Richard and Jane Liu sit down with MOCA to discuss the journey of their family. They briefly talk about their early lives in China and Taiwan. Richard discusses his time working for a newspaper in Taiwan before moving to New York City to work as an editor for a newspaper in Chinatown. The two further discuss their thoughts on child rearing and the current political climate of the U.S. for Chinese Americans. They give advice to their children and discuss their legacy.

Mae Yih, MOCA 2019 Legacy Awards Honoree, is an internationally esteemed and admired legislator who made history 43 years ago when she won a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives as the first Chinese American elected to a state legislature anywhere in the United States. As a revered public official, Ms. Yih served 26 years in the legislature after she had served on the board of two local schools for 13 years, a total of 39 years of outstanding public services. Her many accomplishments in the State of Oregon include introducing and helping to pass legislation that created a sister-state relationship between Oregon and Fujian province in China. She has made a significant impact in the development of U.S.-China relations for more than three decades. Her book, titled East Meets West: A Bridge to Understanding, Friendship, Trust, Peace, and Prosperity Between My Mother and Adopted Countries, shares her experiences and powerful lessons that she learned from life in China, America, and public services. Through her public services path until today, Mae Yih has always followed the words of Millicent Carey McIntosh, a former president of Barnard College: “use your education and be involved in the decision-making process for the benefit of your community.”

Rita and Patrick Lee are first-generation Chinese Americans. In this interview, they address memories including Patrick’s journey from Hong Kong to America, the development of Patrick’s financial career, his business philosophy, their parenting philosophy, and their Chinese identity. They also bring family photos to the interview and give a short description to each of them.

New Jersey Philanthropist Margaret Lam sits down with MOCA to discuss growing up in Hong Kong and her journey to the US. She goes on to discuss her assimilation into American culture and how she went about bringing together the New Jersey Chinese community. Today she is a distinguished philanthropist and Vice President of the New Jersey Chinese-American Chamber of Commerce.

Tzi Ma, pioneering actor whose stage/TV/film performances have delighted audiences worldwide, challenged Hollywood stereotypes and broken down barriers for Asian American/Pacific Islanders. MOCA 2019 Legacy Awards Gala honoree, talks about growing up on Staten Island and working in his parent’s restaurant. He goes on to discuss how he got into theater during grade school and how it drove his acting career. The conversation progresses to his acts of activism during his teens and his association with progressive organizations such as the Black Panthers and the Students for a Democratic Society. He further elaborates on his career and discusses Asian representation in Hollywood.

Lillian Cheu discusses her life moving to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn from Toishan. She recounts growing up in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood and how her parents tried to retain their Chinese culture at home. She goes on to talk about moving to Chinatown and meeting her husband. She ends by discussing gentrification in Chinatown.

Michelle Koo Hayashi and Jess Ting, M.D., New York-based philanthropist and plastic surgeon of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, respectively, who are advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, MOCA 2019 Legacy Award Gala honoree. Dr. Jess Ting discusses his early life and the unconventional path that lead him to become a gender reassignment surgery specialist. In the second half of the interview Michelle Koo Hayashi, discusses her early life in Taiwan and Japan. She also talks about the circumstances that brought her to the US. She finished up by discussing her film “Born to Be,” about Dr. Ting and gender reassignment.

During the interview, Mr. San Yan Wong and Mrs. Rosanna Wong talked about Hunan Garden they owned and how the cooking demonstration attracted customers. They discussed the time when the Confucius Plaza was built and how people applied for it. They also talked about kids’ education, as well as how the family keeps the Chinese culture and traditions. They brought kids back to China often and keep their Chinese ancestry root. Mr, San Yan Wong also shared his publications and calligraphies that he spent his spare time and retirement time to focus. They then talked about their own big families, and their immigration stories. They shared family photographs and gave advice to young generations. In the end, they shared the celebrations of their 50 anniversaries of their marriage.

Doug Ng discusses his personal upbringing in Brooklyn, New York and the journey of his parents to America in the early to mid-twentieth century. Ng talks about how his parents met and the tumultuous relationship his mother had with her first husband, as well as her battle with cancer, which she unfortunately lost. Doug’s father was not only a hard worker at a garment factory but also a dedicated family man and husband.