Karen Wong
Founder Emeritus, Asian Hall of Fame and Founder/Chair, Robert Chinn Foundation
YEAR INDUCTED
2022
CATEGORY
Philanthropy
Karen Wong is Founder/Chair of the Robert Chinn Foundation, and Founder Emeritus of Asian Hall of Fame. Wong’s illustrious career led her to serve as the Washington State Fundraising Chair for the national presidential campaign of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. The Seattle community leader and philanthropist also led fundraising for and building of the Asian Resource Center that the Chinn family operated in Seattle’s International District for twenty years. She co-founded the inaugural Asian Hall of Fame ceremony in 2004 as an anniversary celebration of the Asian Resource Center. Wong also assisted Gary Locke with fundraising for his successful 1997 Washington State Gubernatorial race. Wong is the eldest of three children born to Ruth and Robert Chinn, the pioneering financial leader. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science at UC Berkeley, Masters in Library Sciences from University of Washington, and Juris Doctor from University of Puget Sound.
HALL OF FAME ESSAY
It’s just so wonderful that we can show our Asian heritage and also inspire other Asians to come to our festivals and become a part of what we are doing. Our inspiration behind Asian Hall of Fame is to elevate Asian representation.
Karen Wong, Asian Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2022
“You have to have a good cause, something you have to be able to motivate others to share in.”
– KAREN WONG
