Last week, the Museum of Chinese in America celebrated its 2026 Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani South Street at Casa Cipriani.
Held on October 29, the evening welcomed more than 500 guests for an awards presentation, performances, and fundraising in support of the museum’s exhibitions, education programs, and archives.
Journalist and news anchor Richard Lui hosted the program. The gala’s Generation Impact theme marked America’s 250th anniversary by recognizing the contributions of Chinese Americans across generations. Notable guests included actress Fala Chen, actor Archie Kao, and designers Alexander Wang, Bach Mai, and Olivia Cheng. Before dinner, Pianist and composer Chloe Flower performed on a black Steinway against the stage’s red curtains.
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images for MOCA / BFA
Board of Trustees Co-Chair Eric T. Lee opened the program by recalling the museum’s beginnings. In the 1980s, its founders struggled to find an institution willing to preserve the immigrant stories and belongings so they established one themselves. “Our founders refused to let our stories disappear,” he said. Gala chair Jessica Wang led a champagne toast, calling on younger supporters to continue that work. “For years, we’ve talked about getting the next generation involved,” she said. “Well, look around. We’re here.”
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images for MOCA / BFA
Two students from P.S. 124 Yung Wing School shared their grandparents’ immigration stories following their participation in MOCA’s Footsteps We Follow residency. They also spoke about the school’s namesake, Yung Wing, who graduated from Yale in 1854 and became the first Chinese student to earn a degree from an American university.
Playwright David Henry Hwang presented the Legacy Award to Baayork Lee, whose connection to Chinatown extends from her childhood on Mott Street to decades of work with P.S. 124’s Theatre Club. Lee made her Broadway debut at five in The King and I and later originated the role of Connie in A Chorus Line, also serving as Michael Bennett’s assistant choreographer. Her work with younger performers led to the National Asian Artists Project, founded with Steven Eng and Nina Zoie Lam. “I stand here because many people opened doors for me,” Lee said. “My responsibility has always been to hold those doors open, and then make them wider for those coming behind me.”
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images for MOCA / BFA
Thomas Tolentino of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Foundation presented the Impact Award to the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. He described Ellis Island and Angel Island as two halves of America’s immigration story. In the early 1900s, the Pacific station processed immigrants arriving in San Francisco Bay, with Chinese arrivals facing interrogation and prolonged detention under the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Accepting the award, executive director Edward Tepporn encouraged guests to visit the station and contribute family accounts to the foundation’s Immigrant Voices project. “We not only have the opportunity to learn about this history, but also to feel it,” he said. Auctioneer Paul Florez-Taylor led a paddle raise that drew more than $1.1 million in pledges and raised more than $3.16 million overall.
Museum president Michael Lee also previewed a year of programming dedicated to Chinese American women in 2027. An exhibition on Hollywood star Anna May Wong is scheduled to open Feb. 27.
