Chinatown in Seattle, WA. Photo by: Marissa Price.
The Chinese were not always welcomed in
America but over time Chinese people were granted United States
citizenship, and their culture is valued in this society. The
appreciation of different cultures gives us all a greater look
at our own
identity, and gives us a broader perspective of many issues that
affect our culture. This website is a review of
the artistic, historical, and cultural influence of
the Chinese
community
in Olympia.
Chinese-Americans are able
to express their cultural tradition, identity, and beliefs through
art.
Malpina Chan is a Local Artist living
in Olympia who uses Western techniques in her artwork, but the
subject of her art is rooted in her Chinese-American heritage.
This merging of Western style and Chinese subject matter portrays
her feelings of living between two cultures.
Toy Kay started
the Olympia Area Chinese Fellowship,
an organization that promotes cultural awareness and Chinese
traditions. The Kay family are
signicant historical members of the Chinese community in Olympia.
Their history goes back to Olympia's early Chinatown, and Toy
and her husband Bill Kay are the only heirs to this history
still
living
in Olympia.
Many American companies
prospered by hiring Chinese people because America's rapid growing
industry
demanded
large amounts of cheap labor. Due to economic and social situations
happening in China many Chinese men came to America to support
their families back home. The Exclusions
Acts of
1882 prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States.
Before these
laws took place anti-Chinese sentiment led to violence and discrimination,
because labor unions felt threatened by the presence of Chinese
laborers. Olympia's history is unique because the anti-Chineses
riots that occured in Tacoma and Seattle did not happen in
the capital, in part because of the actions of Sheriff
Billings.
Local historians
are trying to preserve the memory and culture of Olympia's
Chinatown by creating a Historical
Marker that will be erected in Heritage
Park.
