Fay Chew Matsuda
Fay Chew Matsuda, born Fay Lai Chew[1] (Chinese: 陈丽妃; pinyin: Chén Lìfēi; April 11, 1949 – July 24, 2020),[2] was a Chinese American museum curator and activist. She directed the Museum of Chinese in America from 1997 to 2006.[3]
Fay Chew Matsuda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fay Lai Chew April 11, 1949 |
| Died | July 24, 2020 (aged 71) |
| Education | Barnard College (BA) New York University (MSW) |
| Occupation(s) | Museum director, curator |
| Organization | Museum of Chinese in America (1997–2006) |
| Spouse | Karl Matsuda |
Biography edit
Matsuda was born Fay Lai Chew, on April 11, 1949, in Manhattan to immigrants from Taishan, Guangdong. She grew up in East Village, Manhattan. Her father owned a hand-laundry north of the city in Ossining, New York, and a number of small businesses. Her mother was a garment worker on the Lower East Side. She graduated from Hunter College High School and received her BA in sociology from Barnard College in 1971.[3] Her activism in the Chinese community in New York began in the Basement Workshop, an arts and activism organization that became a hub for the Asian American Movement on the East Coast.[2] She later received her master's of social work from New York University.[3][1]
Matsuda began her career as a social worker at Hamilton-Madison House, originally established in the Lower East Side to help acclimate Jewish and Italian immigrants and now serving a predominantly Asian and Latino constituency. She left to join the Chinatown History Project as executive director and was instrumental in transforming the project into the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).[4] She later worked at the Chinatown Health Clinic, the Asian American Federation and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.[3][5] She was also a director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund during the 1980s and 1990s.[6] Matsuda returned to MOCA to serve as executive director from 1997 to 2006.[7] She then served as director of the Hamilton-Madison City Hall Senior Center before retiring in 2016.[3]
Matsuda died on July 24, 2020, at her home in Sound Beach, New York, at age 71. She was married to Karl Matsuda.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b Appropriations, United States Congress House (1973). Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Approprations for 1974: Hearings Before a Subcommittee..., 93-1...
- ^ a b "陈丽妃 (1949-2020) – Museum of Chinese in America" (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ a b c d e f Roberts, Sam (2020-08-10). "Fay Chew Matsuda, Steward of Chinese Immigrant Legacy, Dies at 71". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ "Fay Chew Matsuda (1949-2020) – Museum of Chinese in America". Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ "To Honor and Preserve". Barnard Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ "Remembering Fay Chew Matsuda, 1949 - 2020". AALDEF. 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ "FAY MATSUDA Obituary (2020) New York Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.