Remembering Angel Island

June 16, 2010 – May 29, 2011

Remembering Angel Island exhibition commemorates the 100th year anniversary of the opening of Angel Island Immigration Station through its history, legacy, and unforgettable stories. Constructed in 1910 in the heart of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island Immigration Station processed more than one million immigrants from over 80 countries—including 175,000 Chinese—during its 30 years of operations before burning down in 1940.

Though often nicknamed “The Ellis Island of the West,” the mission of Angel Island served an entirely different purpose than its East Coast counterpart, particularly for Chinese immigrants. The passage of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act subjected many Chinese to intense interrogation and detention on Angel Island that lasted weeks, months, and sometimes even years. The ordeal of this experience left an indelible mark in the lives of Chinese immigrants that forever changed the course of America’s history.

Remembering Angel Island provides a bracing look into the hope and heartache of this seminal chapter of America’s immigrant history through historic photographs, a reproduction of a poem carved on the barracks of Angel Island, coaching papers, artifacts, and a multi-media station featuring a mock interrogation and personal stories of those who endured or were profoundly affected by the Angel Island experience.

Read about the exhibit as featured in the Los Angeles Times.

Click here for a PDF of the story: Page 1 | Page 2

Click here for the exhibit press release [pdf]

Special Thanks to our Angel Island Exhibit Donors: (List as of May 7, 2010)

Benefactor Level ($1,000 and above)
Annie Jeng
Buck Gee
Byron Lee
CACA Grand Lodge
CACA Greater San Gabriel Valley
Chung King Properties
Joseph & Flora Ko
Laura Lai
Ronald L. & Lisa L. Moy
Tim & Annie Siu
Dolores Wong
James Bok Wong & Mrs. Betty KC Yeow
Victor Wong
Wei Wong, Esq.

Sponsor Level (up to $500)
Israel & Nadine Soo Hoo Levy
James J & Christiane A Cook
Linda Wah
Nowland C. Hong
The Central City Optimist Club of Los Angeles California
Tim & Cecilia Yu
In memory of Silun Ho and Kamping Chan

Advocate Level (up to $250)
Al & Bibiana Y. Soo-Hoo
Albert & Marjorie Lew
Allison C. Mah
Debra Wong
Dorothy Tamashiro
Edwin Kwoh
Eugene & Susan Moy
Ging Loy & Kam Chun Gin
Greg & Debbie Soo-Hoo
Jean Quan
Joe Quan
Louis E & Lavinia L Kwok
Pauline Wong, Ph.D.
Perry & Alice Lew
Randolph & Karolynne A. Gee
Raymond & Elsie S. Chan

Supporter Level (up to $100)
Charles Wong
Peter & Linda Yao
Donna Young
Gene W. & Nancy Choy
John & Ginger Fong
Sharon Chow
May Jang
Doré Hall Wong
Dennis Soo-Hoo
Desmond Lew
Jean Bruce Poole
Saykin Foo, CPA
Peter & Lucy Soo-Hoo, Jr.
Angi Ma Wong
Michael Fong
Jan Lin
Ed Lew
Diane Tan
Gene & Alma Chin
M. Michael & Lisa A. Deaderick
Dr. Wayne Flicker & Janice Lew
A.Y. & C.Q. Chow
Dean & Nellie Jew
Pearl Lee
Patricia Q. & Debra Eng
David A. & Linda L. Dow
Stephen & Nancy Pang
Bob Gin
Ava Lee
Frankie F. Yan
Jimmy M. & Dale A. Gin
Samuel Joe
Peter J. Wong and Patricia Kinaga
Howard Chin
Randy & Vickie Hom
Roy & Daisy Chan
Agnes Fung
Emily C. Mayeda
Janice Ng
Cynthia Woo
Wei C. Wong, Esq.
Heather Lee-Yoshioka
Richard Ferrante

Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection

October 24, 2009 – Nov. 7, 2010

Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection is a groundbreaking exhibition of movie memorabilia collected during the ten-year research for Arthur Dong’s documentary on the Chinese in American feature films, “Hollywood Chinese.” From the filmmaker’s archive of over 1,000 items, a selection of posters, lobby cards, stills, scripts, press material, and other artifacts dating from 1916 to present-day offer vivid graphic examples of how the Chinese have been imagined in the movies during the last century. The show also documents the work of Chinese and Chinese American film artists through the decades who have triumphed as well as struggled with an industry often ignorant of race. Filmmaker Arthur Dong is the Guest Curator for this exhibit.

In addition to iconic depictions evidenced by material from films such as “The Good Earth,” “The Vengeance of Fu Manchu,” “Charlie Chan in Honolulu,” and “Flower Drum Song,” highlights of the exhibition include the surviving archive of pioneer Chinese American filmmaker James B. Leong, who produced the 1921 film, “Lotus Blossom,” in Los Angeles, and rare production photos from the recently discovered 1916 film, “The Curse of Quon Gwon,” the earliest known feature film directed by an Asian American, San Francisco native Marion Wong. Other themes include a look at how cinema exploited the Chinatown mystique, films reflecting anti-Communists attitudes, and a selection of lobby cards from Mexico. On special display will be the first Oscar ® won by a Chinese American, the eminent cinematographer, James Wong Howe, for his work on “The Rose Tattoo (1955)” The statuette is on loan courtesy of the James Wong Howe Estate.

Major funding for “Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection” has been provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Click here for the Press Release (PDF).

Special Events Related to Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection

CAM is proud to offer an exciting schedule of programs developed specifically to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of this exhibit. All the programs are offered free to the public though reservations are required. Please the events calendar for specific information.

Journeys

This exhibit narrates Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. The display is outlined into four distinct time periods. Each period is defined by an important immigration law and event, accompanied by a brief description and a short personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herb Shop

This exhibition is a recreation of an actual store that was housed in the Garnier Building in the 1890’s. The Sun Wing Wo store opened in 1891 and remained in this building until 1948.  The store was a multi-purpose space that showed how self-sufficient the Chinese were and had to be due to racism and discrimination, while also being responsive to the needs of their community.  Even though the store predominantly served the Chinese, there were European, Japanese, and Mexican Americans who also came to purchase Chinese merchandise.

On one side of the gallery, people can find merchandise sold at the general store such as food, clothing, furniture, firecrackers, and dishes; they can also find western products that were popular at the time such as cigars and perfumed soaps. The store also provided banking, postal, and letter writing services for the community.

On the other side of the gallery, the Museum recreated the herb shop where Chinese could practice their traditional form of healthcare - Chinese Medicine. There were acupuncture services and prescriptions of herbal remedies provided.

Meet Albert Lew

Engage in a lively chat with Albert Lew as he relives his childhood days in the original Sun Wing Wo Store. Experience what it was like inside the hustle and bustle of this vital community center as seen through the eyes of a then thirteen-year old Albert, who worked in the store upon his arrival to the United States in 1937.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Albert Lew moved to China with his parents at the age of five during the Great Depression. In 1937, Albert Lew was thirteen years old when he came back to the United States to earn money to support his mother and younger siblings in China. Upon his arrival, Albert worked in the Sun Wing Wo general store and herb shop, located in Chinatown, and owned and operated by his uncles and cousin. After working at the store for six months, his older sister and her husband arranged for Albert to join them in San Francisco. Albert eventually served in the U.S. Navy and worked for the Department of Water and Power. He has since retired in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Scheduled appearances: The SECOND WEDNESDAY of every month.