On May 5, Google put their doodle up on their search engine's homepage remembering famous American activist and photo journalist for Asian rights Corky Lee.
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| Corky Lee Google Doodle |
Corky Lee was a well-known photographer, activist, and community organizer known as the "undisputed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate." Lee's art was important in chronicling the Asian American experience and supporting social justice.
Lee was born in Queens, New York City, on July 9, 1948, and reared in Chinatown, Manhattan. He attended Queens College before enrolling in the film program at New York University. He left NYU to work as a photojournalist, focused on issues affecting the Asian American community.
Lee's work ranged from civil rights to protests, political rallies, and everyday life in Asian American communities. He was particularly interested in recording the experiences of Asian Americans, who were sometimes disregarded or disadvantaged in mainstream American culture. His portraits of his subjects are famous for their personal and empathetic representation.
One of Lee's most memorable photos was captured in 1975, amid the evacuation of Manhattan's Chinatown population for urban redevelopment. The image, titled "The Sleeping Chinese," depicted an old guy dozing on a chair while awaiting eviction from his house. The painting became a symbol of the difficulties that Chinatown inhabitants faced during a period of rapid transformation and gentrification.
Lee's work extended beyond photography. He was also a community organizer and a supporter of Asian American rights. In 1981, he co-founded the Asian American Journalists Association, and in 1983, he was a founding member of the Asian American Arts Alliance. He was also a board member for the Museum of Chinese in America, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation.
Lee died on January 27, 2021, as a result of COVID-19 problems. A memorial fund was established in his honor to encourage budding photographers of color, carrying on his tradition of promoting and supporting underrepresented voices in the arts.
Corky Lee's impact to the Asian American community and American culture as a whole cannot be emphasized. He chronicled and praised the richness and complexity of the Asian American experience via his photography and activism, encouraging generations of artists and activists to follow in his footsteps.