LA's Chinese American Museum celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

LOS ANGELES - May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

The Chinese American Museum at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument stands as Southern California’s first and only museum dedicated to sharing the history of the Chinese American experience in Los Angeles. 

Opened in December 2003, the museum is the site of Los Angeles' original Chinatown, reflecting the development of an immigrant history that began over 150 years ago when the first major Chinese settlement was documented in Los Angeles.

In the years after its opening, Chinese American families and businesses donated their cherished possessions to the museum. CAM received artifacts ranging from antique furniture and children’s toys, to herbal store furnishings and supplies, to traditional wedding gowns. Museum staff were entrusted with delicate, faded photographs and yellowing letters from loved ones in China. Elderly Chinese Americans shared their memories of growing up in Old Chinatown, which were recorded on audio tapes.

The museum's grand opening was made possible through generous support from the City of Los Angeles, the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, community-based organizations, public and private grantors, and countless donors, contributors and volunteers.

To learn more, visit the Chinese American Museum's website by clicking or tapping here.