The photographer who documented 50 years of Chinese in American history
Corky Lee’s photos show movement: People at work, at demonstrations, and occupying their place in history.
A Chinese American photographer who documented Asian American culture and history for over 45 years, Corky (Young Kwok) Lee died in late January of complications from Covid-19. He dubbed himself the “unofficial Asian American photographer laureate,” and described his work as “only a small attempt to rectify omissions in our history textbooks.”
Lee was born in Queens, New York City, the second child of immigrants from China. His mother was a seamstress, and his father, once a welder who served in World War II, started a hand-laundry business. He was inspired to pursue photojournalism in junior high school when he saw in a history textbook the well-known photograph of two trains meeting at Promontory Point, Utah, commemorating the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. There were no Chinese faces in the photo, despite the fact that thousands of Chinese had lost their lives in building the most dangerous sections of the railway.
Remembering Corky Lee is a story from our issue, “Something Old Something New.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the App Store.
Constance Chien is a contributing writer at The World of Chinese.
