Chinese American Museum of Chicago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chinese American Museum of Chicago

Chinatown Museum Foundation
Established	2005
Location	Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center 238 West 23rd Street Chicago, Illinois 60616 P: (312) 949-1000
Owner	Chinatown Museum Foundation founded in 2002 by Dr. Chuimei Ho, Dr. Kim K Tee, Sam Ma, John S Tan, Dr. Tao Luo & Wai Chee Yuen.

The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is a special place. It helps people learn about Chinese American culture. The museum does this through cool exhibits, educational programs, and research. It also works to save the stories of Chinese Americans. This is especially true for those living in the American Midwest.

The museum first opened in 2005. You can find it in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. In 2008, a fire caused some damage. But the museum worked hard to fix things. It reopened in 2010 in its newly renovated building. This building is called the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center. The museum is run by a group called the Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF). This is a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois.

History of the Museum Building

The building where the museum is located has a long history. It was built way back in 1896. At first, it was used as a warehouse. Later, a company called Quong Yick Co. used it.

In September 2008, a big fire damaged the museum. It had to close for a while. A kind person named Raymond B. Lee helped a lot. His family used to run a food business in the museum building. Mr. Lee donated a lot of money to buy the building. This helped start the museum. He even slept on the third floor when he was a teenager! After the fire, he gave more money for repairs. Thanks to his help, the museum reopened in 2010. It is now known as the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center.

What Can You See? Current Exhibits

The museum has exciting exhibits for you to explore.

Journey to the Midwest: Chinese Immigration

• On the second floor, there's a permanent exhibit. It's called "Great Wall to Great Lakes: Chinese Immigration to the Midwest."
• This exhibit tells amazing stories. It shows how and why Chinese people came to America.
• You'll learn about their journeys. Many traveled across the country to settle in the Midwest.

Stories from Chinatown: "My Chinatown" Video

• Another permanent exhibit is also on the second floor. It's a 16-minute video called "My Chinatown: Stories from Within."
• This video shares personal stories. It's about the people who live in Chinatown.
• You'll hear about their travels, customs, work, and families.
• The museum worked with the Chicago History Museum to create this video.

Hidden Gems: "Attic Treasures II"

• On the first floor, there's a temporary exhibit. It's called "Attic Treasures II."
• This exhibit shows special objects. Many have never been seen by the public before.
• You might see old furniture, photos, and paintings. There are also beautiful jewelry pieces and teapots.
• These items were saved by families over many years.
• Even when the museum was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, you could take a virtual tour of this exhibit online!

Past Exhibitions: What Was Once Displayed?

The museum often changes its temporary exhibits. Here are some interesting ones from the past.

Chinese Fashion Heritage: "The Way We Wore"

• One past exhibit was "The Way We Wore: Celebrating Chinese Fashion Heritage."
• It showed beautiful Chinese clothing and accessories.
• Many items were given or loaned by people in the Chinese community.
• This exhibit showed how personal items, like family photos and jewelry, tell a story.
• This exhibit closed in February 2019.

Building America: Chinese Railroad Workers

• Another important exhibit was "The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad–The Railroad Helped Build America."
• This exhibit focused on a huge part of American history.
• It showed how Chinese immigrants helped build America's first Transcontinental Railway in the 1800s.
• About 12,000 Chinese workers helped complete this railway.
• The exhibit had photos and showed what their daily life was like.
• It was presented in both English and Chinese.
• This exhibit opened in March 2019.

Special Events

Chinese New Year Celebration

• Every year, the museum hosts a fun Chinese New Year Celebration.
• You can enjoy live Chinese traditional music.
• There are exciting lion dances.
• You can also try Chinese chess and calligraphy design.
• And of course, there's delicious food!
• In 2021, the celebration was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also

• Chinese in Chicago
• Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
• Chinese American Museum
• Museum of Chinese in America
• Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
• Chinese Culture Center