Who is Corky Lee? Google Doodle celebrates Chinese American photographer

Corky Lee, the Chinese-American photographer, was honored by Google Doodle on Friday, May 5. Google Doodle honored him by showcasing his illustration and has made Corky hit the headlines.

For the uninitiated, Corky was a Chinese-American photographer and activist whose work made a mark, and his contributions made a huge impact on the lives of many.

The Google Doodle features an illustration of Corky holding a camera and in the background, there are different communities that he covered through his photographs.

Notably, in 1988, May 5 was proclaimed as "Corky Lee Day" to honor the photographer's contribution to New York's communities.

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Corky Lee was a Chinese-American photographer, journalist, and activist who touched the lives of many through his work

Corky was born on September 5, 1947. He was a Chinese-American photographer, journalist, and activist. He got a degree in American history and started doing photography activities in Manhattan's Chinatown.

His work majorly documented key events in Asian American political history and his subjects were mainly Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). In an interview, he said his work was inspired by the 1869 photograph that celebrated the completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. While the massive construction project had employed thousands of Chinese workers, the photo showed only white laborers.

In an interview in AsianWeek, Corky said:

“I’d like to think that every time I take my camera out of my bag, it’s like drawing a sword to combat indifference, injustice and discrimination, trying to get rid of stereotypes.”

Lee's most famous and popular photographs came out in 1975, when he took a picture of police dragging a young Chinese-American boy, Peter Yew. On the day Lee's photograph was published, thousands of Chinatown residents showed up on the streets and started protesting against police brutality.

Other than this, in 2014, Corky also recreated the photo taken when the transcontinental railroad was completed. He reached out to the descendants of the Chinese laborers who worked to put the railroad together but were not included in the 1869 picture.

Corky's life has been covered in movies like Not on the Menu: Corky Lee’s Life and Work (2013) and Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story (2022).

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Corky Lee died due to complications of COVID-19 in 2021

Corky passed away on January 27, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19. He reportedly got infected with the coronavirus while he was out patrolling Chinatown with neighborhood watch groups that were protecting residents from anti-Asian violence. He was 73 years old at the time of his passing.

His loss was mourned by several New Yorkers, and people came out to the streets to witness his funeral procession.

Throughout his lifespan, he covered a number of protests, rallies, and demonstrations, where he clicked pictures and showed the struggles and achievements of people.

Corky's work was published in Time Magazine, The New York Times, The New York Post, and more. He also won many awards for his works.