Learn about MOCA’s core exhibit, With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, in this educator-led gallery tour that provides an overview of the Chinese in America from the 19th century through the present day. Items in the Museum’s collection are used to highlight the major themes of the exhibit. (60 minute option available)

Students examine and analyze representations of the Chinese in America in political cartoons, advertisements, and pop culture ranging from the 19th century through the present day. Through a series of document-based exercises that strengthen critical thinking and visual literacy and analysis, students learn the origins of stereotypes and social fears, such as xenophobia and racism, in US society. Students make connections between representations of race and labor relations, immigration and naturalization policies, and international affairs.

Curious about lion dance, Cantonese opera, and other traditions that permeate Chinese American culture? Pack your suitcase, and follow along! On this guided gallery experience, students will explore Chinese American customs and traditions through the lenses of performing arts, language, food, and daily life. Students will have opportunities to share their own cultural traditions and make connections with the Chinese immigrant community.

Through an examination of personal artifacts, photographs, and documents from the Museum’s collection, students will explore the Chinese American experience from past to present. Students will learn about successive waves of Chinese immigrants, their motivations for coming, where they settled, how they were treated, how they adapted to their new life, and how they shaped American society. Hands-on activities with primary sources will encourage students to delve deeper into pertinent themes and to make connections with their personal experience.

Explore the museum at your own pace! Self-guided groups are welcome to visit our core exhibit, With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, as well as our special exhibits and the Our Chinatown Learning Center. K-8 self-guided groups must bring at least 1 chaperone for every 8 students. Age-appropriate worksheets are available upon request.

Offered April - December.

Restaurants have always played an essential role in New York City's Chinatown. Trace the evolution of eateries in Chinatown, highlighting stories of diversity—the flavors of China’s regional cuisines converging in New York City; stories of legacy—Chinatown’s sons and daughters who grew up to be entrepreneurs and restaurateurs; and stories of evolution—a constant weaving between the classic and modern, the old and the new.

NOTE ON CHAPERONES: Walking Tour groups larger than 15 will be split into two groups, each with their own educator. Groups will do the tour simultaneously, but may complete stops in a different order and will not necessarily be within eyesight of each other. Please plan accordingly and bring sufficient chaperones if your school requires a teacher to be with students at all times.

MOCA Education is happy to offer any of our current learning experiences to qualifying community partners at reduced rates or free of charge. Please specify your preferred program when booking.

Offered April - December.

Uncover the history of one of New York City’s oldest neighborhoods! This walking tour focuses on how everyday buildings and places of historical significance reflect and shape a community--from its origins as the Native American village of Werpoes Hill in 1600 to its present status as one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in New York City. Highlighted sites include the oldest streets in Chinatown, a Catholic church, Chinatown's oldest general store, and a Chinese eatery that catered to the needs of Chinatown’s turn-of-the-century “bachelor society.”

NOTE ON CHAPERONES: Walking Tour groups larger than 10 people will be split into two groups, each with their own educator. Groups will do the tour simultaneously, but may complete stops in a different order and will not necessarily be within eyesight of each other. Please plan accordingly and bring sufficient chaperones if your school requires a teacher to be with students at all times.

Offered April - December.

Bring students to the Museum of Chinese in America for an in-person exploration of New York City’s vibrant Chinatown. Students will learn about the landmarks, businesses, and people that make up the Chinatown community, and connect them to places and people in their own home neighborhoods.

NOTE ON CHAPERONES: Walking Tour groups larger than 15 will be split into two groups, each with their own educator. Groups will do the tour simultaneously, but may complete stops in a different order and will not necessarily be within eyesight of each other. Please plan accordingly and bring sufficient chaperones if your school requires a teacher to be with students at all times.

Offered April - December.

Bring students to New York City’s historic Chinatown for a fun and interactive map-themed trip! Students will explore the landmarks and businesses of Chinatown in person, then create their own maps to record their visits and what they’ve learned about this community.

NOTE ON CHAPERONES: Walking Tour groups larger than 15 will be split into two groups, each with their own educator. Groups will do the tour simultaneously, but may complete stops in a different order and will not necessarily be within eyesight of each other. Please plan accordingly and bring sufficient chaperones if your school requires a teacher to be with students at all times.

