Milwaukee’s Chinese Laundry era will soon be commemorated with its first historical marker at the YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin building. The marker recognizes a 110-year period from 1874 to 1984 when Chinese immigrants in Milwaukee found ways to build lives and provide for their families.
Anna Moy Wong, with the Organization of Chinese Americans Wisconsin Chapter, said the Wisconsin Historical Society provided an opportunity to tell stories of underserved populations whose histories have never been shared before. The organization received two markers through the William Pomeroy Foundation, with the Laundry Era marker being installed at the YWCA.
“This is a history where a lot of the early immigrants of Chinese Americans came and throughout the country, and in Milwaukee, there were over 60 laundries at one point in the 100-year history of laundries in the Milwaukee area,” Wong said…