NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Chinese in America, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, New York City Council Member Margaret S. Chin, and Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer held a joint press conference on Saturday, April 13, 2019 to announce that MOCA has been allocated $2.3 million in capital funding in the citys fiscal year 2019 budget to help the Museum acquire its current premises at 215 Centre Street.
MOCA is seeking to secure a permanent home to cement its position as a national cultural institution headquartered in New York City. MOCA is dedicated to telling the untold stories in the making of America through the lens of the Chinese immigrant experience. The capital funding in fiscal year 2019 comprises $2.25 million allocated from the New York City Council and $50,000.00 from the office of the Manhattan Borough President.
New York is a city of immigrants, and MOCA reminds us of the struggles our ancestors had when they first came here. And that reminds us that we cant take the things we enjoy today for granted," said Speaker Corey Johnson. Thanks to the incredible persistence and determination of Council Member Chin, the Council allocated $2.25 million in capital funding for MOCA. This funding shows our commitment to helping MOCA to finding a permanent home, which it absolutely deserves.
For years, the Museum of Chinese in America has worked to bring the vivid stories of the Chinese American experience to life, said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. Working closely with Council Speaker Johnson, we proudly secured $2.25 million to help MOCA to continue serving as a center for art, history and community organizing in the heart of Chinatown. Spaces like this celebrate the diverse cultural fabric that makes our City great, and I thank MOCA for its continued efforts to allow everyday New Yorkers and visitors to learn about the stories and struggles of the Chinese American immigrant experience through its unique exhibitions and affordable programs.
The story of immigrants is the story of New York City, said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. And the role of Chinese immigrants is celebrated in a special form by the Museum of Chinese in America. Im proud to have contributed to their capital project in how ever modest a way.
This tremendous public mark of support from Speaker Johnson, Council Member Chin, and Manhattan Borough President Brewer not only gives everyone associated with MOCA great encouragement to press on, but also serves as a testament of their leadership on redefining the American narrative to include the untold stories in the making of America, said Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of the Museum of Chinese in America. MOCA is proud to be a nationally-recognized institution residing in historic Chinatown, New York City; the largest population of Chinese Americans in the U.S. resides in the greater New York area.
The capital funding was announced during the official kick-off of MOCA Spike 150: Running Forward With Our Stories , an historic initiative by the Museum of Chinese in America to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad and honor the contributions, resilience, and grit of the Chinese and Irish laborers who helped to build the railroad and build America.