The museum is housed in the East Kong Yick Building, originally built by Chinese immigrants in 1910 as a hotel. It was founded as a memorial to Wing Luke, the first Asian American to hold elected office in the Pacific Northwest. He won a city council seat in 1962 and fought for civil rights, urban renewal., and historic preservation. Tragically he never got to finish his work, dying in a small plane in 1965.
Admission to the museum includes a guided tour of the upper floors of the building – boarding house rooms, a communal kitchen, and a social club meeting hall. The self guided area includes several art galleries with changing exhibits, a gallery with immigration stories and several rooms with information about individual countries and the reasons for immigrating to the US from each country. All areas are accessible.
Parking is very limited. There’s some on street parking and a few small lots. We opted for parking out of town and taking the light rail. The museum is located about four blocks from the station – up hill with poor curb cuts and uneven sidewalks. Most wheelchair uses will need help. Museum
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