Through an exploration of a selection of primary and secondary sources about two Chinese Americans -- Kenneth Ang and Hazel Ying Lee -- students will learn about the impact of race and gender discrimination in the past and be guided to make contemporary connections. In particular, students will look closely at how the Chinese Exclusion Act affected would-be immigrants and Chinese Americans.

Through an exploration of a selection of popular Chinese and Chinese American foods, students will learn about the diversity and adaptability of Chinese food culture and make connections to their own food customs and traditions. Students will investigate how differences in geography and climate in China have created diverse, regional cuisines. Students will also explore the food customs and traditions Chinese immigrants brought with them and how these customs and traditions have been preserved, changed, or adapted to new circumstances.

Students will gain an appreciation of performing arts by learning about Chinese opera styles and lion dancing. Students will practice deep looking and critical reasoning skills through activities including comparing and contrasting lions and dragons, discussing the symbolism of costumes and gestures, and thinking about how the arts impact people's lives both during celebrations and as part of their everyday activities.

Through an examination of personal artifacts, photographs, and documents from the Museum’s collection and others, students will explore the Chinese American experience through the lens of Kenneth, a young Chinese boy who emigrated to the United States via Angel Island. Students will consider what the journey was like, learn about the specific challenges Chinese immigrants faced, investigate the conditions on Angel Island, and reflect on immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Interactive activities coupled with close looking will encourage students to make connections between past and present experiences of immigrants to the U.S., and even their own.

A remotely guided program using primary and secondary sources from MOCA’s collections and others to analyze the history and impact of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, with an emphasis on how that stereotype has affected, and continues to affect, people of Chinese heritage (or perceived as being Chinese or of Chinese heritage) in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through an examination of personal artifacts, photographs, and documents from the Museum’s collection and others, students will explore the Chinese American experience through the lens of Wong Chin Foo, a Chinese American immigrant, journalist, and activist. Students will learn about the specific challenges Chinese immigrants faced when trying to build new homes in America, investigate how they tried to counter stereotypes and advocate for themselves, and reflect on immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Interactive activities coupled with close looking will encourage students to make connections between past and present experiences of immigrants to the U.S., and even their own.

Offered January - March
Through a guided interactive virtual experience, students learn about one of the most important and long-standing holidays for Chinese communities in America and all over the world. How do people prepare for Lunar New Year? What are the meanings behind the various customs? How have Chinese Americans preserved and adapted these customs? What makes the Lunar New Year celebration unique and what makes it universal?

What will you pack in your suitcase when you are going somewhere far away and strange, and you don’t know when you will be back? This is the question resonates deeply with many of us immigrants, with our parents and grandparents, and with the senior Chinese ladies who frequented the Homecrest Bensonhurst Community Center in Brooklyn, New York. From these shared experiences, Double Image Theater Lab drew inspiration, culminating in their latest creation: PROLOGUE, PART II. Double Image Theater Lab's co-founder Spica Wobbe (鄭淑芸 Shu-yun Cheng) and Red Silk Dancers Company's founder Margaret Yuen transformed the poignant narratives of these women, crafted during weekly art sessions, into a mesmerizing shadow puppet performance. Through the artistry of object manipulation, shadow play, and evocative music, PROLOGUE, PART II breathes life into the captivating adventures of these ladies, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of discovery and reflection. The performance runs approximately 30 minutes.

MOCA has a growing collection of over 85,000 artifacts and ephemera that document the Chinese American diaspora including audio/video recordings, books, documents, oral histories, photographs, textiles, etc. dating back to the early 1900s.

On January 23, 2020, a fire destroyed the iconic building at 70 Mulberry Street in the heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown. The building was home to MOCA’s collections and research center, where the entirety of the 85,000+ objects comprising our archives were stored. With the guidance, support, and aid of several New York City agencies and over 400 volunteers, MOCA was able to recover 95% of our archives. However, we estimate that over 73% of the collections will need restoration. The materials, which have been professionally dried, are now housed and being cared for at the MOCA Workshop, our newly renovated collections and research center located at 3 Howard Street.

Tour our 3 Howard Street facility with the MOCA Collections Team.