Clayton Brothers Rob Clayton (born 1963 in Dayton, Ohio) and Christian Clayton (born 1967 in Denver, Colorado) are painters based in California. Both Rob and Christian Clayton hold BFA degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (1989 ...

, Eye One, Gajin Fujita, Daniel Gonzalez, Pato Hebert
Michael C. Hsiung
Phung Huynh, Tomo Isoyama, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Sandra Low, Trinh Mai, Patrick Martinez, Michael Massenburg, Kwanchai Moriya, Jose Ramirez, Yoshie Sakai, Jose Sarinana, Sand One, Shark Toof, Sket, Slick, Henry Taylor, Werc.

Events

Chinese New Year Celebration

During the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

celebration each year, a

Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival ( zh, t=wikt:元宵節, 元宵節, s=wikt:元宵节, 元宵节, first=t, hp=Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival ( zh, t=上元節, s=上元节, first=t, hp=Shàngyuán jié) and Cap Go Meh ( zh, t=十五暝, ...

is held at the museum, featuring live entertainment, including lion dancers,

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance (ability), balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sports, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most ...

, musical,

Chinese knotting Chinese knotting, also known as (), is a Chinese folk art with ties to Buddhism and Taoism. A Chinese knot is made from a single length of cord that is woven into different shapes, with each shape having a symbolic meaning. The most common color ...

, and dance performances. "Long Story Short", a documentary on actress

Jodi Long Jodi Long is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Madame Ybarra on '' Cafe Americain'' (1993–1994), Mrs. Kim on the Margaret Cho sitcom ''All-American Girl'' (1994-1995), Ok Cha on '' Sullivan and Son'' (2012–2014), as wel ...

's family, was shown at the 8th Annual festival which was held on February 7, 2009.CAM 2009 Lantern Festival
The 2013 Lantern Festival was held Saturday, March 2, 2013, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Historymakers Awards

Each year, the museum sponsors the annual Historymakers Awards Banquet, which "honors extraordinary individuals who have made a significant impact or contribution towards the advancement of the

community and beyond." A 2009 honoree was

Lisa Lu Lisa Lu Yan (born Lu Pingxiang; January 19, 1927) is a Chinese-American actress. She has worked extensively in Hong Kong, American, and mainland Chinese film and television since her debut in 1958. She won the Golden Horse Awards three times, ...

(Chinese: 盧燕), Chinese-American actress and documentary producer for excellence in film and entertainment. ;Notes

References

External links