If you find yourself on the west side of Washington state, heading up the I-5 Corridor toward your intended destination of one of Washington’s three national parks, you should consider stopping for a day, or even just a half day, at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to soak in a little history and a look back into Washington’s fur trading and aviation pasts.
The National Park Foundation Honors Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month Through the Lens of National Parks
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WASHINGTON, May 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have shaped the history of the United States and the world at large for thousands of years, with rich heritage and cultural traditions. National parks across the country highlight the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and visitors today continue to bring their own experiences and stories to our national parks.
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Photo: NPS/Jacob W. Frank
Two daring Chinese American women took to Portland’s skies to escape earthbound 20th-century limits, secured lasting legacies
Updated 8:05 AM;
Today 7:04 AM
Hazel Ying Lee (second from right) was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. (National Museum of the United States Air Force)
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Two of Portland’s airborne pioneers, however, mostly flew under the radar.
Leah Hing began taking flying lessons in 1932 when she was 24. By then, the Washington High School grad already had crisscrossed the United States by train as a saxophonist with a six-member band variously called Portland Chinese Girls’ Band, Chinese Show Boat and Honorable Wu’s Vaudeville Troupe. She had started the band as a means of getting out of Portland and seeing the wider world. The band’s signature number was “Happy Days Are Here Again.”