Asian American Photographer, Corky Lee, Dies of Covid-19 in New York After Over 50 Years Of Work

The Asian American Journalists Association announced today that Corky Lee, a longtime and beloved member of the AAJA family, has died of complications related to Covid-19 in Queens, New York. A second-generation Chinese American, the oldest son of a laundryman and seamstress, he photographed the Asian American experience for over fifty years. He was called to become a photographer upon viewing an 1869 photograph documenting the completion of the transcontinental railway he could not see any Asian faces in it. He recreated that photo in 2002, using descendants of the Chinese workers who had been omitted in the original image.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to AAJA on the AAJA donation page. Be sure to select the “In Memory Of” option and type in “Corky Lee.”

Untitled (detail) by Corky Lee, image from the Light Work Collection website