> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.cascadepbs.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Mossback's Northwest: Alias: Bruce Lee - URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/mossbacks-northwest-2/2026/11/mossbacks-northwest-alias-bruce-lee/ - Published: 2026-11-13T13:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-13T13:00:00.000Z - Description: Bruce Lee's path to international stardom started when he was taken in by a prominent Seattle Chinese family and a clandestine date with a Garfield High cheerleader. - Author: Knute Berger - Tags: Mossback's Northwest, #article, #popular, #news, #top-article, history Actor and martial artist Bruce Lee became an international superstar. He was born in San Francisco, raised in Hong Kong and came to fame in Hollywood. After his tragic early death at age 32 in 1973 he was laid to rest here in Seattle’s Lakeview Cemetery where his gravesite, and that of his son Brandon who also died young, have become a pilgrimage site for those Lee fans who admired the liberating role-model for Asian Americans and his Kung Fu superpowers. So, why was he buried here? Seattle played a pivotal role in the superstar’s development, and a prominent local Chinese American family played a big part in shaping his future and his legacy. Lee Jun Fan, or as noted in immigration documents his American-given “Alias” was Bruce Lee. A nurse at his birth said he should have an American name, and suggested Bruce. He was born in San Francisco’s Chinese hospital in 1940 into a performing family—his father Lee Hoi Chuen toured as a member of a Chinese theater troupe. The family was based in Hong Kong, but an effort was made to firmly establish Bruce’s U.S. native-born citizenship credentials so that he could return when the time was right for a U.S. education. Lee grew up in Hong Kong and was in show business literally from the cradle, appearing in his first film as an infant. His father was a star in Hong Kong cinema. In the 1950s the British colony was flooded with refugees from China. Poverty and tensions between the Chinese and British residents increased. So did street gangs and street-fighting, along with a resurgence in interest in martial arts. The adolescent Lee was both bullied and a bully, already a fighter said to speak with his hands—the language: Kung Fu. He was also a graceful dancer who won the Hong Kong cha-cha championship in 1958\. In his teens he appeared in numerous Hong Kong films. Lee’s father felt Bruce needed a more disciplined environment and so sent 19-year-old Bruce to live in the U.S. to finish his education. A colleague from the opera, Ping Chow and his wife Ruby, living in Seattle, agreed to take Bruce in and have him work at their restaurant. He arrived in 1959 to find his way, and himself. ![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2026/11/MBS12_E5_Bruce_on_Jackson.jpg) Bruce Lee on Jackson and Broadway (Bruce Lee images courtesy of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC) Ruby was a Seattle native and an influential person in the city, both within and outside of Chinatown. Her restaurant, Ruby Chow’s, was a gathering place for Seattle’s most influential people since it opened in the late 1940s. It was located in a remodeled home decorated with Asian architectural elements on the corner of Jefferson and Broadway on First Hill. It was said to be the first Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown. Ruby’s attracted Seattle’s Chinese community, well-to-do white families—it was popular with politicians and Pill Hill doctors---and visiting celebrities. Specialties included roast duck and egg rolls. Bruce lived upstairs and waited on and bussed tables to earn his keep. Ruby ran the show and presided as hostess. Her tall beehive hairdo and impressive presence—gracious yet in-charge—was evident when you walked in the door. She was also a major civic influencer. In 1886 a city mob had tried to expel its Chinese population—and Ruby’s father was one who survived that purge. In the 1960s, Ruby Chow helped get the first Asian American, Wing Luke, elected to the Seattle city council by putting his name inside fortune cookies. She later was the first Asian elected to the King County Council where she served three terms. Her daughter, Cheryl, a contemporary of Lee’s, was later elected to the city council and Seattle school board. Bruce enrolled in Edison Technical School at Broadway and Pine—now the location of Seattle Central College and the old school is now the Broadway Performance Hall. The goal was for Bruce to get his high school GED. After he succeeded, he got into the University of Washington where he studied drama and philosophy. He also had begun teaching martial arts and attracted students and did demonstrations at local high schools, like Garfield and Franklin and locations in Chinatown and the U-District—a favorite after-workout hangout was Chinatown’s Tai Tung restaurant. At the U-Dub he delved further into Eastern philosophies. He even once gave an impromptu lecture on Kung Fu and its spiritual aspects to the great Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, professor Theodore Roethke, who reportedly listened earnestly. Lee had the knack for captivating an audience and attention. He practiced his martial arts forms and moves constantly. His approach to Kung Fu was athletic, powerful, and restrained. He was challenged by other, older local martial artists. The young upstart beat them in challenges and earned respect. He saw a growing connection between Chinese philosophy and martial arts. In A UW class he received an A+ for a paper he wrote, “The Tao of Kung Fu.” He met and married a white Seattle girl, Linda Emery who’d been a Garfield cheerleader. They had friends in common and classmates at U-Dub. A romantic dinner at the Space Needle sealed their relationship, which they kept secret from Emery’s family. They soon discovered Linda was pregnant. They planned to elope and move to California. Her family learned of their engagement when a relative spotted their marriage license notice in the newspaper. Her family did not embrace a mixed-race marriage, plus Lee was dropping out of the UW and Linda was only 19\. Still, they were married at the University District Congregational Church and left immediately for the Bay Area. ![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2026/11/MBS12_E5_Bruce_in-Seattle.jpg) Bruce Lee in Seattle (Bruce Lee images courtesy of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC) It was a major turning of the page. Bruce was planning on teaching martial arts, which he did but struggled to make a living at it. But a Hollywood talent spotter had seen Lee during a match and had recommended him to a producer looking to cast an Asian action hero. That led to his being cast as the Green Hornet’s sidekick, Kato, in a new Green Hornet TV series which debuted in 1966\. The short-lived show launched Lee’s film career: Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon—the last of these released just days after Lee’s death in Hong Kong—moved Kung Fu films to a global phenomenon and Lee to a cult figure. Lee’s untimely death, subject of many conspiracy theories, was found to be due to a bad reaction to a painkiller. But the death of a young, fit, charismatic star was hard for fans to accept and like many celebrity deaths subject to ongoing speculation. ![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2026/11/MBS12_E5_Bruce_Grave.jpg) The Lee gravesite in Seattle (Wikipedia) Linda Lee wanted Bruce buried in her hometown. Her family had lived near Seattle’s Lake View Cemetery noted for its population of Seattle pioneers and celebrities. His pallbearers included Hollywood stars Steve McQueen and James Coburn, former students of Lee’s. In recent years a walkway was added so that those who visit the gravesite--the many pilgrims who leave flowers and offerings--can respect the resting places of his neighbors while paying tribute. Lee’s markers tie Bruce Lee to the city that played a key role in launching his meteoric career.