The Chinese Historical Society of America, conceived in San Francisco in the fall of 1962, was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization on January 5, 1963.

The Society is the first such Chinese American historical society in North America. Its first major publication, A History of the Chinese in California: A Syllabus has become a classic resource book used by students, historians, educators, and scholars in their research and writing about the Chinese in America.

To accommodate our expanding programs and exhibitions, CHSA opened the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum and Learning Center in the historic Julia Morgan Chinese YWCA building in November 2001.

Our principles:

• to establish, maintain, and operate a scientific, literary, and educational organization;
• to study, record, acquire, and preserve all suitable artifacts and such cultural items as manuscripts, books, and works of art or their facsimiles which have a bearing on the history of the Chinese living in the United States of America;
• to establish a headquarters to enable the display of such items as are acquired;
• to issue papers and publicity pertaining to the findings of the Society; and
• to promote the contributions that Chinese Americans living in this country have made to the United States of America.