41°51′4.06″N 87°38′0.67″W / 41.8511278°N 87.6335194°W
Chinatown Museum Foundation | |
Established2005LocationRaymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center 238 West 23rd StreetChicago, Illinois 60616P: (312) 949-1000DirectorBen LauPresidentEdward JungOwnerChinatown Museum Foundation founded in 2002 by Dr. Chuimei Ho, Dr. Kim K Tee, Sam Ma, John S Tan, Dr. Tao Luo & Wai Chee Yuen.WebsiteOfficial website |
Chinese American Museum of Chicago | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 美洲華裔博物館 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 美洲华裔博物馆 | ||||||
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The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) seeks to advance the appreciation of Chinese American culture through exhibitions, education, and research and to preserve the past, present, and future of Chinese Americans primarily in the American Midwest.[1] The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood.[2][3] Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010.[4] CAMOC is governed by the Board of Directors of the Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF), a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation located in Chicago, Illinois.
The museum building was built in 1896 as a warehouse, and was later home to the Quong Yick Co. After a devastating fire in September 2008, the museum was closed. Raymond B. Lee, whose family ran a food wholesale business in the museum building, donated $660,000 to buy the building to start the museum. Lee, who as a teen slept on the third floor, has donated another $250,000 for renovations since the fire. It reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010.[4]
Each year a Chinese New Year Celebration is held at the museum, featuring live Chinese traditional music, lion dancing, Chinese chess, calligraphy design and food. The 2021 Chinese New Year Celebration went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.