Congressman Jim McDermott (left) and Beth Takekawa
On May 8, Congressmember Jim McDermott, with a coalition of eight members of Congress, sent a request to U.S. National Park Service (NPS) to designate the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (The Wing) as a historical site. In a letter signed by McDermott, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, and others, the coalition requested that the NPS conduct a reconnaissance survey. The Wing’s executive director, Beth Takekawa, expressed her appreciation for McDermott and his colleagues’ effort. Reconnaissance surveys undertaken by NPS can take from six to nine months and are the first step in determining if The Wing meets the rigid guidelines required to be named a historic site. (end)