MOCA’s mission as an educational and cultural institution is to present and preserve the range of living history, heritage, culture, and experiences of Chinese Americans through exhibitions, educational services, public programs, and archival work. It began in 1980 as a grassroots effort with a team of students, community activists, and historians to preserve the history of New York City’s Chinatown. The museum has since grown to be a leading cultural institution for the history of the Chinese in America and is recognized as one of 20 national institutions as America’s Cultural Treasures.