Chris S. Nishiwaki
Northwest Asia Weekly
From left: Alan Ferguson, Joel Barraquel Tan, Beth Takekawa and Jill See
(Photo by Assunta Ng)
Bettie Luke, sister of the late Seattle city councilman and namesake of the Wing Luke Museum, welcomed its supporters to Jill Nishi, co-president of the museum’s board of directors, at a dinner and auction on the evening of March 13 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. She remembered her brother.
Luke recalls that when Nishi was crowned Miss Seafair in 1989, he refused to take part in the Seafair Parade float with a group of white women in kimono in protest of ignorant cultural appropriation.
From left: King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci, Victor and Stacy Mizumori (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“I’m glad to see (West) there,” Luke told Northwest Weekly two days after the event. “Her protest reminded me of the kind of thinking that Wing had as early as high school. Wing was such a leader in the community. At Roosevelt High, he served as student body president during the war. It reminded me that Jill was a leader since childhood. Seeing her there, it took it a full circle.
Paul Mar (left) and Kelly Yamamoto (Photo by Assunta Ng)
The March 13 auction was also the first live event since 2019. Virtual and in-person joint event at Sheraton Grand Seattle raised over $500,000. Attendance was limited to 350 mostly mask-wearing guests to encourage social distancing and safety protocols — a day after the state lifted masks. Another 45 guests listened online.
Wing Luke sisters Ruby and Bettie, nieces Cythnia Del Rosario and Otilla Barbarboi (photo by Assunta Ng)
The total fundraising was the second-highest in the museum’s history, behind the more than $600,000 raised in 2019. Fundraising totals included major “Fund Our Needs” gifts of $25,000 each from Board Co-Chair Alan Ferguson and Board Member Paul Marr.
Gerard Tsutakawa’s bronze sculpture “SeaWave”, a scale model he commissioned outside the Climate Commitment Arena, fetched $11,000. The winning bidder was Sounders FC Director of Operations Peter Tomozawa.
Mayor Bruce Harrell (left) and Joel Barraquiel Tan (Photo by Assunta Ng)
The event was the first to be without the siblings of Marge Young and Bob Luke, Bettie and Wing, who passed away in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Ruby Luke, Wing Luke’s only surviving sibling, attended with Betty.
“It was really sad not to have the three sisters together,” Betty said. “I knew (Marge) would really enjoy seeing what happened that night.”
From left: Matt and Gei Chan, Lori Matsukawa and Larry Blackstock (photo by Assunta Ng)
The remaining sisters and the museum continue the legacy of Wing Luke, the first Asian-American elected to public office in Washington state.
“I am amazed that, for more than 50 years, the museum has inherited two of the most important parts of Wing’s legacy — cultural preservation and social justice,” Bettie said. “I admire it. It is bold for an agency to take this stance to ensure that the API community has a chance to have their voices heard.
From left: First Lady Joanne Harrell, Mimi Gan, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Kendee Yamaguchi (photo by Assunta Ng)
“Wing would be very proud to see the work done over the years. Not just the works, but the people who still have a strong connection to the museum.”
Luke also envisions continued success for The Wing and its new executive director, Joël Barraquiel Tan, who attended the banquet.
From left: Mimi Gates, Gerald Tsutagawa and Beth Takekawa (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“The fact that he is already involved in social justice is a pleasant plus,” Luke said, noting Barraquiel Tan’s experience in creating and implementing the award-winning civic engagement DEI initiative at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
From left: Siao-Yen Wu, James Wong, Jerry Lee and Taylor Hoang (Photo by Assunta Ng)
Barraquiel Tan plans to continue Wing Luke’s legacy of social justice.
“Dance of the Muse” by Alfredo Arreguin sold for $1,800 (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“This is my first real post-pandemic event,” Barraquiel Tan said of the gala. “It couldn’t have been better, and it couldn’t have been better. I’m still dealing with it. The party is where all generations and different stewards of The Wing come together. Who wouldn’t want to be welcomed in such a tight-knit community?”
Chris can be reached by info@nwasianweekly.com.
