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The state of the art and industrial design of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) scream SoHo. However, the three red lanterns, and the string of Christmas lights that hang in the museum window makes MOCA seem a little more rugged, a little eclectic, and a little more like Chinatown.
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is located at 215 Centre Street on the fringe of the Chinatown and SoHo neighborhoods in New York City. MOCA maintains a Collections and Research Center at its old location in the heart of Chinatown at 70 Mulberry Street.
Block letters that spell MOCA sit atop a wood plank ceiling that extends outside from within the museum. Floor to ceiling store front windows look in to an open and industrial space, with recess lighting. The entrance leads into the gift shop to the right lined with shelves of books, pictures, t-shirts, and memorabilia detailing the MOCA experience. The greeting counter sits front and center. Hard oak wood floors lead the way to the exhibits that narrates the stories of Chinese immigrants and their journey to America. At the heart of the museum a skylight illuminates a make-shift courtyard.
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The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) started its operations 30 years ago as a community-based organization. It serves as an educational resource to old and new Chinatown residents, and it helps bridge the gap between generations of Chinese Americans.
The current location of MOCA opened to the public in September of 2009. Its
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current venue quadrupled in size compared to its old venue standing at 14,000 square feet. The renovation of 215 Centre Street, turning it from an old machinery mill to MOCA’s current green venue cost roughly $8 million. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs funded $2.5 million for MOCA’s renovation.
As MOCA expanded in space, visitors from all walks of life were attracted as well. “We get bigger groups of people visiting the museum now since we have more space. We hold bigger events, the exhibitions are further elaborated, and we have a much bigger museum store,” said Hui Zhen Liang, a summer intern.
Chinatown changed drastically over the years, and older generations of Chinese immigrants had a growing concern that their stories will be forgotten. “Chinatown no long seems like “Chinatown.” Longtime residents are being pushed out, old buildings are being torn down, and new ones are erected,” said a resident of Chinatown, Keen Hung Lee.
MOCA serves as a springboard to help residents old and new of the community to understand that they’re all interconnected in one way or another. “MOCA pieces together Chinatown’s history, the struggles of Chinese Americans, and ties our story together with the bigger picture of Asian Americans,” said Sunny Ng, a resident of Chinatown.
MOCA is slowly becoming a staple in Chinatown, because it’s not just a museum. It is also a place where people can come together and learn about their heritage. “MOCA is a museum that likes to involve people living around it, it encourage the community to come out and interact with each other, and encourage young Chinese Americans to learn and be proud of their culture,” said Hui Zhen Liang.
MOCA receives its funding from both private contributors and public agencies such as the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lower Manhattan Development Fund, NYC Council, September 11th Fund, as well as the Mayor’s office.
According to a New York Times article, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposed $65 billion budget for 2011 includes a 35% reduction in funding for arts programs. The decrease in funding will make it harder for local museums such as MOCA to function on a daily basis. “A budget cut to the arts means less funding to have free events, to host exhibitions, and less money to keep the cost of tickets down which might discourage people to visit,” said Hui Zhen Liang.
The Department of Cultural Affairs budget for fiscal year 2011 includes $149.8 million for non-profit cultural organizations. Of the total, $28.9 million will be allotted to the Cultural Development Funds, $110.2 million will be used for the Cultural Institutions Group, and $5.8 million will be used for Cultural after School Adventures Program.
Some residents are flabbergasted by Mayor Bloomberg’s drastic budget cuts the the arts. “Mayor Bloomberg is actually one of the original supporters of MOCA who helped fund the new location,” said Hui Zhen Liang.
Residents fear that MOCA may not prosper without more funding from agencies. “A local museum like MOCA may eventually fade into the background, and it is a very discouraging thought because MOCA is the only museum in New York that is dedicated to the history of Chinese Americans,” said Victoria Wong, a resident of Chinatown.
The Museum of Chinese in America vividly portrays what Chinese people went through when they first came to the country in the 19th Century. MOCA shows new Chinese immigrants, what their predecessors went through to make a life in America. “A lot of immigrants don’t understand English; they don’t like to watch American television and so they rely on these art programs to entertain themselves,” said Hui Zhen Liang.
Chinatown, New York is like an antique, every five floor walk-up apartment building has its story that dates back several decades. “MOCA is an important resource of public information for locals as well as tourists to understand Chinatown from a historical perspective,” said Sunny Ng.
Not only is MOCA enriching for Chinese Americans, but people of all ethnicities can also learn from the exhibitions at MOCA, and realize that, despite all stereotypes, all immigrants who came to the United States suffered hardships in one form or another. “Non-Chinese Americans can see what my ancestors have suffered through. It gives them a better understanding of how we connect to them. We are all living on the same Earth, and we have more in common with them then they really think,” said Victoria Wong.