Wing Chong Luke
Wing Chong Luke was a prominent Chinese American political figure and community advocate in the Pacific Northwest, born in a suburb of Guangzhou, China, before moving to Seattle as a child. His early life was marked by responsibilities as the eldest of six children and the only English speaker in his family, which helped him develop strong leadership skills. After serving in World War II and earning a Bronze Star, he pursued higher education at the University of Washington, obtaining degrees in political science and law. Luke's political career began when he was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1962, where he championed civil rights, gender equality, and anti-discrimination legislation, particularly in housing.
His efforts included the successful passage of the Open Housing Ordinance, which prohibited racial discrimination in real estate transactions. Tragically, Luke's life was cut short in a plane crash in 1965, but his legacy endures as an influential advocate for Asian Americans. In 2008, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience was opened in Seattle to honor his contributions and to preserve the stories of Asian Pacific immigrants. The museum serves as a cultural hub for the Asian American community, reflecting Luke's enduring impact on civil rights and community advocacy.
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Subject Terms
Wing Chong Luke
Chinese-born politician
- Born: February 25, 1925
- Birthplace: Guangzhou, China
- Died: May 1, 1965
- Place of death: Cascade Range
Wing Chong Luke was the assistant attorney general for the state of Washington from 1957 to 1962, following his decorated service in the US Army during World War II. His successful 1962 campaign for Seattle City Council made him the first person of Asian descent elected to political office in Washington state.
Areas of achievement: Government and politics
Early Life
Wing Chong Luke was born in a suburb of Guangzhou in southern China. Prior to Luke’s birth, his family had established residency in the Seattle area, where his grandparents ran a successful laundry business in the city’s University District. Due to exclusion laws, Luke’s father returned to China in order to marry in 1925, the same year that Wing Chong, his first child, was born. The Lukes returned to Seattle in 1931 when Luke was six years old. The oldest of six children, Luke developed noteworthy leadership skills as he took on a variety of work and household duties to help his growing family. His responsibilities were magnified by the fact that he was the only English speaker in the family.
Luke received national recognition as a premier student at Roosevelt High School for his academic success and elected leadership roles, including that of student-body president. Halfway through his senior year, the United States entered World War II, and Luke was drafted into the army.
Life’s Work
Luke was awarded a Bronze Star for exemplary service in World War II. After his discharge, he enrolled in the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration. He would go on to obtain his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.
Shortly after beginning his own private law practice in Seattle, Luke was appointed as the assistant attorney general of the state of Washington. In this new role, he championed civil rights and gender equality, a trend that would continue throughout his political career. Luke fought his 1962 campaign for Seattle City Council against not just political opposition but also strong racial bias and ignored the pleas of his campaign advisers not to use his photo in campaign memorabilia so voters would not know that he was Chinese American. He won the election by an overwhelming majority of thirty thousand votes; his victory was largely due to his platform on fair housing laws and gender equality, as well as his exceptional ability to relate to constituents.
Highlights of Luke’s tenure on the city council include his push for annual city-sponsored celebrations recognizing Seattle’s Asian American community and his authorship of legislation forbidding racial discrimination in the sale and rental of real estate. In 1963, his work on the Open Housing Ordinance established provisions against such discrimination. Luke also fought to spare Seattle city landmarks like Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square from large-scale urban development.
While returning from a fishing trip, Luke and two others perished in a plane crash in the Cascade Range in the spring of 1965. The crash site was not discovered for several years, and the tragedy resulted in Washington state becoming the first to require emergency-locator transmitters on all aircrafts.
Significance
Despite his untimely death, Wing Chong Luke is widely remembered as one of the most beloved political and cultural advocates of Asian Americans in the Pacific Northwest region. He fought to help the Asian American community gain equal footing in contemporary American society and to preserve the cultural heritage of Asian Americans in a time of significant immigration. In 2008, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, the city of Seattle opened the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in honor of the late councilman. Located in the middle of the city’s Chinatown-International district, the organization is committed to preserving the story of Asian Pacific immigrants in the United States while remaining a vibrant cultural center for Seattle’s Asian American community.
Bibliography
“About Wing Luke.” Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Amer. Experience, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. Biography of Luke on the museum’s official website.
Gregoire, Chris. “Wing Luke Asian Museum Grand Opening.” Governor Chris Gregoire. Washington State Office of the Governor, 31 May 2008. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. Transcribed speech by the governor of Washington on the occasion of the Wing Luke museum’s grand opening.
Ramirez, Marc. “Wing Luke’s Vision Lives in New Museum.” Seattle Times. Seattle Times, 25 May 2008. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. Highlights the life and work of Luke and his memorial museum.
Stripling, Sherry. “Wing Luke: The Man Behind the Museum.” Seattle Times. Seattle Times, 25 Feb. 2005. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. Detailed synopsis of the life and work of Wing Chong Luke.
Takami, David. “Luke, Wing (1925–1965).” HistoryLink.org: The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. History Ink, 25 Jan. 1999. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Biography of Wing Chong Luke.