CHSNE

What CHSNE does

The Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1992 and headquartered at 2 Boylston St, G-6 in Boston's Chinatown. It is the first educational organization dedicated solely to documenting, preserving, and promoting the history and legacy of Chinese immigration in New England. CHSNE operates a portfolio of interconnected programs spanning archival preservation, educational programming, publications, oral history collection, and heritage tourism, serving Chinese American community members, academic researchers, educational institutions, community organizations, and the general public. Its work traces back to a 1989 community-led cleanup of Chinese burial grounds at Boston's Mount Hope Cemetery, which became the genesis of the organization after its 1992 incorporation in Massachusetts.

CHSNE's core offerings include: the bilingual Mount Hope Database matching cemetery burial records with Chinese tombstone inscriptions; the Harry H. Dow Archive (in partnership with Suffolk University's Moakley Archive) containing 400+ 1950s immigration case files; the Boston Chinatown Atlas (with MIT); the Chinese-American Women Oral History Project (with Harvard's Schlesinger Library); the Mass. Memories Road Show (with UMass Boston); Historic Chinatown Walking Tours offered seasonally for groups of 10+; publications including the bilingual "Chronicle" newsletter and the book "Chinese in Boston, 1870-1965"; the 150 Years of Chinese Students in America Initiative; and the Sojourner Award recognition program. Infrastructure is volunteer-run with 1–10 staff and operates from a single Boston office.

The organization funds operations through individual memberships ($30–$1,000 annually across voting and non-voting tiers), tiered tax-deductible donations and sponsorships ($333 to $1,882+), publication and merchandise sales via its online store, walking tour fees, and episodic grants from city (e.g., City of Boston's Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund), state (Massachusetts Historical Commission), federal (National Park Service, National Endowment for the Humanities via Mass Humanities), and private sources. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: lectures, walking tours, archaeological digs, performances, annual meetings, and partnerships with universities, civic organizations, and ethnic media for promotion.

Name

CHSNE

Legal name

Chinese Historical Society of New England

Website

https://chsne.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHSNE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 in Boston that documents, preserves, and promotes the history of Chinese immigration in New England through archives, publications, walking tours, oral histories, and educational programs serving the Chinese American community, researchers, and partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Cultural Heritage Preservation Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAF

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Historical society services
• Chinese American history
• Community archives
• Heritage preservation
• Cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Members receive annual newsletter, free/discount admission to CHSNE activities and programs, discounts on CHSNE publications, and invitations to CHSNE special events. Voting members pay $30-$45, non-voting members $100-$1000.
2. Publication Sales: Sales of books including 'Chinese in Boston, 1870-1965' at $20 plus $5 S/H, DVDs like 'A Chinatown Banquet' at $30 plus $5 S/H, and 'Chinese in Massachusetts'.
3. Walking Tours: Historic Chinatown Tours offered for groups of 10 or more at $20/person, with $15/person discounted rate for students or CHSNE members.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) organization. Various sponsorship levels including Leadership Circle ($1882+), Founders Circle ($1228+), Pioneer Circle ($888+), and Sustainer ($333+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CHSNE is a nonprofit historical society that documents, preserves, and promotes the history and legacy of Chinese immigration in New England. It sells publications, DVD documentaries, and bilingual newsletters; operates guided Chinatown walking tours; maintains archival collections (photographs, oral histories, immigration documents, cemetery records); runs educational programs, lectures, and community events; and provides membership and donor-supported access to its historical resources.

Product overview

CHSNE operates as a unified historical society and archival organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting the history and legacy of Chinese immigration in New England. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including educational publications (the book "Chinese in Boston: 1870-1965" and bilingual "Chronicle" newsletter), archival collections (Harry H. Dow Archive, Mount Hope Cemetery records), interpretive experiences (Historic Chinatown Walking Tours, Boston Chinatown Atlas digital map), oral history initiatives (Chinese-American Women Oral History Project), community events (Mass. Memories Road Show), and recognition programs (Sojourner Award). The 150 Years of Chinese Students in America Initiative provides additional educational programming. The organization functions primarily as a nonprofit educational institution rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chinese in Boston: 1870-1965 A comprehensive book documenting the history of Chinese Americans in Boston from 1870 to 1965, covering early settlements, community development, and the impact of urban renewal. Written by Wing-kai To and published in partnership with Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series.
• Chronicle Newsletter CHSNE's bilingual annual newsletter published in September, featuring accounts of CHSNE activities, event reviews, personal stories from community members, creative writing pieces, and historical photographs documenting Chinese American experiences in New England.
• A Chinatown Banquet Documentary film DVD available for purchase that captures Chinese American cultural experiences and community narratives in the Boston area.
• Historic Chinatown Walking Tours Guided 90-minute historic walking tours of Boston's Chinatown visiting sites significant to the founding and development of the community, including information on early settlers, community growth, and impact of public policies. Tours run April through October by appointment, for groups of 10 or more at $20/person with $15/person discounted rate for students or CHSNE members.
• CHSNE Annual Membership Annual membership with tiered pricing: Voting Members ($30 Regular, $45 Double, $15 Senior/Student) and Non-Voting Members ($100 Community Organization, $500 Patron/Corporation, $1,000 Lifetime). Members receive the Chronicle newsletter, free/discounted admission to CHSNE activities, discounts on publications, and invitations to special events.
• Harry H. Dow Archive An archival research collection developed in partnership with Suffolk University's Moakley Archive containing over 400 client files documenting Chinese immigration cases from the 1950s, including affidavits, federal court documents, medical records, correspondence, family photographs, and immigration interrogation study sheets.
• Mount Hope Cemetery Database An online searchable bilingual database of burial records and tombstone information for the Mount Hope Cemetery Chinese burial grounds, designed to help connect descendants with those buried there by matching cemetery burial records with Chinese writings on tombstones.
• Mount Hope Cemetery Chinese Immigrant Memorial A memorial at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan honoring over 1,500 Chinese immigrants buried there since 1930. The memorial, completed in March 2007, includes a new altar, landscape improvements, and restoration of the historic Chinese burial grounds.
• 150 Years of Chinese Students in America Initiative An educational initiative preserving and promoting the legacy of Chinese students in America from 1872 to the 1970s, covering the first three waves including the Chinese Educational Mission (CEM), Boxer Indemnity Era, and Post-War years. Includes website content, profiles, resources, oral history interviews, lectures, and exhibition information.
• Chinese-American Women Oral History Project A collaborative project with the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University documenting the lives and activities of Chinese-American women in New England through recorded interviews conducted in preferred languages (English, Cantonese, Toisanese, Mandarin, or other Chinese dialects). Original tapes and transcriptions are archived at the Schlesinger Library with copies kept at CHSNE.
• Chinese American Experiences Mass. Memories Road Show A free community event that documents Chinese American experiences in Massachusetts by digitizing family photos and stories for researchers and future generations, held in partnership with UMass Boston's Joseph P. Healey Library. The event documented over 125 attendees and 175+ photos contributed.
• Boston Chinatown Atlas An online digital atlas developed by MIT Professor Emeritus Tunney Lee documenting and exploring Chinatown's growth and change through personal stories, historical photos, maps, and interactive features. A collaborative project with CHSNE and community members.
• CHSNE Archive and Collections Collections of photographs, newspaper articles, research reports including dissertations, oral histories (audio and transcribed), artifacts (restaurant menus, matchbooks, laundry tickets), and more documenting Chinese American history in New England.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 125 attendees and 175+ photos contributed at Mass. Memories Road Show events

