The Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon has a new exhibit highlighting the 150-year history of Chinese Oregonians. It also features artifacts belonging to two Chinese Americans who were notable business figures in Eugene.
The exhibit, “Roots and Resilience—Chinese American Heritage in Oregon,” has everything: from artifacts like a toothbrush that belonged to a Chinese railroad worker, to photographs that documented Chinese Oregonian life in the late 19th century.
Lexie Briggs, the marketing and communications specialist at the museum, said there were Chinese communities everywhere in Oregon.
”We have evidence of that, both through family histories and personal stories, but also through archeology,” said Briggs. “And it's not just in Portland. We've found people in all parts of the state.”
Although Eugene did not have a Chinatown, the city had a restaurant and Chinese gift shop for over a decade in the early 20th century. The establishments were owned by Wing Kee and Marie Westfall, a husband and wife whose influence in Eugene extended beyond simply owning a business.
The Westfall’s restaurant and shop appears to have been a hub for other Chinese residents in town, said Jon Krier, one of three archaeologists who worked to uncover the Westfall’s lives.
“There was a celebration, and they raised the Republic of China flag…in front of the Westfall’s establishment. And according to the newspaper article, there was like, several dozen Chinese Americans that met there.” said Krier. “And I just find it really interesting that these people were clearly a hub of the local Chinese community.”
Beyond the Chinese community, the Westfalls were also active members of Eugene society. During World War I, a newspaper reported that Marie regularly volunteered at the Eugene branch of the Red Cross, sewing for soldiers. In the same article, the paper reports that Wing Kee had become a member of the United States Food Administration, a federal agency that oversaw the production and distribution of food during the war.
But aside from the occasional newspaper clipping, it’s hard to find documentation about the Westfalls. Krier said this was likely the result of anti-Chinese sentiments and violence towards Chinese migrants at the time.
“They were born and raised in the US (and) they were important parts of the community, business owners and notable figures,” said Krier. “And yet they're so hard to find in the official record because the official record was deliberately designed to exclude them, and the laws were designed to exclude them.”
In records that do include them, there are instances of discrimination and microaggressions. After an opium bust in Eugene, Wing Kee had to clarify to newspapers that he had no involvement and his business was not raided as part of the bust. In articles about her, Marie is often referred to as “China Mary.” Despite the ostracism, the Westfalls made a life for themselves in Eugene.
Chelsea Rose is a historical archaeologist who works with the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project at Southern Oregon University. The project works to archive and document the contributions of the Chinese community in the making of Oregon. She said archaeological work, like the exhibit at the museum, does the important job of moving away from stereotypes and humanizing Chinese Oregonians.
“The historical record that we're left with is very biased. And so a lot of the newspaper accounts that document Chinese men and women historically are really racist, and they have a lot of bias to them,” said Rose. “And so we don't want to tell the story as a victim narrative solely through that tone. Using archeology and using the items that people made or left or purchased to kind of get at the choices and strategies and the ways in which they were able to push back and resist and build the life as Oregonians, I think that that's a really important way to flush out these stories.”
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene through February 2026.
