Seattle, Washington story
A Community's Investment
Imagine the sheer determination it took to build a neighborhood from the ground up. In 1910, 170 early Chinese pioneers did exactly that. They pooled their resources to create the…
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Imagine the sheer determination it took to build a neighborhood from the ground up. In 1910, 170 early Chinese pioneers did exactly that. They pooled their resources to create the East and West Kong Yick Buildings, establishing the heart of a new Chinatown.
The East Kong Yick Building was designed for utility and community, featuring retail on the ground floor with hotel space, apartments, and social meeting rooms above. For years, it served as a vital cultural hub and lodging for immigrant communities before World War II. While the world changed around it, the building's spirit of resilience remained.
In May 2008, it reopened as the expanded Wing Luke Asian Museum, transforming a historic site of survival into a National Heritage Site that celebrates Asian American history.
Updated June 2026