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Lead organizer for nominating the Old Quincy School building to the National Register of Historic Places. MHC provided preservation staff evaluation and State Review Board consideration.
• Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England (CCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Applicant and property owner for the National Register nomination of the Old Quincy School building at 88-90 Tyler Street, home of CCBA since 1983.
• Suffolk University Moakley ArchivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership to explore ways to make Harry Hom Dow's legal files (400+ client files documenting Chinese immigration during the 1950s) more accessible. A Brandeis University student was funded through Mass Humanities grant to work on inventory and translation.
• Schlesinger Library at Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsoring the Chinese-American Women Oral History Project. The library serves as the archive for original tapes and transcriptions, with copies kept at CHSNE.
• UMass BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Mass. Memories Road Show producing digital archives. UMass Boston Joseph P. Healey Library hosts the online digital collection at openarchives.umb.edu.
• Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'These Words: A Century of Printing, Writing, and Reading in Boston's Chinese Community' exhibit at China Trade Center and Tufts Medical Center bookstore.
• Castle Square Tenants Organization (CSTO)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCHSNE and CSTO's Teen Program joined forces with National Park Service to study and preserve stories of Boston Chinatown. Created six short films about key people, places, and moments in Chinatown history.
• Chinatown AtlasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project with MIT Professor Emeritus Tunney Lee documenting Chinatown's growth and change through personal stories, photos, maps, and interactive features.
• Institute for Asian American Studies at UMASS BostonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided documentary materials and editorial support for the National Register nomination and context study about Chinese in Boston.
• Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presented events including author event with Lisa See and support for Mass. Memories Road Show.
• Boston Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Mount Hope Cemetery restoration including landscape improvements, maintenance, and memorial construction. Received grants from the department.
• Boston City Archaeology ProgramcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorking together on archaeological dig at 6 Hudson Street in Chinatown in summer 2019 to uncover artifacts and history of the neighborhood.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wing Luke Museum: Seattle-based pan-Asian Pacific American museum with a strong focus on oral histories, community-based exhibits, and walking tours. Comparable in mission to CHSNE's community-led archival and education model.
• Chinese Historical Society of America: Founded in 1963 in San Francisco, CHSA is a direct peer — a Chinese American historical society preserving artifacts, oral histories, and archival materials with similar museum, publication, and event programming. Same mission, different region.
• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): New York-based museum and archive dedicated to Chinese American history. Closest functional peer given comparable archival collections, exhibitions, walking tours, and educational programming for a regional Chinese diaspora community.
• Chinese American Museum (CAM): Los Angeles museum housed in the historic Garnier Building focused on Chinese American history and heritage. Comparable as a regional Chinese American history museum with exhibits, archives, and community programming.

Emerging players

• Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA): San Francisco-based Asian American civil rights nonprofit with archival and community history components. Comparable as an advocacy-and-heritage hybrid focused on Chinese American community documentation.
• Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA): National Chinese American civic organization with a Boston local chapter (referenced in CHSNE's social profiles). Overlapping mission in Chinese American advocacy and community history, with comparable member-based structure.

Broad incumbents

• Japanese American National Museum: National-scale Asian American heritage museum in Los Angeles with extensive archives, exhibitions, and educational programming. Operates at much larger scale than CHSNE but exemplifies the same community-heritage archival model.

Regional players

• New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS): Boston-based regional heritage organization focused on genealogy, archives, and family history research. Shares CHSNE's archival mission and New England geography, and serves overlapping researcher and genealogist segments.
• Bostonian Society / Boston History Project: Regional Boston-area historical organizations preserving city history, including Chinatown-adjacent materials. Comparable as New England-focused archival/heritage nonprofits serving researchers and the general public.

Others

• Mass Humanities: A CHSNE funder and program partner that supports humanities programming across Massachusetts. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler providing grants and amplifying CHSNE's work rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bostonarchaeo
• Facebookfacebook.com/chsneboston
• LinkedInfacebook.com/CACABoston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHSNE