Seattle Challenges Community with Major Wing Luke Museum Gift
By Hana Tadesse and Steve McLean
NAP Contributors
Planned artwork. On one side stand three mob figures while the other side features three Chinese laborers. At the center of the installation is an ‘X’. A stark symbol of division and displacement. A tipped Scale of Justice above the ‘X’ highlights the imbalance of law and protection. Photo credit: Purple Moon Designs LLC.
In November, the Wing Luke Museum announced a donation of $50,000 from the Seattle Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 26™ (SeattleFWC26) Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to support the museum’s Chinese American Legacy Art Project (CALAP), a public art installation planned for Seattle’s waterfront. SeattleFWC26 calls on soccer fans across the city, state, and world to match and exceed this donation.
SeattleFWC26 embraces its responsibility to use the excitement and attention of the world’s largest sporting event. It will advance projects and priorities of the communities closest to the stadium in Seattle, Washington which will host six FIFA World Cup 26™ matches next year. Soccer fans everywhere can join SeattleFWC26 and the museum to show what soccer in service of community can accomplish. Even small donations from soccer fans everywhere can make this important and timely vision a reality.
Everyone inspired to donate and join this effort, can visit the CALAP web page at: https://25646p.blackbaudhosting.com/25646p/FY25-Ind-Chinese-American-Legacy-Artwork-Project-CALAP—Fiscal-Agent?_gl=1*1skfe3n*_gcl_au*MTIyMzE3NDc5OS4xNzYxMzMwNjQx.
Site plan of CALAP at the Seattle waterfront. Photo credit: Purple Moon Designs LLC.
Site plan of CALAP at the Seattle waterfront. Photo credit: Purple Moon Designs LLC. The art project acknowledges the 1886 Chinese expulsion in Seattle which included the violent and inhumane round up hundreds of Chinese immigrants, forcing them to Seattle’swaterfront for expulsion. The effort, led by a local labor union, including hundreds of rioters resulted in violence, injury, death and martial law. This period in Seattle’s history is often overlooked and forgotten. The installation serves as a powerful and lasting reminder of this event and the people affected by it.
“Hosting the FIFA World Cup™ gives us a platform to share Seattle’s full story with the world including the chapters that are painful to confront,” said Peter Tomozawa, CEO of SeattleFWC26. “When visitors come to Seattle next summer, we want them to see more than just great soccer. We want them to see a city that faces its history honestly and honors the communities who built it. The 1886 expulsion of Chinese immigrants is a part of our history that demands remembrance and reflection. This waterfront installation will serve as a permanent reminder of that injustice and the resilience of those who faced it. This is exactly the kind of lasting legacy we’re committed to creating. We’re challenging soccer fans everywhere. Help us match this $50,000 donation and show what the global soccer community can accomplish when we come together for something that matters.”
SeattleFWC26 donation represents a sizable investment in the project, which has currently raised approximately 58 percent of the funds needed. SeattleFWC26 leadership recognizes the project as an important part of preserving Seattle’s cultural legacy and hopes it inspires others to support the project.
Years in the Making
The idea was initiated more than 20 years ago by Doug Chin, community historian who was then the president of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Asian Pacific American Advocates of Greater Seattle. A governing committee was later established to provide guidance, community fundraising and artist selection for the project. The artwork will be installed near Seattle’s waterfront, where the expulsion and riots occurred. Chin noted that “next year is the 140th anniversary of this historical mistake. We must learn from this past to become a more truly inclusive city.”
“The art piece commemorates this dark episode in Seattle’s history,” said University of Washington American Ethnic Studies Teaching Professor Connie So, a founding governing committee founding member. “It shed slight on the mistreatment endured by early Chinese immigrants and, unfortunately, subsequent immigrants.”
The City of Seattle and members of the local Chinese American community have contributed the bulk of the funds for the project. “It has been a struggle to obtain the needed funds to complete this project, ” said Wren Wheeler, Civic Engagement Specialist at the museum. “So, we very much appreciate the donation and support from SeattleFWC26. Hopefully, we will get enough funds from the match that the local FIFA is offering . . . ”
Where the Story will be Told
The sculpture will be installed at Alaskan Way South and South Washington Street*, adjacent to the Compass Center. This site is near where Chinese immigrants were forced onto the steamship Queen of the Pacific in 1886.
Specifications
Dimensions: 14 ft. H x 12 ft. L x
6 ft. W.
Materials: stainless steel and bronze.
Symbolism Behind the Design
Six abstract human figures are arranged like chess pieces to represent opposing forces. On one side stand three mob figures, while the other side features three Chinese laborers. At the center of the installation is an enlarged ‘X’ – a stark symbol of division and displacement. A tipped scale of justice above the ‘X’ highlights the imbalance of law and protection, inviting reflection on the ongoing struggle for racial justice.
Meet the Artist
Seattle artist Stewart Wong was commissioned to create this installation. His design responds to both the historical trauma and the ongoing rise in anti-Asian violence. The six human figures, a suspended arch, and a fractured scale of justice are symbolic elements of the sculpture that speaks to the pain of exclusion and the strength of community. “I am evermore compelled to continue in social justice work. Through my creativity, I want to help address our continuing struggles and conflict, and to . . . be one of many voices in support of the community.”
— Stewart Wong, Artist
Project Management
Wing Luke Museum
Credits
Chinese American Legacy Artwork Project Governing Committee (CALAP)
Major Donors
Erika Lim
Jean and Dennis Lee
SeattleFWC26
About Seattle FIFA World Cup 26™ Local Organizing Committee
Seattle FWC 26 is the local organizing committee for Seattle’s participation as one of the 16 host cities selected for the FIFA World Cup 26™. As a not-for-profit organization, SeattleFWC26’s vision is to foster a lasting legacy for the region, guided by the spirit of soccer, innovation, and inclusion. To keep up-to-date on the latest news and involvement opportunities with SeattleFWC26, please visit www.seattlefwc26.org/get-involved.
About The Wing Luke Museum
The museum’s mission is to connect everyone to the rich history, dynamic cultures, and art of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences, racial and social equity can be advanced. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate, National Park Service Affiliated Area, and the only pan-Asian American museum in the nation. The museum is a national treasure, preserving and sharing the personal stories of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. In 2025, the museum is celebrating the 100th birthday of Wing Chong Luke, our namesake and the first Asian American to hold elected office in King County. To learn more about the Museum, visit www.wingluke.org.
* Current proposed location. Subject to change.
