When the Museum of Chinese in America reopens in a new, larger facility on September 22, Bonnie Lew will be one of the special guests. The story of her family is one of those in the core exhibit, With a Single Step: stories in the Making of America, featured during the MOCA opening.

The current MOCA , designed by Maya Lin is in a 14,000 sq. ft.space, six times bigger than its original home. Constructed with donated funds, its exhibits include wooden replicas of carvings found in the Angel Island detention barracks.

Born in San Francisco, Bonnie moved with your family to Mississippi at a young age before returning to Califronia as a teenager. She moved to Stockton to take a job as a librarian, later marrying Stocktonian Bobby Lew and establishing her permanent residence here.

Bonnie is a former recipient of the CCSS Citizen of the Year Award and was the teacher of Chinese dance during the heyday of the Chinese Cultural Society of Stockton’s Folk Dance Troupe.  She currently leads an informal group of adults in performing traditional dances.