Ruby Chow

Ruby Chow (June 6, 1920 – June 4, 2008; ) 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.

Ruby Chow (June 6, 1920 – June 4, 2008; ) 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. ==Early life== Chow was born Mar Seung-gum, on June 6, 1920, in Seattle to Jim Sing Mar and Wong See. 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. This was part of Seattle's first Chinatown, where many dock and cannery workers lived. Chow was born on a fishing dock there with the help of a midwife. 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. When Chow was 12, her father died. It was the depths of the Great Depression, and the family struggled to get food. See worked three jobs and was ostracized for her family's poverty, which made a lasting impression on Chow. Chow dropped out of high school at 16 to help support the family. She started waiting tables for two dollars a day. At 17, Chow moved to New York and worked as a waitress at the Howdy Club, a gay bar. See died in 1939¹. ==Career== Chow and her second husband, Ping Chow, moved to Seattle in 1943. 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. Ruby was a popular waitress, particularly among white customers. ==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. Chow's daughter, Cheryl Chow, served as a member of the Seattle City Council from 1990 to 1997. 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. Chow's niece, Angie Mar, is the chef/owner of The Beatrice Inn in Manhattan's West Village. ===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. ==See also== Dolores Sibonga Donnie Chin Fujimatsu Moriguchi Liem Tuai Maria Hines Rose Ann Finkel Velma Veloria ==References== ==External links==

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370627004 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.