2024 Fred yee citizens award Honorees

2024 Fred yee citizens award honorees

Mr. & Mrs. Lo-Yu Sun

Mr. Lo-Yu Sun and Mrs. Hsiao-Lin Sun are retired restaurateurs & community volunteers, who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 1971. With only a couple hundred dollars in their pockets, they started their journey towards the American dream. In 1978, they started their beloved restaurant chain, China First, and in 1994, opened China Harbor Restaurant on Lake Union, which continues to serve as the premier destination for countless special functions--from wedding banquets and fundraisers to social events.  Leveraging their businesses as a platform for good, they distributed meals to various Christian churches in the Seattle area. With a desire to continually improve the communities around them, Lo-Yu and Hsiao-Lin have been actively involved in politics since the 1980s. They played an integral role in the elections of U.S. Senator Slade Gorton and Washington State Governor Gary Locke.  They have both served as past presidents of the Taiwanese Benevolent Association of America, which seeks to promote the interests of the Taiwanese community and strengthen ties with the local government.  Lo-Yu was appointed by George W. Bush to serve multiple terms on the National Advisory Council of the United States Small Business Administration to help minorities navigate challenges of starting a business in America.  Past leadership roles also include being appointed as Chinese Overseas Affairs Commissioner and serving as President for the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce.  Hsiao-Lin is a member and past president of the Seattle Chinese Women's Club, an anchor for Chinese community gatherings, including scholarship activities and holiday events.  Aspiring to help those in a position similar to the one they were in when first arriving in America, Lo-Yu and Hsiao-Lin have contributed to the growth of the Chinese Information Service Center, which provides advocacy, social, and support services for immigrants.  In the spirit of honoring elders in the Asian community, they are proud supporters of Kin On, the nation’s first bilingual Chinese-American nursing home.  They are the proud parents of three children and six grandchildren, who reside in the local area.