KUOW's Program Venture Fund

Winner - 2005 Asian American Journalists Award: Excellence in Journalism (Radio)

Reporting by Ruby de Luna

It has been said that food is not just nourishment, but an expression of one's culture. When they come to America, immigrants are likely to shed their native language and traditional clothing to blend into their new home-but food is typically the last to go. This month on KUOW, we look at our local history through food. Reporter Ruby de Luna brings us stories from some of the native and immigrant groups in the Puget Sound region. Come explore their rich cultures…and their foods.

Funding for A History of Washington Through Food was provided by the KUOW Program Venture Fund. Contributors include Paul and Laurie Ahern and Puget Sound Energy.

(EPISODE 1 - October 1, 2004) Local tribes look to the past for clues of what their ancestors ate. This summer the Makah tribe on Neah Bay held a traditional foods program that includes lessons in gathering, preserving and preparing certain foods. Other tribes are looking at archeological data to learn what foods were abundant. They hope to return to their traditional diets for health and cultural reasons.

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Related Links:
Puget Sound Traditional Food and Diabetes

(EPISODE 2 - October 8, 2004) For early Scandinavian immigrants, the Puget Sound region's land, waters, and mild climate reminded them of home. They worked in mines, logging camps, and farms. However, fishing was in their blood. Locally, the Norwegians dominated the fishing industry: they owned large fishing vessels, seafood packing companies, and canneries-some that still exist today. The Nords Among Us: Recipes

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Related Links:
The Nordic Museum

(EPISODE 3 - October 15, 2004) Beginning in 1904, Congress approved 39 water projects to provide water and electricity throughout the Pacific Northwest. The project also provided irrigation to Eastern Washington, transforming its sagebrush-covered land into an agricultural powerhouse. One unexpected consequence was the change to the area's demographics. The number of Hispanic farm workers, especially in the Yakima Valley, has grown steadily over the decades. Their presence is changing the area's cultural and political landscape.

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Related Links:
La Voz del Campesino - KDNA 91.9 FM
Research on Historic Reclamation Projects
Bureau of Reclamation, Historical Photos and Articles

(EPISODE 4 - October 22, 2004) Chicago has its third place; Paris has its salon. These are gathering places where citizens feel comfortable to interact, where friendships are developed, and issues discussed. They are the building blocks of a community. Seattle in the 1960's and 70's had Ruby Chow's Restaurant, a place where people went for Chinese food. It was also a favorite for local politicos to schmooze and cut deals over chow mein and almond chicken. Owner Ruby Chow is a quintessential hostess. She is also a trailblazer: the first Asian American woman in the Puget Sound region to break into politics. Ruby's Cookbook

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(EPISODE 5 - October 29, 2004) America has always drawn immigrants who come for political, social, and economic reasons, but they were not always welcomed. In the 1960's, Americans watched the Vietnam War unfold in their living rooms on television. Later, they watched Vietnam collapse. Thousands of Vietnamese were evacuated, but had nowhere to go. Washington was one of the first states to open its doors to these refugees. Xinh Dwelley is a Vietnamese immigrant who came to Olympia before the Fall of Saigon. Her experience represents one of the lasting legacies of that era. Acceptance: Xinh's Recipes

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Related Links:
The letter from Washington's Governor Dan Evans accepting Vietamese refugees to the state (PDF)

Special thanks for help in production of this series goes to:
Makah Cultural and Research Center
Nordic Heritage Museum
Feliks Banel, Museum of History and Industry
Bureau of Reclamation
KDNA Radio Cadena
Stephen Whitehouse, Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce