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Wednesday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

Chinese Historical Society of America

Name: Chinese Historical Society of America
Address: 965 Clay Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, US
Telephone: +14153911188
Price range: $
Rating: 4.3

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Chinese Historical Society of America

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The oldest organization in the country dedicated to the preservation of Chinese American history.
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The Chinese Historical Society of America is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to promoting the history and contributions of the Chinese in America. Since 1963, CHSA has strived to be a responsible steward of the remarkable narrative of the Chinese American community. CHSA is housed in the landmark Julia Morgan-designed Chinatown YWCA building at 965 Clay Street, San Francisco. CHSA's exhibitions, archival artifacts and publications, and educational and public programs in the Museum and Learning Center are key components in the chronicling of Chinese American history, while its tours of the Museum and the surrounding San Francisco Chinatown community help interpret the local Chinese American experience. Its landmark "We Are Bruce Lee: Under the Sky, One Family" exhibit spotlights the values and legacy of a Chinese American icon who was born in San Francisco Chinatown and became an international superstar.

10/17/2026

CHSA presents XR for Chinese American History, a new series of self-guided tours with augmented and virtual reality features.
Participants will experience a walkthrough of the Grant Avenue tour in San Francisco Chinatown. The presentation will include a discussion with the creators of the XR experience at CHSA Museum.

We will also release the no-code tool used to create these tours as an open-source repository.

Note: admission is FREE and includes light refreshments.

To RSVP, visit link in bio.

10/09/2026

Regristration opens October 15

https://www.facebook.com/events/38361851613459382/

10/04/2026

CHSA Spotlight
ELECTED AMERICAN: FROM RED CHINA TO BLUE MARYLAND
By Lily Qi

In her political memoir, Lily Qi details her personal journey from growing up in Mao’s Shanghai during the politically volatile Cultural Revolution to her solo journey to the United States. Thirty years after moving to America, she successfully ran for public office and became the first person born in Communist China to be elected to a U.S. State Legislature (2018), when she was named Maryland state delegate.

Join CHSA for an in-depth conversation with Lily Qi and her unique perspective on government, her remarkable pathway toward public service in the U.S., and her deeply personal story of her American Dream.

WHEN: November 8, 11am
WHERE: CHSA Museum

Tickets are $15 for general admission.

For more information, visit CHSA.org or link in bio.

10/03/2026

09/28/2026

What does it truly mean to find your political voice as an immigrant?

In Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi’s new memoir, Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland, she shares a uniquely powerful, cross-system perspective on the American democracy.

As the only U.S. state legislator to have lived through the Cultural Revolution, Delegate Qi details her unique journey from growing up in Shanghai to mobilizing voters in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Join CHSA for a very special program where Delegate Qi will share her incredible story of growing up in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution and becoming a U.S. political leader.

WHEN: November 8, 11AM
WHERE: CHSA Museum

RSVP today:
$15 general admission
$40 GA + copy of her book
This program includes a complimentary lunch buffet.

For more information, visit CHSA.org.

09/07/2026

CHSA Honors Labor Day

Organized labor has essentially been a part of the Chinatown garment industry since its origin, beginning with traditional all-male guilds. Later, attempts were made at unionizing the mostly female Chinatown garment workers.

Over the decades, there have been important labor disputes and resulting strikes in San Francisco Chinatown, including the 1974 Jung Sai Garment Workers Strike involving 135 Chinese immigrant women working at the Jung Sai garment factory, located at 646 Washington Street.

From July 1974 to the spring of 1975, 135 Chinese immigrant women working at the Jung Sai garment factory in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The workers revolted against exploitative conditions, low wages, lack of breaks, and sudden piece-rate pay cuts.

The strike is celebrated as a foundational milestone for Asian-American labor activism, shattering passive stereotypes and inspiring future immigrant labor movements across the United States.

These images are part of the collaborative traveling exhibit
Urban Archeology: Unearthing the San Francisco Chinatown Garment Industry, produced by CHSA, the Anthropological Studies Center, Sonoma State University & The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Images:
Jung Sai Strike picket line, 1974, Source: San Francisco State Library Labor Archives and Research Center. Photograph: Cathy Cade

For more information about this traveling exhibit, visit CHSA.org.

09/02/2026

Bruce Lee Statue Project update!

To coincide with San Francisco Recreation and Parks’ Portsmouth Square Renovation Project currently underway in San Francisco Chinatown, CHSA and Rose Pak Community Fund are excited to share progress on the Bruce Lee Statue Project. Construction has officially begun at the Portsmouth Square site this week, including the pouring of concrete for the bases of incoming public sculptures. This is an exciting beginning moment for the Bruce Lee statue becoming a reality.

For CHSA, the statue of Bruce Lee is in the final stages of design that features Bruce in a classic stance from the hall of mirrors scene the martial arts classic Enter the Dragon and an accompanying commemorative plaque at the base.

And we are looking to the public to provide feedback on the plaque, specifically: What do you think the words on the plaque should say? His bio? His body of work? What descriptor should pay tribute to San Francisco’s native son?

Please share your reactions and comments below—we’d love to hear your thoughts! The public’s input on this public statue for the community.

For more information about the Bruce Lee Statue Project, visit CHSA.org.

08/31/2026

SAVE THE DATE: November 15, 2026 (afternoon):
Seminar: Finding Your Taiwanese and Chinese Roots

Are you Taiwanese American, or Chinese American, and every wondered where your family came from—and how to find out? Are you one of the 15,000 who attended Taiwan’s Love Boat Program between 1967 and 2013, and wondered the same?

This special genealogy seminar will show you how resources in the United States, Taiwan, and China can help uncover your family history. Through records, databases, archives, and real-life case studies, you’ll learn how to trace your ancestral village, plan a visit to your family’s homeland, and preserve your family history for future generations.

Whether your family has been in Taiwan for many generations, or they came to Taiwan from China—including those from the 1949 Civil War—this seminar is for you.

This event will take place at the Foster City Library.

Follow CHSA or visit CHSA.org for updates and more information as it finalizes.

08/30/2026

CHSA Spotlight
Lisa Ling, American journalist and media personality
Born August 30, 1973

Lisa Ling was born in Sacramento to Hong Kongese and Taiwanese immigrant parents. Her journalism career began at a young age as a reporter for the nationally syndicated local teen magazine show. At age 18, she became one of the youngest reporters and anchors for Channel One News, earning several awards for her assignments in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

Lisa’s career took off when she was named as one of the co-hosts for the panel talking show The View (1999-2002). Afterward, she returned to international reporting and special correspondence for networks including National Geographic and Oprah Winfrey. Her awardinvestigative documentary series This is Life with Lisa Ling ran on CNN for nine years. Ling has received multiple awards for her reporting, showcasing her impact and trailblazing influence in journalism.

Address

965 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA
94108

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+14153911188

Website

http://www.chsa.org/

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