Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Cultural center in Chinatown, Oakland, United States.
The Oakland Asian Cultural Center occupies a facility in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland Chinatown, with an auditorium named after Edward W. Chin, who donated $250,000 toward its completion, plus conference rooms, a dance studio, a lobby and a kitchen. These spaces host performances, workshops, festivals, school tours, classes and free exhibitions.
The center was founded in December 1984 as the East Bay Chinese Culture Center and broadened its mission to include all Asian cultures in 1987. This expansion reflected the growing diversity of Asian communities in the region.
Weekly classes at the center cover Japanese flower arrangement, Theravada Buddhist meditation, Chinese Gong Fu and Mongolian traditional dance. Recurring events include the Lunar New Year Celebration, the Asian Heritage Street Celebration and the OACC Gala, and the center has hosted a Larry Itliong Day honoring the labor union leader.
The center sits three blocks from the 12th Street Civic Center BART station, making it simple to reach by public transit. Weekly classes in dance, martial arts, art, history, and languages give visitors flexible ways to engage with the programming.
The auditorium is named after Edward W. Chin, who gave $250,000 toward its completion; it now hosts the center's major events. The center also runs an Artist in Residence Program, whose 2012–2015 resident was Kathak dancer Seibi Lee, with past residents including Gamelan Sekar Jaya and Rina Mehta.
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