Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), we wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

For 42 years, MOCA has been an inclusive, safe space that champions the precious yet less known and celebrated journeys of Americans of Chinese ancestry.

MOCA has faced multiple crises since 2020: a 5-alarm fire at 70 Mulberry Street that nearly destroyed its archives, the coronavirus pandemic that led to temporarily shuttering the Museum's physical space, the resurgence of racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and heightened tensions between the U.S. and China creating fear and instability within Chinese American communities.

Through it all, MOCA has pivoted, adapted, and risen to each challenge. Thank you for your encouragement and support.

MOCA'S IMPACT

Quilt maker Debbie S. Lee (top right) collaboratively created the Garment Workers Quilt with Yan Chai Mak, Cecilia Lo, Ng Mui Leung, Sheung Ngor Leung, So Fong Lee Ng, Sun Ng, and Heng Yu Yan, all garment workers in New York Chinatown. Here they are posed on either side of a display of their quilt at MOCA’s 1989 exhibit, “Both Sides of the Cloth.” MOCA Collection.

Over 42 Years recording Chinatown’s and Chinese American history

WE CELEBRATE EVERY GIFT

We celebrate every gift and every philanthropist no matter the size. Philanthropy is voice. Gifts to the Annual Fund go where they are needed most, enabling MOCA to stay true to its mission by providing an inspiring visitor experience. Your tax-deductible donation will:

-Allow MOCA to continue creating MOCA Heroes, the Museum’s free, downloadable educational magazines about Chinese American heroes such as Jerry Yang and Tyrus Wong. Take a peak at current magazines targeted to 4th-8th graders on Yung Wing, Chinese Railroad Workers, and Maya Lin.

-Allow MOCA to continue hosting weekly educational activities, and week-long virtual and in-person family festivals such as Lunar New Year Family Festival, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival.

-Allow MOCA to continue organizing public programs and performing arts programs, such as MOCA TALKS and MOCA Immersive Dinner and Show Double Happiness.

-Allow MOCA to continue offering FREE admission in 2023.

In order for your gift to be processed and counted toward the 2022 tax year, please note these important dates:

-Gifts by check must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2022.

-Online gifts must be made by 11:59 PM on December 31, 2021.

We're grateful for you and appreciate your help in making MOCA the place where all local, national and global visitors come together for courageous conversations. Thank you for supporting MOCA!

With gratitude this holiday season and always,

GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP

With the holidays upon us, it’s the time of year to ponder gift-giving. Not sure what to get your friends and family this year? Are they an arts and culture aficionado? Treat your loved ones to the gift of a MOCA Membership this holiday season! MOCA members enjoy exclusive benefits, including free admission, early access to public programs, opportunities to meet curators, artists and performers, and grants discounts to select events. Besides, you can also choose to preserve your family’s legacy by joining MOCA’s Journey Wall. A customized bronze plaque will be permanently installed at MOCA to honor and remember your family roots!

Take a Journey with MOCA

Record your family's oral history

The Journey Wall is a custom art installation created for MOCA by renowned artist/designer Maya Lin. The wall is composed of bronze plaques through which Chinese Americans can permanently honor and remember their family roots. Each plaque links an individual’s or family’s name and place of origin with their home in America. The complete wall will highlight the expansiveness of the Chinese American diaspora.

To become a permanent part of the Chinese American narrative showcased on the Museum’s Journey Wall and housed in the Museum’s renowned Collections, you can honor your family’s legacy by joining the Journey Wall community. Membership in the Journey Wall community includes a custom plaque designed by Maya Lin, a special unveiling ceremony and reception for members of the Journey Wall community and their family members each October, and invitation to other special events throughout the year. The number of Journey Wall plaques available each year is limited, and placement of plaques will be determined by date and amount of pledge.

Opportunities for placement on the Journey Wall have three levels:

-$10,000.00

-$15,000.00

-$25,000.00

This gift is tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

“The families that are a part of MOCA’s Journey Wall community celebrate their legacy at MOCA. For many families, MOCA is a place for reunion. What a special honor it is for the Museum to serve in this way. I am especially excited when several members of a family have come together to make the Journey Wall plaque a possibility.” —Nancy Yao, MOCA President

For more information or to make a reservation for a plaque, please contact the Development team at [email protected].

GIVE THE GIFT OF A JOURNEY WALL TILE

Host Your Event at MOCA

In a striking space designed by acclaimed artist Maya Lin, MOCA is an ideal event and meeting venue. Located at the cross-section of Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho, the Museum bridges a thoughtful, modern aesthetic with an industrial, historical feel.

Residing in a former machine works warehouse, the Museum is an intimate and unique setting for any event. The lobby and exhibit space feature bronze tiles, darkened fir floors, and reclaimed lumber. The permanent collection surrounds a pre-existing inner courtyard deliberately left raw to symbolize how much of our past we bring to our present.

Private events have total access to our thought-provoking permanent collection and exhibits. Meetings and events can be customized to include any or all of the Museum’s spaces so your guests can have a truly unforgettable experience.

-Lectures, seminars, and programs

-Business meetings and conferences

-Corporate breakfasts and luncheons

-Executive retreats

-Seated dinners and buffets

-Cocktail receptions

-Private screening

-Weddings, receptions, and celebrations

Viewing of MOCA's rental spaces is available by appointment. To request more information or to schedule an appointment, please email [email protected].

LEARN MORE AND BOOK A MOCA EVENT RENTAL

MOCA Collections still needs your continued support with our ongoing Sponsor an Object initiative! Sponsoring an object entails contributing any amount--large or small--to help fund the repair of a treasured piece of Chinese American history that was damaged during the fire.

On Fridays, we post a profile for a new object needing sponsorship on MOCA’s Facebook, Instagram, and Sponsor an Object webpage. Each object is selected based on exhibition and conservation priorities, and each profile features research into the object's history and significance, an assessment and photo documentation detailing its damage, and a proposed course of conservation treatment. 

So that we may share our fire recovery and conservation process with Chinese-speaking members of our community, we offer Chinese-language translations for all of our Sponsor an Object webpages. Readers can easily navigate from English to Chinese pages by clicking the "En / ?" icon on the menu bar at the top of MOCA's webpages.

To thank sponsors who donate at specified levels, we include acknowledgement of sponsorship in the object’s catalog record, on an official certificate of sponsorship, and/or on exhibition display labels, depending on level of contribution. If you can support our conservation efforts by contributing any amount towards the repair of an object, please visit our Sponsor an Object page. 

Please click on an icon above to learn more about objects that still need additional sponsorship to reach the total conservation cost goal.