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Well-known photojournalist Corky Lee died Wednesday from COVID-19. He was 73 years old.
For more than 50 years, he documented the changing Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States.
He covered anti-Vietnam protests in the U.S, racism, police brutality, fair labor practices, fair housing, ethnic studies and the political and social issues.
The son of Chinese immigrants and the son of a WWII veteran, Lee advocated for the Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act which was passed into law December 20, 2018.
He was admitted to the hospital on January 7, after experiencing COVID symptoms.
His last post on Facebook shows flowers that had been delivered to his hospital room.
Corky Lee with his photograph of Vincent Chin's mother. Chin was beaten to death in a racially-motivated hate crime in 1982.
Lee photographed New York City Chinatown resident, Goldie Chu standing before thousands in Central Park to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1977.
Lee captured U.S. civil rights leader Yuri Kochiyama.
Lee wrote this on Facebook in 2017 about this photograph: 20 years ago I was able to capture this image on a float in midtown Manhattan on the return of Hong Kong to China. For better or worse there will be another 30 years of challenges for both....I wonder whatever happened to these participants....
Lee photographed protests against the 1983 judgement against the two men who beat Vincent Chin to death with a baseball bat in a racially-motivated crime. They were each fined $3,700 and did not serve any jail time.
In 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads were joined forming the U.S. transcontinental railroad. This photograph was taken of railroad owners and workers driving in the last spike at Promontory Summit, Utah. But despite being heavily built by Chinese laborers on the western side of the line, there are no Chinese in the photograph.
In 2014, Lee photographed Asian-Americans, some who are descendants of Chinese railroad workers, in a recreation of the iconic photo.
In April 2020, Lee wrote on Facebook: I combined elements of the American flag with my mask....
Lee posted this photo to his Facebook account while he was hospitalized for COVID-19. It was his last post.
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