MOCA x USA Fencing On the Strip: Chinese Americans in Fencing

For more than three decades, fencing has quietly become one of the most prominent yet undocumented sports within Chinese American communities across the United States. From Flushing to Arcadia, Fort Lee to Northern Virginia, generations of Chinese American families have turned to the sport, building clubs, shaping competitive pathways, and contributing to Team USA at the highest levels of international competition. Yet this remarkable cultural phenomenon remains largely absent from the historical record.

In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month, the Museum of Chinese in America and USA Fencing come together to spotlight this untold story through a dynamic evening of conversation and live demonstration. This event brings together leading Chinese American Olympians Alexander Massialas and Maia Chamberlain, with award-winning journalist Richard Lui serving as moderator, alongside renowned coach Andy Ma, to explore the intersections of sport, identity, and belonging.

Through personal reflections and demonstrations, the program explores how fencing has served as both a competitive pursuit and a cultural touchpoint for many Chinese American families. The conversation also considers what it means to choose belonging through sport, and how discipline, community, and representation shape identity across generations. With Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon and fencing gaining greater visibility on the global stage, this program offers a timely opportunity to begin capturing a living history as it unfolds.