Eugene Kinn Choy was a pioneering Chinese-American architect who broke significant racial barriers in Los Angeles architecture. Born in Guangdong, China, he emigrated to the United States at age 10 and graduated from USC School of Architecture in 1939. He was the second Chinese-American to join the A.I.A. after I.M. Pei. During WWII, he worked for Hughes Aircraft Company, contributing to the Spruce Goose design. In 1949, he became one of the first non-white residents of Silver Lake, going door-to-door to gain neighborhood approval due to racial covenants. He established his own practice in 1947, later becoming Eugene K. Choy and Associates, then Choy Associates when his son Barton joined in 1972.
Choy's work reflected modernist principles with clean lines and functional design, evident in both his residential and commercial projects. His architectural approach balanced contemporary modernist aesthetics with practical functionality, as demonstrated in his Silver Lake residences and Chinatown commercial buildings. He designed with sensitivity to community needs, particularly evident in his numerous buildings for Chinese-American organizations and businesses in Los Angeles Chinatown.