Museum of Chinese in America

Overview

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) preserves and presents the history, heritage, and culture of Chinese people in the Americas. The museum occupies a space designed by Maya Lin (creator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) in a converted machine shop in Chinatown.

Highlights

• With a Single Step: The core exhibition traces the Chinese American experience from the 19th century through today, covering immigration, exclusion, labor, and cultural identity.
• Maya Lin Design: The interior space is a thoughtful renovation that balances raw industrial elements with serene contemplative areas.
• Oral Histories: The museum maintains an extensive oral history archive capturing personal stories from the Chinese American community.

History

Founded in 1980 as the New York Chinatown History Project, MOCA moved to its current Maya Lin-designed space on Centre Street in 2009. A devastating fire in 2020 damaged its archive of 85,000 objects, which has been undergoing painstaking restoration.

Visitor Tips

• Chinatown Walk: Combine with a walk through Chinatown for dim sum, bakeries, and street life along Mott and Canal Streets.
• Small but Powerful: It is a compact museum — don't expect to spend more than an hour, but the content is deeply moving.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.