The Chinese-American Experience, Then and Now

Washington is a city full of museums. Most visitors head first to the large Smithsonian Museums in and around the mall. But the city also has many smaller, unique and interesting museums. One of those is the Chinese-American Museum. It is on 16th Street NW, not far from Dupont Circle.

This lightly attended, free museum is only five years old. Development began in 2018. It was closed for awhile during the pandemic then reopened in the fall of 2021. There were three special exhibits when I attended this past summer, one dedicated to the photography of Corky Lee, one on Chinese fashion and a third about Bruce Lee.

Corky Lee was a journalist and photographer who passed away in 2021. His images document the Asian American experience in the U.S. as well as some landmark historical events significant to Chinese-Americans. He was also an activist, using his camera to support and advocate for his community. Here are a couple examples of his work.

A child waits in a factory because their parent, a garment worker, has no other means of childcare, Chinatown, New York, 1976.

Connie King, 'honorary mayor' of Locke, Calif., shows her Demonstration Garden of toilet bowls discarded by white people who did not want to sit where Chinese had sat, 2007. — Connie King, ‘honorary mayor’ of Locke, Calif., shows her Demonstration Garden of toilet bowls discarded by white people who did not want to sit where Chinese had sat, 2007.

Qipao

Qipao is a style of dress for Chinese women. It represents the modern woman and has been associated with women’s quest for equality and independence. It first became fashionable in Shanghai in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

The last empress Wanrong pictured in a Manchu dress.

Yuan Xiutang, a prosperous city that never sleeps, 1930's — Yuan Xiutang, a prosperous city that never sleeps, 1930’s

Jin Meisheng, ad for cigarettes, Fengtian Tobacco Company, 1940's. — Jin Meisheng, ad for cigarettes, Fengtian Tobacco Company, 1940’s.

Peter Stackpole. Chinese-American women in New York at Solidarity Day parade protesting Japanese invasion of China, 1938.

8 ft. bronze statue on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. By Cao Chong-en.

Lee created these Stages of Cultivation plaques to illustrate his Jeet Kune Do philosophy.

3 Responses to The Chinese-American Experience, Then and Now

retrosimba says:

September 27, 2023 at 11:28 am

Fascinating. Thank you. I was especially struck by the Peter Stackpole Solidarity Day photo. It prompted me to try to learn more about that event, which took place on May 9, 1938. Here is the lede from the New York Times story on May 10, 1938:

“With martial chants and a display of bold banners of defiance, more than 12,000 Chinese marched here in a Solidarity Day parade as a protest against Japanese aggression, while in the overcast skies an aerial guard of honor was formed by seven Chinese aviators who are training to become war pilots against Japan.”

Chinese leaders called it the largest demonstration ever staged in New York’s Chinatown, the Times reported. The newspaper also noted, “A feature of the parade was the carrying of a huge Chinese national flag, 45 feet by 75 feet, by a contingent of Chinese girls and women colorfully garbed in native costumes. Though no appeal was made for funds, the spectators began showering coins and even dollar bills onto the flag. About $300 was collected.”

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sportsdiva64 says:

September 27, 2023 at 1:43 pm

So many museums in DC. I have to check it out when I go to DC.

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Donna Janke says:

September 27, 2023 at 2:53 pm

It is always great to discover the gems of lesser known museums. This is an interesting combination of exhibits. I’d enjoy seeing it.

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