Severna Park’s David Uy Directs Opening Of Chinese-American Museum In D.C.

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Severna Park resident David Uy has taken on a new project of personal significance. Uy, a first-generation Chinese-American, is executive director of the Chinese American Museum, which is set to open in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

Uy is half Chinese. His father is of Chinese descent and came to America from the Philippines in the 1960s. Uy has lived in Severna Park since 2009.

“My background is in nonprofit management, marketing and public relations,” Uy said. “I headed my own PR firm for about 12 years.”

When he heard about the plans for a Chinese American museum in D.C., Uy contacted the organizers and pitched his services as a consultant. His thoughts on the future museum went over so well that in April of this year, he was hired to direct the effort.

According to Uy, there are eight prominent Chinese-American museums in the United States — in cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco. They place emphasis on local or regional Chinese-American history. The new museum in D.C. will provide a national focus. “Having a presence in D.C. gives credence and significance to the group you represent,” Uy noted.

The museum will be housed in a five-story, 1907 Beaux Arts mansion about five blocks from the White House in the Embassy Row section of the city. “Our goal is to build this nonpartisan, nonpolitical, non-geopolitical museum that reflects the culture, history and spirit of Chinese-Americans,” Uy said. “The Chinese have been here since 1815, and 200 years later, most Americans have little awareness of the Chinese-American contributions to our country.

“I’m excited about connecting people that don’t touch Chinese or Chinese-American or Asian-American culture in a personal way on a daily basis and helping them understand how Chinese-Americans and Asian-Americans are an important part of what makes up this country,” Uy added.

He hopes to engage some of the 22 million annual visitors to D.C. Uy sees the museum fortifying the great narrative of U.S. immigrant histories. The museum will appeal to all ages and will also feature contemporary Chinese-American culture.

For now, the museum’s small staff is focused on raising partnerships and input from stakeholders like the Chinese-American community and its leadership, as well as museum and historical experts. The museum mansion is undergoing renovations.

There will be a public call for submissions, and the museum will develop an intake process for items and loaned artifacts or collections. “The Chinese came with very little to this country, especially in the early years,” Uy said. “They lived simply and didn’t have a lot of personal belongings.”

Uy expects the museum to place more emphasis on story than on objects. “In the museum, we hope to integrate technology that will make it fun and interactive,” he added.

“This is a real dream job,” Uy said of his role at the Chinese American Museum. “It’s an opportunity to do something that has a lot of impact.”

For more information about plans for the Chinese American Museum, visit www.chineseamericanmuseum.org.

David Uy, Chinese American Museum

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