This program is brought to you by MOCA friends and partners, including Bloomberg Philanthropies.
This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
Friday, December 9, 2022, from 6:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. EST
Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013
Free Admission | Open to General Public | Advance registration is not required but highly recommended.
Autographed copies will be available for in-person pick-up at the event.
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) presents its next featured MOCA TALKS, The Hanmoji Handbook with Jason Li, An Xiao Mina and Jennifer 8. Lee. We cordially invite you to join this in-person program to learn Chinese with a new twist! This full-color illustrated The Hanmoji Handbook: Your Guide to the Chinese Language Through Emoji introduces and explains Han characters and idioms through the language of emoji.
Even though their dates of origin are millennia apart, the languages of Chinese and emoji share similarities that the average smartphone user might find surprising. These “hanmoji” parallels offer an exciting new way to learn Chinese—and a fascinating window into the evolution of Chinese Han characters. Packed with fun illustrations and engaging descriptions, The Hanmoji Handbook brings to life the ongoing dialogue between the visual elements of Chinese characters and the language of emoji. At once entertaining and educational, this unique volume holds sure appeal for readers who use emojis, anyone interested in learning Chinese, and those who love quirky, visual gift books.
This program is moderated by Neil Wu-Gibbs, MOCA Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff. We look forward to your participation, and to sharing this and many more exemplary stories of the Chinese in America.
Stay up to date at MOCA’s website www.mocanyc.org or sign up for MOCA’s monthly e-newsletter.
Follow MOCA on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok at @mocanyc; and WeChat at MOCANYC_USA.
Jason Li is an independent designer, artist and educator. His practice revolves around promulgating bottom-up narratives, exploring networked technology and helping people live safely on the internet. His works have appeared at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian Art Museum, and on the BBC. He is an editor at Paradise Systems and a member of Zine Coop. He currently lives in Toronto.
An Xiao Mina is a creative strategist, writer, and artist hose work has been featured in the New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, and Fast Company. She’s worked at the intersection of technology and culture for over a decade, at places like Meedan, Hyperallergic and Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. The author of Memes to Movements, she splits her time between New York and California.
Jennifer 8. Lee is a member the Unicode emoji subcommittee and cofounder of Emojination, a grassroots group that advocates for more inclusive and representative emoji. She is also a former New York Times reporter, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, and producer of The Search for General Tso and The Emoji Story documentaries. Lee runs the Plympton literary studio, is from New York City and lives in the cloud.
MOCA has been creating new digital content through multiple platforms, always free of charge—because history matters. We hope you’ll consider making a gift to become part of a continuing lifeline for MOCA. No amount is too little and we greatly appreciate your generosity. Your contribution helps sustain our beloved institution and supports the creation of new, online programming that will bring comfort and inspiration to more communities.
This program is brought to you by MOCA friends and partners, including Bloomberg Philanthropies.
This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.