Ohhh...a Chinese Christmas party..it's all making sense now!! The ones I have heard of didn't have a set theme or rules. Just a price range.
If the price range is your only rule, here are some ideas:
Gift basket from Bath and Body Works
A popular movie or two on DVD
A nice hat, if your family is "into" a local sports team (or shirt/sweatshirt, etc, if most of your family is about the same size)
A nice set of silverware. You'd be amazed how many people don't have a matching set!
Gift cards...gas, fast food, blockbuster, amc movie theater..
Or just go to Spencers and check out all the fun stuff.