Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee

Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee
Born	October 21, 1886 Portland, Oregon
Died	October 5, 1993 Alameda, California

Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee (October 21, 1886 – October 5, 1993) was the first Chinese American woman to register to vote in the United States. She registered to vote on November 8, 1911, in California following the passage of Proposition 4 in California, nine years before the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Political activities

Lee registered to vote at the Alameda County courthouse on November 8, 1911.^[1]

Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee registering in 1911, together with Emma Tom Leung (left), while their husbands stand behind them.

Lee was a founder of the Chinese Women's Jeleab (self reliance) Association, created in 1913.^[2] The association promoted women's rights in both the U.S. and China. She was a member of the YWCA and the Fidelis Coterie club.^[3]

Personal life

Clara Elizabeth (Yee Miew) Chan was born October 21, 1886, in Portland, Oregon. She was the daughter of the Methodist Reverend Chan Hon Fun (Chan Hon Fan) and Ow Muck Gay.^[3] The Rev. Chan Hon Fun was the pastor of the Chinese Community Methodist Church of Oakland in Oakland Chinatown from 1900 to 1909.^[4] Lee was married to Charles Goodall Lee, the first licensed Chinese American dentist in the United States.^[5] She died October 5, 1993, in Alameda, California, and is interred in Oakland.

See also

• List of democracy and elections-related topics
• List of suffragists and suffragettes
• Timeline of women's suffrage in California
• Women's suffrage
• Women's suffrage in California

References

1. Yu, Christina. "Chinese American Citizens Alliance -- Oakland Lodge". www.cacaoakland.org. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
2. Keller, Rosemary Skinner (2006). Encyclopedia of women and religion in North America, Vol. 1. Indiana University Press. p. 500. ISBN 0253346851.
3. Young, Judy (1995). Unbound feet : a social history of Chinese women in San Francisco. University of California Press. ISBN 0520088670.
4. "Chinese American Citizens Alliance -- Oakland Lodge". www.cacaoakland.org. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
5. "Clara Elizabeth and Charles Goodall Lee". Chinese Community United Methodist Church. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

Further reading

• Schmitz, Aviva. "10 Amazing Activist From The San Francisco Bay Area". Culture Trip. Culture Trip. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
• Yung, Judy (1995). "Unbound Feet, A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco". University of California Press
• Armentrout, Eve and Ma, Jeong Huei (1982). "The Chinese of Oakland, Unsung Builders".
• Wong, William (2004). "Images of America, Oakland's Chinatown". Arcadia Press.
• "Chinese Weds a White Woman"^{[permanent dead link‍]} (regarding Rev. Chan Hon Fan) from The San Francisco Call, February 26, 1901
• "10 Amazing Activists From The East Bay". Culture Trip.