Current Exhibitions – Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles
Source: https://camla.org/bespoken-poems-from-our-asian-american-voices
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
Current Exhibitions – Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles
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Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
Collections
Current Exhibitions
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
May 16, 2025 - September 6, 2026
The Icon: Anna May Wong
On-going - August 30, 2026
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
Permanent Exhibition
Journeys
Permanent Exhibition
Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herb Shop
Permanent Exhibition
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
CAM presents our newest exhibition,
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
, open from
May 16, 2025 – September 6, 2026
. The exhibition is co-curated by rapper and poet, Jason Chu and features seven spoken word artists: Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, arianna lady basco, Emdash, Sun Luu, Michelle Myers, STEADY, and Catzie Vilayphonh.
This dynamic show spotlights spoken word artists by blending their poetry, performance, and storytelling into bold imagery and installation.
(Be)Spoken
dives into stories of identity, resilience, justice, and community. With each voice, the exhibition shines a light on the complex, evolving narratives of Chinese American and AAPI communities—past, present, and future.
The Icon: Anna May Wong
More than 100 years after launching her film career, Anna May Wong remains a Hollywood legend as the first Chinese American movie star. Wong, who appeared in more than 70 films, plays, radio shows, and television programs, paved the way for the Asian American actors who later followed in her footsteps. She also achieved a number of groundbreaking milestones in her four-decade career. Often typecast in stereotypical roles, Wong fought against racist portrayals of Asians and spoke out about the limited opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood, in comparison to her white counterparts who were recruited to play Asian characters in yellowface.
The Icon: Anna May Wong,
open from
May 16, 2025 – August 30, 2026
,
pays tribute to the trailblazer and icon who challenged conventions against all odds.
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
, a permanent, cutting edge exhibition celebrating the growth and development of Chinese American enclaves from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley.
Journeys
This exhibit narrates Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. The display is outlined into four distinct time periods. Each period is defined by an important immigration law and event, accompanied by a brief description and a short personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.
Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herb Shop
This exhibition is a recreation of an actual store that was housed in the Garnier Building in the 1890’s. The Sun Wing Wo store opened in 1891 and remained in this building until 1948. The store was a multi-purpose space that showed how self-sufficient the Chinese were and had to be due to racism and discrimination, while also being responsive to the needs of their community. Even though the store predominantly served the Chinese, there were European, Japanese, and Mexican Americans who also came to purchase Chinese merchandise.
On one side of the gallery, people can find merchandise sold at the general store such as food, clothing, furniture, firecrackers, and dishes; they can also find western products that were popular at the time such as cigars and perfumed soaps. The store also provided banking, postal, and letter writing services for the community.
On the other side of the gallery, the Museum recreated the herb shop where Chinese could practice their traditional form of healthcare – Chinese Medicine. There were acupuncture services and prescriptions of herbal remedies provided.
The Museum
Mission and History
Fact Sheet
The Building
Opportunities
Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and General Counsel
Staff
Contact Us
Visit
Location
Contact Info
Hours
Admission
Driving Directions
Parking/Map
Guided Tours
Museum Policies
Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
Collections
Events
Upcoming Events
Annual Historymakers Awards Gala
2026 Chinese New Year Banquet
Past Events
Education
Overview
Guided School Tours
Zines
Resources
Chinese Exclusion Act
At-Home Activities
Support CAM
Membership
Giving Opportunities
Volunteer
Docent
Top 8 Ways
Donate Now
Media / Press
CAM in the News
YouTube
Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
Collections
Current Exhibitions
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
May 16, 2025 - September 6, 2026
The Icon: Anna May Wong
On-going - August 30, 2026
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
Permanent Exhibition
Journeys
Permanent Exhibition
Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herb Shop
Permanent Exhibition
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
CAM presents our newest exhibition,
(Be)Spoken: Poems from Our Asian American Voices
, open from
May 16, 2025 – September 6, 2026
. The exhibition is co-curated by rapper and poet, Jason Chu and features seven spoken word artists: Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, arianna lady basco, Emdash, Sun Luu, Michelle Myers, STEADY, and Catzie Vilayphonh.
This dynamic show spotlights spoken word artists by blending their poetry, performance, and storytelling into bold imagery and installation.
(Be)Spoken
dives into stories of identity, resilience, justice, and community. With each voice, the exhibition shines a light on the complex, evolving narratives of Chinese American and AAPI communities—past, present, and future.
The Icon: Anna May Wong
More than 100 years after launching her film career, Anna May Wong remains a Hollywood legend as the first Chinese American movie star. Wong, who appeared in more than 70 films, plays, radio shows, and television programs, paved the way for the Asian American actors who later followed in her footsteps. She also achieved a number of groundbreaking milestones in her four-decade career. Often typecast in stereotypical roles, Wong fought against racist portrayals of Asians and spoke out about the limited opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood, in comparison to her white counterparts who were recruited to play Asian characters in yellowface.
The Icon: Anna May Wong,
open from
May 16, 2025 – August 30, 2026
,
pays tribute to the trailblazer and icon who challenged conventions against all odds.
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles
, a permanent, cutting edge exhibition celebrating the growth and development of Chinese American enclaves from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley.
Journeys
This exhibit narrates Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. The display is outlined into four distinct time periods. Each period is defined by an important immigration law and event, accompanied by a brief description and a short personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.
Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herb Shop
This exhibition is a recreation of an actual store that was housed in the Garnier Building in the 1890’s. The Sun Wing Wo store opened in 1891 and remained in this building until 1948. The store was a multi-purpose space that showed how self-sufficient the Chinese were and had to be due to racism and discrimination, while also being responsive to the needs of their community. Even though the store predominantly served the Chinese, there were European, Japanese, and Mexican Americans who also came to purchase Chinese merchandise.
On one side of the gallery, people can find merchandise sold at the general store such as food, clothing, furniture, firecrackers, and dishes; they can also find western products that were popular at the time such as cigars and perfumed soaps. The store also provided banking, postal, and letter writing services for the community.
On the other side of the gallery, the Museum recreated the herb shop where Chinese could practice their traditional form of healthcare – Chinese Medicine. There were acupuncture services and prescriptions of herbal remedies provided.