Asian Cultural Experience of Salinas (ACES) was established twenty years ago to preserve the history and culture of Salinas Chinatown. One of our principal goals is to renovate the historic Republic Café in Chinatown into an Asian cultural center and museum. Another is to create a solid foundation for our archival collection of images and historical objects.

For 17 years we’ve produced the popular, annual Asian Cultural Fair showcasing cultures of the Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants who lived and worked in Chinatown. We also have an office/exhibit space in Chinatown, and we create or sponsor cultural events and small pop-up exhibitions. Our book, Our Salinas Chinatown (a collection of oral histories and short memoirs of Chinatown), was published in 2023 and is available for purchase online in our shop and at Downtown Book & Sound at 213 Main St., Salinas.

To successfully run ACES we always need new members and volunteers for their support and advocacy in the community, and to collect membership dues and donations for our budget. Contributors and members like you make our work possible. THANK YOU!

If you haven’t yet joined, join us here, or contact us for more information.