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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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201 results for: Chinatown International District

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Image of Bob Santos entering police van at protest at the South African consulate, Seattle, December 9, 1984
Photograph

Bob Santos entering police van at protest at the South African consulate, Seattle, December 9, 1984

Beginning in October 1984, demonstrations were held outside the home of the honorary South African consul in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood to protest the South African government's polices of racial segregation known as apartheid. In this image, Seattle civil-rights activist and community organizer Robert (Bob) Santos, wrists zip tied, steps into a police van. He and 22 others were arrested…
ID Number:2014.49.033.057.06
Date:1984
Image of Crowning of Miss International Center, July 23, 1952
Photograph

Crowning of Miss International Center, July 23, 1952

Seafair Royalty have been a part of Seattle's annual ten-day-long celebration since the festival's beginnings in 1950. Young women are chosen for the court to represent their neighborhood and/or ethnic community and are awarded academic scholarships. Throughout the summer, Seafair Royalty participate in festival events and perform knighting ceremonies recognizing outsltanding citizens in the Seattle area.The Chinatown - International District…
ID Number:2014.49.092.017.02
Date:1952
Image of Cheryl Chow for School Board campaign mailer, 2005
Ephemera

Cheryl Chow for School Board campaign mailer, 2005

Cheryl Chow (1946-2013) was a Seattle educator, politician, and advocate for children. Chow was the daughter of Ruby Chow, a restaurant owner and King County Councilwoman, and Ping Chow, an opera singer, US Army veteran, and chef. Born in Seattle, Cheryl Chow attended Franklin High School and Western Washington University. Early in her career, she taught physical education at Hamilton…
ID Number:2014.58.16.1
Date:2005
Image of Nikkei Manor brochure, 1995
Ephemera

Nikkei Manor brochure, 1995

Nikkei Manor is an assisted living community in Seattle's Chinatown - International District which offers meals, activities, and social opportunities aimed at "Nikkei," a term that refers to Japanese emigrants and their descendants who permanently reside in a foreign country.The brochure pictured here was created in May 1995 to promote Nikkei Manor before it was constructed. The brochure contains a…
ID Number:2016.98.1
Date:1995
Image of Wa Chong Company letter, April 20, 1909
Correspondence

Wa Chong Company letter, April 20, 1909

On December 15, 1868, the man believed to be Seattle's first Chinese immigrant, Chun Ching Hock (1844-1927) opened the Wa Chong Company at the foot of Mill Street (now Yesler Way). The store sold imported Chinese goods, tea, rice, coffee, flour, and fireworks, but the company's most profitable business was labor contracting - recruiting and placing Chinese immigrants in domestic…
ID Number:2018.3.3.91
Date:1909
Image of Chinatown - International District resiliency poster, 2020
Poster

Chinatown - International District resiliency poster, 2020

Mulitmedia artist Moynee Chau grew up in the Chinatown - International District of Seattle. Early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, Chau became aware of xenophobic and racist stickers posted in the neighborhood by a white nationalist hate group. In response to this anti-Asian backlash, Chau created this poster to support the community and honor its history of resilience. In a…
ID Number:2020.33.1
Date:2020
Image of King Fur Cafe menu, circa 1945
Menu

King Fur Cafe menu, circa 1945

In the 1930s, several Chinese nightspots opened in Seattle's Chinatown neighborhood (now the Chinatown - International District), catering to both Asian and non-Asian customers. Among them was the King Fur Cafe at 709 1/2 King Street, run by long-time manager Fred Eng until around the 1960s. King Fur's menu offered both Chinese and American dishes, in addition to music and…
ID Number:2021.15.9
Date:Circa 1945
Image of Louie's Chinese Garden menu, 1943
Menu

Louie's Chinese Garden menu, 1943

Charles Louie opened Louie’s Chinese Garden on South Main Street in Seattle’s Chinatown (now the Chinatown - International District) sometime in the 1930s. In the 1940s, the restaurant served both American and Chinese food, and was also a nightclub, offering dancing with a regular orchestra. During World War II, patrons could buy War Stamps at the cashier’s counter. Louie’s sons…
ID Number:2021.15.10
Date:1943
Image of New Chinatown restaurant  menu, 1943
Menu

New Chinatown restaurant menu, 1943

Daniel Woo opened his New Chinatown restaurant and supper club in the early 1940s. Located on 6th Avenue South and Main Street in Seattle’s Chinatown (now the Chinatown - International District), it offered both dining and dancing. A January 1944 newspaper ad promotes the New Chinatown as a great place for an evening of fun. It opened at 6:00 pm…
ID Number:2021.15.11
Date:1943
Image of
Ephemera

"Move Forward on 4th" leaflet, circa 2024

This leaflet supports the construction of a new Chinatown ID (International District) Link light rail station, where all three lines would connect. It opposes Sound Transit plans to cancel the CID station in favor of building stations north and south of the CID instead. The leaflet's back side lists reasons to support the CID station, including better connections to other…
ID Number:2025.10.4
Date:Circa 2024
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