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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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584 results for: Asian American

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Image of Mrs. Lew Fung Hai Luke and her son Wing Luke at Federal Courthouse, Seattle,  October 21, 1963
Photograph

Mrs. Lew Fung Hai Luke and her son Wing Luke at Federal Courthouse, Seattle, October 21, 1963

Lew Fung Hai Luke moved from China to Seattle with her husband, Lung Sing Luke, in 1931. They operated a hand laundry in the University District and later ran a grocery store on First Hill. The couple had six children, the eldest of whom was Wing Luke, who became a Seattle City Councilmember in 1962.Once the last of her children…
ID Number:1986.5.33603.1
Date:1963
Image of Sharon Maeda, June 1962
Photograph

Sharon Maeda, June 1962

Sharon Maeda (b. 1945) is a longtime Seattle activist for the rights of women and racial minorities. Maeda’s parents were incarcerated at the Minidoka concentration camp during World War II and she was born in Milwaukee after her parents were allowed to leave the camp, but before they were permitted to return to the Pacific Northwest. Maeda taught middle school…
ID Number:1986.5.33992.1
Date:1962
Image of Rao family at US District Court for naturalization ceremony, August 12, 1963
Photograph

Rao family at US District Court for naturalization ceremony, August 12, 1963

Dr. Charumati Rao and her husband Dr. Krishna V.S. Rao, originally from Patna, India, became naturalized American citizens on August 12, 1963, at the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The couple, both practicing physicians, are shown here with their two sons, Lakshmi "Dixie" Rao, 11, and Krishna "Chris" Rao, 7, and Krishna V.S. Rao's father, K.S.N. Rao. The two boys,…
ID Number:1986.5.39931.1
Date:1963
Image of Wesley Tao in his office, Seattle, July 1965
Photograph

Wesley Tao in his office, Seattle, July 1965

Wesley Tao (1924-2020) was born in Shanghai, China, and graduated from the University of Nanking in China, where he studied economics. From 1949 to 1951, he attended the University of Washington, receiving a BA in Business Administration. Tao worked in the personnel department at Boeing from 1952-1957 before opening Wesley Tao and Associates, an insurance agency in the Chinatown International…
ID Number:1986.5.43204.1
Date:1965
Image of Charles Y. Wah at 8 Immortals Restaurant, Seattle, July 1965
Photograph

Charles Y. Wah at 8 Immortals Restaurant, Seattle, July 1965

Charles Y. (Charlie) Wah (d. 1977) opened the 8 Immortals Restaurant in 1964 at 509 7th Avenue South in Seattle’s Chinatown International District. The restaurant served a wide variety of dishes, both simple and exotic, said to be served in 8 “immortal flavors”: Tom (bland), Teem (sweet), Seen (sour), Foo (bitter) Lot (hot), Heong (fragrant), and Gum (golden). A free…
ID Number:1986.5.44085.2
Date:1965
Image of Ping Chow and others rehearsing the Lion and Sword Dance, Seattle, February 8, 1952
Photograph

Ping Chow and others rehearsing the Lion and Sword Dance, Seattle, February 8, 1952

In this photo, Ping Chow, kneeling, is shown with other members of Seattle's Chinese community as they rehearse for a performance of the traditional Lion and the Sword Dance. The other performers, left to right, are Steven Wong, Bob Chinn, and Stanley Goong. Edward Shui “Ping” Chow (1916-2011) was born in Canton, China. Ping trained as a singer and became…
ID Number:1986.5.44999.1
Date:1952
Image of Tek Wong at Gim Ling Restaurant, Seattle, July 1965
Photograph

Tek Wong at Gim Ling Restaurant, Seattle, July 1965

Tek Hong Wong (1921-2016) was born in China and emigrated at 17 to Seattle, first working with his father at a laundry business, and later at neighborhood market. In 1944-1945, Wong served in the U.S. Army, earning a Purple Heart. Afterwards, he attended the University of Washington on the GI Bill. After college, Wong became a partner in a grocery…
ID Number:1986.5.45000.1
Date:1965
Image of Architect Minoru Yamasaki, Seattle, 1960
Photograph

Architect Minoru Yamasaki, Seattle, 1960

Minoru Yamasaki was born in Seattle in 1912 to Japanese immigrant parents. He began studying architecture in the 1930s and practiced with firms in New York City. Yamasaki and his family were on the east coast during the Second World War, which spared them from the forced removal imposed on Japanese Americans on the west coast. Yamasaki later became a…
ID Number:1986.5.45157.1
Date:1960
Image of Bob Santos, Seattle, 1971
Photograph

Bob Santos, Seattle, 1971

Bob Santos was a Filipino American community activist who helped start many organizations and programs in the Chinatown International District. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Santos as the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary's representative for the Northwest-Alaska area. Handwritten on sleeve: Robert Santos.Date photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (date of photograph and file date may differ…
ID Number:1986.5.54102.1
Date:1971
Image of Japanese dancers performing at the Northwest bandshell at Festival 71, Seattle Center, August 1971
Photograph

Japanese dancers performing at the Northwest bandshell at Festival 71, Seattle Center, August 1971

Held in August 1971, Festival 71 was the first event after the 1961 Seattle World's Fair to utilize the entire Seattle Center campus. The event was repeated as Festival 72 the following year, becoming Bumbershoot in 1973. Bumbershoot continues as North America's largest urban arts festival, taking place annually at Seattle Center over the Labor Day weekend.In this photo, dancers…
ID Number:1986.5.54911.1
Date:1971
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