Museum of Chinese in America

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) cordially invites you to join an insightful discussion with Thomas S. Mullaney, Professor of Chinese History at Stanford University and author of The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age. This event will uncover the fascinating, untold story of how the Chinese language overcame unparalleled challenges and revolutionized the world of computing. A standard QWERTY keyboard has a few dozen keys. How can Chinese—a language with tens of thousands of characters and no alphabet—be input on such a device? In The Chinese Computer, Mullaney sets out to resolve this paradox, discovering that the key to this seemingly impossible riddle has given rise to a new epoch in the history of writing—a form of writing he calls “hypography.” Based on fifteen years of research, this pathbreaking history charts the beginnings of electronic Chinese technology in the wake of World War II and traces its many iterations to the present day. Mullaney takes readers through the evolution of Chinese language computing technology, highlighting the development of electronic Chinese input methods—software programs that enable Chinese characters to be produced using alphanumeric symbols—and their profound impact on the way Chinese is written. Along the way, Mullaney introduces a cast of brilliant and eccentric personalities from IBM, MIT, the CIA, the Pentagon, the Taiwanese military, and the highest ranks of the mainland Chinese establishment, exploring the unexpected roles they played in developing Chinese language computing. He also illustrates how China and the non-Western world, through the hypographic technologies they invented, helped the Western computer overcome its inherent biases and achieve a meaningful presence in markets outside the Americas and Europe. The conversation will be moderated by Herb Tam, MOCA’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions. Join us for this captivating discussion that explores the dynamic interplay between culture and technology.

The Museum of Chinese in America proudly supports the creative journey of generative artists in the development of new works. In this spirit, we are honored to present Standing Above Pajaro, a poignant new opera composed by Jeremy Rafal based on the original play by Conrad A. Panganiban. Returning to MOCA with this evocative piece, Rafal delves into a turbulent chapter of American history, offering a narrative that resonates deeply with contemporary issues of immigration, identity, and the human capacity for empathy. Set against the backdrop of 1930s Watsonville, California, Standing Above Pajaro unfolds on a desperate early morning when Celestino Tobera, a Filipino farm worker, seeks refuge in a general store, fleeing an enraged mob intent on eradicating the Filipino community. The store’s owner, Melissa Anne Crawley, is faced with a heart-wrenching decision: protect Celestino or align with her son, who leads the violent mob. Through powerful music and compelling storytelling, Standing Above Pajaro explores the collision between anti-Asian violence and the pursuit of the American Dream. It challenges audiences to reflect on the question: “What will it take to create empathy for immigrants seeking better opportunities and the willingness to help them?” This program is supported by Museum of Chinese in America’s Creative Space Initiative. ---- STANDING ABOVE PAJARO A Filipino-American Imagined Opera Inspired by the 1930 Watsonville Riots Original Story and Libretto by Conrad A. Panganiban Music by Jeremy Rafal Directed by Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li Featuring Joachim Luis, Laura Virella, Billy Huyler Stage management by A. Kasper Dramaturgy by Jay Qun Green Content warning: racial violence and domestic violence are described but not depicted throughout this performance. Viewer discretion is advised.

MOCA hosted an insightful discussion with Dr. Melody Yunzi Li, Assistant Professor in Chinese Studies at the University of Houston and author of "Transpacific Cartographies: Narrating the Contemporary Chinese Diaspora in the United States." This event explored how contemporary Chinese diasporic narratives address the existential loss of home for immigrant communities at a time of global precarity and amid rising Sino-US tensions. Dr. Li highlighted cultural productions of the Chinese diaspora from the 1990s to the present, including novels by Sinophone writers Yan Geling (The Criminal Lu Yanshi), Shi Yu (New York Lover), Chen Qian (Listen to the Caged Bird Sing), and Rong Rong (Notes of a Couple), as well as Anglophone writer Ha Jin (A Free Life; A Map of Betrayal), and selected TV shows (Beijinger in New York; The Way We Were). Dr. Li argued that the characters in these stories create multilayered maps that transcend territorial boundaries, making the search for a home in a foreign land a seemingly impossible task. These “maps” outline a transpacific landscape reflecting the psycho-geography of homemaking for diasporic communities, offering readers diverse paths to finding a sense of home no matter where they are. The conversation featured Carah Naseem, Associate Editor at Rutgers University Press, and was moderated by Yifan Wu, MOCA’s Director of Programs.

MOCA hosted a virtual discussion with scholars Sam Wong and Evelyn Wong, who delved into the life and legacy of Kuang Qizhao. Kuang was the first Chinese person to write a Chinese-English dictionary and served as the official translator for the Chinese Educational Mission (CEM) in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1874 to 1882. The CEM marked the first instance of the Qing government sending students abroad to learn from the United States. During his time in Hartford, Kuang interacted with a diverse array of Americans, including Mark Twain and Ulysses S. Grant, forming close friendships with many intellectuals in Connecticut. These relationships influenced his reform ideas, particularly the importance of Western education for China’s modernization. Kuang was an early and vocal defender of Chinese immigrants in the U.S., particularly outraged by the racism and false claims of Chinese inferiority propagated by demagogues and the American press. He wrote numerous letters to major newspapers and lobbied congressmen to oppose the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1881, Kuang published A Dictionary of English Phrases, surprising many Americans that a Chinese immigrant compiled a dictionary to teach them their own language. Kuang’s and the CEM’s interactions with Americans also indirectly impacted American literature, especially Mark Twain. Recent scholarship suggests that Twain’s willingness to confront hypocrisy and racism was influenced by his interactions with Kuang and other CEM students. The discussion highlighted specific examples of Kuang’s influence on Twain’s work, including the overlooked play Ah Sin and the most famous novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. In light of current U.S.-China relations, Kuang’s experiences with Chinese exclusion laws are particularly relevant to Chinese Americans today.

In partnership with the Asian American / Asian Research Institute – CUNY, poet and editor Russell C. Leong read from MothSutra, a collection of drawings and poetry about an Asian delivery man who rides a bicycle throughout Manhattan as he “cycles through his life from East to West.” Leong aims to evoke the inner lives, meditations, hopes, and dreams of individuals generally invisible to those who order “takeout.” MothSutra was first presented at the Bowery Poetry Club, the University of Hong Kong Black Box Theatre, and the City University of New York. He was introduced via video by the late Chinese American labor historian, Peter Kwong.

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) recently announced a new speaker series, MOCA Forum, featuring prominent Chinese Americans working within the U.S. government. This series aims to delve into critical historical and contemporary issues concerning Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), with a particular focus on legislative actions affecting these communities. From the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese incarceration to recent hate crimes, we will host discussions surrounding significant historical moments and explore the evolving role of AANHPIs within the broader context of American history. The inaugural event was held on May 31, 2024, at MOCA. It featured Ambassador Christopher P. Lu, Congressmember Grace Meng, and Congressmember Mark Takano, and was moderated by Scott Wong, Senior Congressional Reporter at NBC News.