Corky Lee spent his entire life using his camera to document the lives and experiences of Asian Americans. His parents, Lee Yin Chuck and Jung See Lee, who had immigrated to the US from China, gave birth to him on September 5, 1947, in Queens, New York City. 

His mother worked as a seamstress, and his father, a World War II veteran of the US Army, owned a laundry. Corky, who graduated from Jamaica High School and had three younger brothers and three sisters, began studying American history at Queens College in 1965.

Since he couldn’t afford to buy his own equipment, Corky Lee learned how to operate a camera by borrowing tools, which led to the development of his passion for photography. A photograph in a social studies textbook showing the construction of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869 served as the artist’s inspiration. 

Thousands of Chinese workers were employed on the construction site, but the image featured only white laborers. This insight inspired Corky to use his camera to capture the experiences and narratives of Asian Americans that are frequently overlooked or inaccurately portrayed in the media.

He referred to himself as a “ABC from NYC” and used his camera to document the injustices that Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) had to endure. He worked to integrate Asian American history into the larger American narrative and referred to himself as the “unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate”. 

Through his work, Corky sought to advance a greater awareness of and respect for these communities by examining the diversity and nuanced aspects of Asian American culture.

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Corky Lee Net Worth

Corky Lee was a successful photographer who amassed a sizeable fortune throughout his career. He devoted his life to documenting the lives and experiences of Asian Americans through his camera. 

According to sources, Corky Lee’s net worth was estimated to be around $7 million USD. He became one of the richest photographers in the field thanks to this remarkable sum. He maintained his modesty and remained committed to his goal of telling Asian Americans’ stories and promoting their history and culture as essential components of American history.

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