Tasia Siereveld

5-5-15

In Search of Lost time

Wing Luke: The Heart of Seattle’s Asian Pacific American Community

I’m strolling along in Seattle, but walking beneath the iron and glass pergola hugging the corner of Pioneer Square Park, I can almost imagine that I am strolling through a European metropolis on the cusp of the 20th century. This is something I love about Seattle, it’s many faces have a way of transporting you to a different time, and sometimes, a different place: The Beaux Arts of Union Station captures the love of Parisian architecture of the 1920s, the Space Needle takes you back to the post WWII era which marks the love affair so many architects had with everything outer-space. All of these stylistic expressions of Seattle have a special place in my heart and in my childhood, but the district of seattle which I formed an affection for in the closing chapters of my childhood can be found as I step out of Pioneer square, and into the International District.

It is difficult for me to clearly explain why I feel such a profound connection to the International District, which prior to the 1970s was still referred to as Chinatown. In truth, I think it is due to a whole host of reasons, some obvious and some hidden even from me. I suppose my love for the neighborhood began to form the first time I visited the area at the age of thirteen. In the 7th grade I had joined an after-school club for Japanese culture enthusiasts. Though I loved the idea of travel and foreign cultures, I had not formed any special interest in Japan(though I had family members who were Nipponophiles). The reason I joined was due to my great admiration for the teacher who organized the group, but I quickly grew very interested in the subject matter. At the end of the year, as the grand conclusion to the group’s time together we took a journey to Seattle’s International District(IND). Our first stop, the place I will always see as the heart of the district, was the Wing Luke Museum. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Seattle’s Asian Pacific American community. The International District is one of the only communities of it’s kind on the US mainland, a remarkable collection of cultures are woven into it’s history, including not only Japanese and Chinese, but Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.  Because of the area’s complex population, there are many complex matters which the Wing Luke Museum, which is a community based organization, would have to consider as they design their exhibits. They are also questions I must consider if I am to better understand where I feel I fit into this community which I admire so much. In this paper i will be exploring some of the themes I can distinguish throughout a choice few exhibits, and why I and others like me have formed a connection to the IND through this museum.

Expanding and Strengthening Community

Upon my return to the Wing Luke Museum this year I rediscovered that feeling I had at 13 when I visited, the feeling of connectedness, the notion that I was a part of the community I had come to learn about.

Walking up King St. on my way to the museum i could smell the roast duck that was hanging in the window of the Fortuna Cafe, as well as the heady aroma of dried spices wafting out of a small chinese grocery. The heavy wooden doors leading into the Wing Luke Asian Museum causes a rush of air to be dragged into the building as they swing open, sending the massive colorful wind chime overhead into a frenzy. I inhaled deeply, as I usually do when stepping into when stepping into what I call “a learning place.” I do the same thing when I step into a library or a theater hall. There is something intoxicating about the smell of books and the silent energy of minds at work. I walked up to the front desk eager to begin my own learning journey, and purchase my membership. I informed the girl at the front desk of my mission, to explore the museum and it’s representation of the community. The young women looked genuinely pleased with this, “Well we certainly appreciate your interest.” she said. She told me that she could get me in touch with the director of educational outreach, and that they would make sure I got access to all the resources I would need. She then handed me a small map of the museum and gave me some information on the exhibits and upcoming oral history tour. I noted how warm my welcome was, as opposed to the rather stuffy receptions I have received at some other museums. I glanced at the pamphlet for new members, “It’s Your Museum!” it read.

I decided to spend the few minute I had before the begin of the oral history tour in one of my favorite exhibits. To reach the exhibit one must climb a set of stairs which on a sunny day seem to ascend into the brightness of the sky. The stairs look to be made of old recycled dock wood, and I can easily imagine them leading out to the puget sound. At the end of the staircase there is a landing bathed in the sunlight shining through the panel of glass which forms the ceiling. The installation is titled  “The Letter Cloud”, and was designed by Susie Kozawa and Erin Shie Palmer. The walls of the hall also look to have been pulled from an old seaside shanty, covered in tar and ornamented with frosted windows glowing with candle light. The azure sky shining through the skylight is meant to represent the blue of the ocean. Hundreds of paper letters are suspended overhead by fishing line, and dance in the wake of an artificial breeze. From the end of the hall comes the sound of a gentle voice, but the words are lost in the sound of the waves until you reach the bench at the back of the hall. The voice was that of a woman reading an old letter from a young man to his love across the sea. Other readings from other immigrants followed, often read by their children or grand children. The matters of which they wrote were so relatable and timeless that i couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of solidarity with them and their struggles and their successes.The letters were read in their original tongue as well as in english, increasing their accessibility.  “A cloud of paper floats these letters across time and space…” reads a portion of the description on the wall.

The tour started on the ground floor in front of the biographical exhibit for the museum’s namesake, Wing Chong Luke. Only two other people were waiting for the tour, so the group was small. Our guide, Don, was incredibly personable; he asked where we were all from and chatted about his wife and where he was from. His casual conversational style lent itself perfectly to the tour. Throughout our time together he kept us engaged by asking us questions rather than just giving us answers, this allowed us to recognize when we were learning something new, as well as occasionally add a bit of our own knowledge to the tour. In this way we were a community of learners rather than passive recipients of information.

Don’s background was also an important factor in his aptitude as a guide, because as it turned out, he had a personal connection to the museum’s subject matter   Don’s family actually hails from the same province of China as Wing Luke, and are amongst the many families to have immigrated to the area. His memories of the area as a child brought the subject matter quite literally to life as it was embodied by him. Learning about the area’s history and culture from a person with roots in it inspired in me, as I am sure it does in others, a sense of solidarity, and connection. People help us connect because compassion is a gateway to enlightenment.

The Wing Luke museum understands the importance of  people in the learning and preservation process, which is why they make sure that the community of Seattle’s International District plays a key role in the museums design. In 1995 the museum won the National Award for Museum Services for their “cutting edge work in fostering broad-based participation in the development of exhibitions and programs.” The museum’s goal is to get the Pacific Asian American communities and the public at large to become engaged with learning about the cultures and histories tied to the IND and to participate in the growth of the museum. One way they do this is by using the Community-based Exhibition Model. Community members are involved in the process of making exhibits every step of the way, from brainstorming ideas to installing exhibits, to outreach and publicity. The team of people that puts together an exhibit always includes not only staff members, but “core community members,” which make up the Community Advisory Committee(CAC). The members of this group all have some personal connection to the subject matter of the exhibit to be created. They are the ones with authority over the the content of the exhibit, and what it’s main messages are. The CAC is also charged with branching out further into the community, inviting others to contribute their talents or stories to the formation of the exhibit. On occasion, a leader is necessary for the group to run smoothly. Such a person is chosen based upon their strong role within the community rather than a history in museum work. They will facilitate group meetings, help the museum connect further with the community, and generally sharing their wisdom.

As I learned about the process  the museum goes through to design their exhibits, and how much they value the community in the process, I began to further value where I fit into the equation. As a patron  of the museum I support it not only financially, but I come as a vessel for the knowledge and the wisdom its stories would bestow upon me. I matter in this community for the simple and powerful fact that I care. Because I care so deeply about this community and their stories, I carry them with me, and thus bring parts of the museum with me wherever I go. I  am not the only one of course, many others share my role, but our role is also an important part of the process because our passion for the museum spreads awareness to others, who in turn become interested in visiting the museum. In this way, stories and community keep history alive.