MOCA TALKS – Oasis in the Great Desert

General Admission: $20 | Senior & Student Admission: $15 MOCA Member Admission: $10 Tickets To kick off AANHPI Heritage Month, the Museum of Chinese in America is proud to present a special program honoring Wong Chin Foo and his enduring legacy. The evening will open with special remarks by Frank Wu, President of Queens College, followed by a theatrical portrait by Richard Chang, who will bring Wong to life through a speech delivered in Chinatown on May 1, 1892—just days before Congress passed the Geary Act. A panel discussion, led by MOCA Co-Founder and historian Jack Tchen, will explore Wong’s impact as an activist and as the editor of the first Chinese-language newspaper in the United States, Chinese American (美華新報). The conversation will also examine the evolution of AANHPI journalism and its role in shaping our sociopolitical landscape, offering a contemporary lens on Wong’s lasting influence. This program is part of MOCA’s Luminaries for America 250 initiative, celebrating Chinese American history makers.   ABOUT Wong Chin Foo Wong Chin Foo (1847-1898) was a Chinese-American activist and one of the most prolific Chinese writers in America during the second half of the 19th century. Born in Shandong, he came to the U.S. for the first time in 1868. Wong returned to China in 1870, married, and became an interpreter for the Customs Service in Shanghai and later in Zhenjiang, where he participated in anti-Qing activities. When government forces pursued him, he fled China in 1873, becoming a U.S. citizen the following year. He is most notably credited with coining the term “Chinese American” and, in 1883, publishing Manhattan’s first Chinese newspaper, The Chinese American. To learn more about Wong, please visit: https://www.mocanyc.org/collections/stories/wong-chin-foo/ ABOUT Richard Chang Richard Chang is a performer-playwright who seeks to tell neglected stories in entertaining ways that authentically reflect America’s diversity. His works reflect his background in Asian and Western theater, dance and opera; puppetry; improv comedy; and a decades-long journalism career. His play, Citizen Wong, premiered at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 2022, and soon morphed into the Citizen Wong Project to resurrect and celebrate Wong Chin Foo (1847-1898), the first Asian-American civil rights leader. The project’s platforms also include solo performances, a short film and a graphic novel developed with AA CARES at San Francisco State University; and a proposed documentary, feature film and TV series. His solo comedy, Ai Yah Goy Vey! Adventures of a Dim Sun in Search of his Wanton Father, had its world premiere at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in January 2026. Other Pan Asian Rep credits include The Last Empress and Legend of the White Snake. A founding member of Chinese Theatre Works, he has co-written, directed or performed in Climbing the Gold Mountain, Shadow White Snake, Toy Theater Peony Pavilion and Little Red Riding Hood. Screen roles inclu...