Photos and stories by John K Tan
A large chunk of lettuce flew at me as I had placed myself near the pop-up exhibit anticipating the choi ching (採青) portion of the lion dance. The sound of cymbals pierced the air as I followed the rhythm of the drums along with the lion dancers as I have in the past while covering the many lion dance performances at events.
Family and friends of the beloved late photojournalist Corky Lee celebrated the official release of the book Corky Lee’s Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice this past weekend in New York City.
An enthusiastic crowd of dozens crowded the Manny Cantor Center in Chinatown to hear stories about Lee’s photographs and his life.
The book pays tribute to the man known to many as the “self-proclaimed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate” who died of COVID-19 on January 27, 2021.
Frank Lew, who is on the cover of the book manipulating the lion head, stood with his fellow founding members of the Young Lions as another generation of lion dancers engaged the assembly of Corky’s entourage that had gathered to celebrate the launch of the book. Yes…we are all friends, associates or subjects of Corky and his 50 years of photography. We are Corky’s Asian America.
Jan Lee, a Chinatown community leader, opened with what Corky saw in the youth group as he told the history of the Chinatown Community Young Lions that formed out of the need for a sense of belonging for a group of multi-ethnic youths made up of Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Jewish, Italians and Chinese learning the traditions of a Chinese folk art in America.
The support provided by Chinatown without government funding to serve the inner-city youths would give back to their community as some would become future civil servants. Mae Ngai, co-editor of the book, stated “…without him (Corky Lee) we wouldn’t have this amazing record of Asian American history over the last 50 years.”
The dedication to his community is clear with his work, proclaimed Alan Chin, a Knights Foundation award recipient and Pulitzer Prize nominated photojournalist.
“Why did Corky matter…no better example exist better than putting Chinese American back into the history of America where we had been ignored, erased and forgotten,” Chin noted as he referred to the reenactment photo of the 145th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad—a moment that also captured me and made me proud of my great grandfather who worked on the railroads in America.”
I still recall a Corky Lee moment during the exhibit Chinese American on My Mind held at the gallery space at the Tribeca location of Pearl River Mart in 2016. It showcased Corky’s work up to that year. “Rectifying omissions in American history one photograph at a time. We do matter, America better get used to it.” Corky said as he displayed the collection of photographs, one of which captures me standing on the locomotive of Union Pacific No. 109 at the reenactment photo at Golden Spike State Park. At the exhibit, he would introduce me as “…the Asian that climbed up on the locomotive. And when the officials asked him to get off, John told them that he had the right to be there!”
Joanne Kwong also has fond memories of that exhibition held at the store she now leads.
“I was able to watch him ‘work.’ I was able to witness his madness, his craft, and also how he brought people together…to introduce me, and the people downstairs and to the Chens (Pearl River Mart’s founders, Ching Yeh and Ming Yi Chen.)”
I formed an instant bond with Corky around the time of his planning of the “flash mob” for reclaiming the Transcontinental Railroad photograph. There was more to it than my great grandfather’s involvement with the creation of the railroads in America. We connected through my grandfather and his father’s involvement with the Flying Tigers, our roots in Toisan, and our immigrant mothers who were seamstresses.
The exhibit at Pearl River Mart opened several months after the 2016 OCA National Convention held in Jersey City and Corky was instrumental in convincing us (I was and currently a member of the board of directors for OCA-NJ; Chee Wang Ng, co-editor of the book, would be the resident artist for the convention that year) to have Taiyo Na to perform Lovely to Me (Immigrant Mother) at our Youth Recognition & Awards Luncheon. It would be around this time that Corky would plant the seed about creating an exhibit around the theme of weaving the social fabric to honor all our connections to each other and of our immigrant mothers.
“Corky was not just a photographer and a photojournalist, he was an activist social photographer,” claimed Ngai. Corky connected people and empowered them by trying to ensure their place in society for the better and give them a purpose with his photographs.
Johann Lee, Corky’s youngest brother explains, “He was supposed to finish this book a decade ago.”
Lee speaks of the inspiration for this book during the funeral procession as he saw signs professing the love for his brother. “This book, this modest effort on the part of the book team is Corky’s (love) note to you on that day and throughout his entire life. This book is his note to say ‘I Love You’ and that’s why the book exist because you-love-him!”
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