This book catalogues the exhibition Waves of Identity: 35 Years of Archiving, which was organized in conjunction with the New York Historical Society’s Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion exhibition.Waves of Identity looks back at how the Museum began, how far we have come as an organization, and why our work still matters today. The exhibition and catalogue, like all of MOCA’s programs, allow visitors and readers to discover what it means to be Chinese in America for themselves.

The title was inspired by the Chinese proverb: “Each wave of the Yangtze River pushes at the wave ahead.” The words evoke the movement cycle  of water and the resulting transfers of energies, reflecting how new generations succeed older generations- important ideas for a museum of immigrant experiences. In this metaphor, the journeys of past, present, and future generations are seen as inextricably linked.