The museum is an educational and research center for people who want to know about the history of Americans of Chinese descents in the Midwest. Through exhibitions, lectures, and other public programs, the museum addresses issues common to all immigrants by using the Chinese experience as examples.

The museum is a project of the Chinatown Museum Foundation, Chicago which was established in 2002 by six enthusiastic volunteers. The Foundation received two donations in 2004 for the purchase of a historic building in Chicago's Chinatown for its museum site. In May 2005 the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago was opened to the public, featuring its inaugural exhibition, "Paper Sons - Chinese in the Midwest 1870-1945". The museum is still operated by volunteers and three part-time workers.