English/英文 ｜ Simplified Chinese /简体中文 ｜ Traditional Chinese/繁體中文
Media contact:
Nathaniel Jue, Communications Manager, CHSA, njue@chsa.org
Chinese for Affirmative Action, media@caasf.org
CHSA Museum will honor Chinatown native whose legacy established the principle for birthright citizenship in the U.S. during a community celebration event.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 15, 2026—The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), in partnership with Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), Rose Pak Community Fund, and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), proudly announces a commemorative celebration ceremony honoring Wong Kim Ark, the Chinese American civil rights icon whose landmark Supreme Court victory reaffirmed the principle of birthright citizenship enshrined in the 14th Amendment. The collaborative event that includes the official public unveiling of a mural and a plaque dedication at the site of Wong Kim Ark’s birth will take place on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 10 a.m. at 701 Grant Avenue (at Sacramento Street) in San Francisco Chinatown.
Community Celebration for Wong Kim Ark, New Chinatown Mural and Plaque Unveiling
Friday, June 26, 2026, 10 a.m.
701 Grant Avenue (at Sacramento St), San Francisco
The mural, titled “I am an American,” elevates the story of Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco-born Chinese laborer who was denied re-entry into his birth country during the height of the Chinese Exclusion era when the U.S. government deemed he was ineligible to be an American citizen. In 1898, the Supreme Court ruled in Wong’s favor, affirming the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and thus guaranteeing birthright citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ race or nationality.
The expansive art piece located at the place of Wong Kim Ark’s birth on Sacramento Street at the corner of Grant Avenue was created by local Chinese American artists Norman “Vogue” Chuck and Twin Walls Mural Company muralists Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong. It depicts a portrait of Wong Kim Ark and features a backdrop of images of historic Chinese immigrants from the 1800s and early depictions of San Francisco’s Chinatown and the San Francisco Bay. The mural includes historic representations of the members of the Six Companies CCBA, the organization that helped pay for Wong Kim Ark’s legal representation during his historic court cases in the late 1800s. Additionally featured is abolitionist and African American civil rights leader Frederick Douglass, who was also a strong supporter of social justice for Chinese Americans, along with his quote: “I hold that the liberal and brotherly welcome to all who are likely to come to the United States is the only wise policy which this nation can adopt.”
Commissioned by CHSA, the Wong Kim Ark commemorative project combines local art, history, and community as a platform for amplifying social justice and solidarity. This collaborative art installation is a symbol of the perseverance and resilience of a community that aims to share untold stories of its members and uplift the voices of Asian Americans and artists.
“We are excited to present a new opportunity to engage the site-specific history of the community in public space through astonishing and unparalleled artwork,” states Justin Hoover, Special Projects Director, CHSA. “These artists who are Chinese and Asian Americans, and who have personal ties to Chinatown and this history, are sharing their voices in a way that is empowering while creating a public record of the important shared values within our community. This artwork helps to empower others to learn more about our community’s history of social justice and to see that the Chinese have long been actively fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that benefits all Americans.”
To acknowledge and honor Wong Kim Ark’s enduring legacy, CHSA will dedicate a plaque to mark the location of his birth (formerly 751 Sacramento Street) as a landmark Chinese American historical site. It is part of a larger effort by CHSA to educate the general public about Chinese American history, engage with local artists, and enlighten audiences and visitors to San Francisco Chinatown through innovative community art projects.
“Birthright citizenship has provided a simple, universal rule for more than 150 years: If you are born here, you are a U.S. citizen. This new mural boldly reaffirms this principle in the heart of Chinatown, where Wong Kim Ark was born.” — Annie Lee, Managing Director of Policy at Chinese for Affirmative Action.
A public community celebration of our history and art will feature keynote addresses from local public officials and community leaders including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, Supervisor Danny Sauter; Ronald Gee from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and the Ning Yung Association; and Sandra Wong, descendant of Wong Kim Ark. This ceremony will be held in anticipation of the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Barbara, the landmark case regarding the constitutionality of the President’s birthright citizenship executive order.
The “I Am an American” mural is commissioned by CHSA in partnership with the Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Wong Kim Ark plaque is dedicated by CHSA along with the Rose Pak Community Fund and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
For more information about Wong Kim Ark and CHSA’s educational curriculum resources about the United States v. Wong Kim Ark case, visit CHSA.org/wongkimark.
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About CHSA
The Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to the presentation of Chinese American history. Since 1963, CHSA has strived to be a responsible steward of the remarkable narrative of the Chinese American community through historical and cultural exhibits, education, and programming. Learn more at CHSA.org.
About Chinese for Affirmative Action
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. You can learn more about us at caasf.org.
Rose Pak Community Fund
The Rose Pak Community Fund is a San Francisco-based non-profit that champions affordable housing, Chinatown preservation, quality healthcare access, small business support, and school improvements. Established in 2017, it honors the legacy of legendary civic leader and activist Rose Pak by making strategic, community-focused grants.
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), also known as the Chinese Six Companies, is the oldest and most influential umbrella organization in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Established in 1882, the association was formed by combining six major district and clan groups to provide a united voice, legal advocacy, and social support for Chinese immigrants facing severe discrimination.