Early Asian American immigrants to the Pacific Northwest faced racism and economic turmoil, but overcame it all to establish a foothold for future generations.
NW Asian Weekly reports a new exhibition at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle traces the footsteps of these pioneers , and interlaces it with oral histories to give it a personal perspective.
“One of my earliest and most powerful experiences at The Wing was the opportunity to go on the 1994 Chinese Heritage Tour of the American West,” said Cassie Chinn, project lead for the exhibition Grit. “We traveled by bus to heritage sites in Oregon and Idaho. It was powerful to walk the mining areas and enter the shops of these early pioneers, and tangibly experience just how deep our roots are and how significant our contributions [were] throughout the Pacific Northwest. We also journeyed with others ranging in age from college to seniors, and the experience across three generations is one I will never forget.” The experience gave Chin an early inspiration for “Grit.”
You can read more about the stories of the Asian American pioneers of the Northwest in NW Asian Weekly.