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Ruby Chow
American politician (1920–2008) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ruby Chow (June 6, 1920 – June 4, 2008; Chinese: 周馬雙金; Jyutping: zau1 maa5 soeng1 gam1; pinyin: Zhōu Mǎ Shuāngjīn) was a Chinese American restaurateur and politician in Seattle, Washington. In 1974, she became the first and initially the only Asian American elected to the King County Council and served until her retirement in 1986.
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Early life
Chow was born Mar Seung-gum,[1] on June 6, 1920, in Seattle to Jim Sing Mar and Wong See.[2] Her parents were Chinese immigrants: Mar was from Hoi Yuen, Guangdong and moved to the U.S. to build railroads, later managing the San Juan Fishing and Canning Company dock in downtown Seattle.[2][3] This was part of Seattle's first Chinatown, where many dock and cannery workers lived.[4] Chow was born on a fishing dock there with the help of a midwife.[2][5]
Chow was the oldest of three sisters and had seven brothers. Her family moved to Seattle's second and third Chinatown as they were established. She attended Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Washington Junior High, and Garfield and Franklin High.[2]
When Chow was 12, her father died. It was the depths of the Great Depression, and the family struggled to get food.[2] See worked three jobs and was ostracized for her family's poverty, which made a lasting impression on Chow.[6] Chow dropped out of high school at 16 to help support the family.[2] She started waiting tables for two dollars a day.[5]
At 17, Chow moved to New York and worked as a waitress at the Howdy Club, a gay bar. See died in 1939.[2]
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Career
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Chow and her second husband, Ping Chow, moved to Seattle in 1943.[2] Ruby was inspired to move by a vision of her mother asking her to return home and help her family. The Chows lived in Seattle's third Chinatown, and both worked at the Hong Kong Restaurant, with Ruby waitressing and Ping cooking.[7] Ruby was a popular waitress, particularly among white customers.[1][7]
Ruby Chow's Restaurant
The Chows opened Ruby Chow's Restaurant in 1948 at 1122 Jefferson Street (at the corner of Broadway & Jefferson) in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood.[1][6][8] It was the first Chinese restaurant outside of Seattle's Chinatown. Ping cooked and Ruby was the hostess.[6] Ping was a famous Cantonese opera star, and he performed at the restaurant after closing time at 2 a.m.[7]
Ruby Chow's was the first upscale Chinese restaurant in Seattle and became a quick success, serving as the unofficial local gathering spot for the Democratic Party.[2] CEOs and journalists frequented the restaurant, and celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and Sidney Poitier visited.[6][7] Ruby rented the attic of the restaurant to Bruce Lee, who worked in her restaurant for four years.[3][9] As hostess, Chow was memorable with her beehive hairdo, but she was also able to fit in with her clientele and enter the conversations of her powerful male customers.[5]
The Chows retired from their restaurant in 1979 when they leased it to a new business.[2]
Politics
Chow leveraged her resources as a restaurant owner and community organizer to help get Wing Luke elected to the Seattle City Council in 1962 by having all the Chinese restaurants print "It's wise to vote for Wing Luke" as their fortune cookie fortunes.[5]
Chow's political career started in 1973 when she decided to run for King County Council as a Democrat. She had an encounter with Ted Bundy (later known to be a serial killer) who, as a GOP campaign worker, tried to convince Chow, unsuccessfully, to go Republican. Chow stayed with the Democratic Party and served three terms as a King County councilwoman in Washington. She was the first Asian American elected to King County Council.[2]
The county council named Ruby Chow Park, at the corner of S. Albro Place and 13th Avenue S. near Boeing Field, after Chow in 1985.[10][6]
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Personal life
Chow had two sons with her first husband. Her second husband was Edward Shui "Ping" Chow (November 5, 1916 - June 29, 2011), who received U.S. citizenship after he was discharged from United States Army. Chow had five children. Chow's children are Edward Chow Jr, Shelton Chow, Cheryl Chow, Brien Chow, and Mark Chow.[11]
Chow's daughter, Cheryl Chow, served as a member of the Seattle City Council from 1990 to 1997.[12] Chow's son, Mark Chow, is a judge in King County District Court in Washington. He is the first Asian-American in the State of Washington to win election as a judge.[13][14]
Chow's niece, Angie Mar, is the chef/owner of The Beatrice Inn in Manhattan's West Village.[15]
Death
Chow died on June 4, 2008, aged 87, from heart failure in Seattle. Chow was survived by her five children and her husband, Edward Shui "Ping" Chow.[16][17]
References
External links
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