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Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Social Education 83(6), p. 356–360 ©2019 National Council for the Social Studies Teaching with Documents Suffrage, Activism, and Education in the Era of Chinese Exclusion: Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Sara Lyons Davis The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, a year after being passed by ment, Mabel Lee settled with her fam- Congress. It extended the right to vote to many women, but not all. Excluded from ily in New York City. Her father, Lee this landmark constitutional victory were women like Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, who Too, founded the First Chinese Baptist was born in Guangzhou (then Canton), China, in 1896, but who immigrated to New Church and worked as an educator and York as a child. leader of the Chinese Christian Center on Pell Street, run by the New York City New York State had long been a restrictions on their ability to enter Baptist Mission Society.3 Lee Too’s pro- site of activism in support of women’s and exit the country, and were prohib- ficiency in English and connections with rights, dating from the 1848 Seneca ited from naturalizing. The Chinese the religious community, both acquired Falls Convention. In November 1917, Exclusion Act initially mandated a through his missionary school educa- New York extended the right to vote ten-year moratorium on Chinese immi- tion, advanced his family’s standing into to women. Lee, however, was excluded gration by laborers, but was ultimately what was considered the merchant class. from becoming a U.S. citizen under the extended by the Geary Act, and was later This offered additional opportunities restrictive Chinese Exclusion Act, and, made permanent, in 1902.1 By the 1920s, and somewhat fewer restrictions under as such, was not allowed to vote at either Congress adopted more comprehensive the Chinese Exclusion Act.4 the state or federal level, even when the immigration restrictions, including As a child, Mabel Lee attended public 19th Amendment was ratified. quotas that applied to other Asian and schools in San Francisco and New York From 1882 to 1943, Chinese immigra- European nations. City. She received a bachelor’s degree tion to the United States was severely The 1882 Act required Chinese from Barnard College in 1916 and a mas- limited under the Chinese Exclusion Act, already in the United States to obtain ter’s degree in 1917. She is believed to be “An act to execute certain treaty stipu- certifications to insure they could re- the first woman to receive a doctorate lations relating to the Chinese, May 6, enter if they traveled outside the country. from Columbia University. Her disserta- 1882.” Signed by President Chester A. These restrictive acts sought to limit the tion, “The Economic History of China, Arthur, it was the first federal law that number of Chinese laborers at a time with Special Reference to Agriculture,” restricted immigration based on limiting when nativist sentiment was stoked by was published in 1921. She later submit- an ethnicity or country of origin. The white Americans’ fears of losing profes- ted this published work as evidence of Chinese Exclusion Act inhibited rights sional opportunities to non-white immi- her graduate studies for a supplementary of Chinese American laborers and pre- grants. For its part, amidst fears that the statement to the Office of the Chinese vented Chinese immigrants from becom- Chinese scholars were becoming too Inspector during one of her immigration ing citizens. Because of this act, Mabel Westernized, the Chinese government interviews.5 Lee could not become a citizen, and ended the Chinese Educational Mission The importance of education was therefore could not vote. Yet she and in 1881, which sent Chinese students to a strong influence from Lee’s mother others still fought for universal suffrage study in the United States.2 The changing who was part of the upper class in and equality. laws and tensions between China and Guangzhou. Lai Bek, Mabel Lee’s Under the 1882 Act, individuals of the United States served as a backdrop mother, had learned English from an Chinese descent, both native-born and to this era. American Southern Baptist missionary immigrants, were faced with significant Amidst this anti-Chinese senti- in Guangzhou, who taught upper class Social Education 356 Teaching Activities 1. Provide students with copies of the Chinese Exclusion Act to 3. Have students research photographs of suffrage parades in the class (the first page of which is featured on page 358). The the National Archives Catalog or DocsTeach. Review the images full document is available at www.docsteach.org/documents/ with the class. Who is represented in the images? Who is absent? document/chinese-exclusion-act). Guide students through a Point out that Mabel Lee participated in suffrage parades. Did reading of the document and lead a discussion of its terms. Ask students see any Chinese American women in the photographs students to examine the effects of the immigration act. Can they they found? If not, discuss why this might be. think of other laws that excluded particular groups of people? Discuss the messages students found in the parade posters. Can they think of any contemporary examples? Have students create their own suffrage posters based on the photographs they find. Did students choose to include any 2. Give students copies of the “Interview of Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, elements from historic protest signs in their own interpretations? 6/18/1937, Case File 12-943” (on p. 359). It can also be retrieved Discuss why or why not with the class. from the Records of Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85, via DocsTeach or the National Archives Catalog. 4. Point out that the struggle for women’s suffrage took many Introduce the background of the Chinese Exclusion Act and forms—protests, petitions, court cases, etc. Share examples of why this document exists. Share details of Dr. Mabel Lee’s life, petitions from DocsTeach or the National Archives Catalog. Lead including her support of suffrage. Have students take turns students through a document analysis of a petition: Who wrote reading the questions and Dr. Lee’s responses. Ask if they notice it? Who received it? Where is it from? What is it about? Based on anything omitted from the interview based on their knowledge the examples discussed, have students work either individually of her role in supporting the suffrage movement. Discuss or in small groups and create a petition arguing for woman whether they think this is because, at the time of the interview, suffrage—providing reasons they believe why the vote should women’s suffrage had already been passed (although it was still be extended to women, and keeping in mind the questions not open to Chinese Americans), or whether Dr. Lee may have previously discussed during the document analysis exercise. omitted this information for other reasons. Why? Chinese women English in the home the male-dominated economic sphere using the Bible.6 of real estate; she eventually owned sev- The information regarding Mabel eral buildings in Chinatown.9 In a 1914 Lee’s education and social work is well- piece in The Chinese Students’ Monthly, documented in her Chinese Exclusion she wrote that democracy included four Act Case File, but there is no mention of stages of development. “They are: first, her role in the suffrage movement, which moral, religious or spiritual; second, legal; began as a teenager. In 1912, she led a third, political; and, fourth, economic.”10 New York suffrage parade as part of a Women could not contribute equally group of women on horseback, and was to democratic society in all its forms, featured in a April 13, 1912, New-York including economic, unless represented Tribune article.7 Throughout her Barnard and enfranchised wholly under the law years, Lee wrote in support of equality in through universal suffrage. The Chinese Students’ Monthly. Around Lee’s involvement in the suffrage move- this same time, in 1917, she led Chinese ment was just one aspect of her life’s and Chinese American women in a Fifth work. After Lee Too’s death, Mabel Lee Avenue suffrage parade as part of the assumed her father’s mission work in New Women’s Political Equality League.8 York’s Chinatown. Her leadership solidi- Mabel Lee also believed women fied the church’s position as an important should be able to access economic power. focal point of community life, offering In particular, she felt women should be English lessons, trade skills, and other able to benefit and contribute equally in supports that aided parishioners. November/December 2019 357 Social Education 358 Dr. Charles E. Tingley, associate sec- retary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, stated in an immigra- tion interview that Mabel Lee had been “in charge of the Chinese Mission Work in New York City since January, 1925…” and that her duties were “... largely teach- ing, social work among the Chinese peo- ple and conducting of religious services, including preaching.”11 He also noted that she was a phenomenal public speaker, and that he had heard her give an address to more than 5,000, who were captivated by her speech.12 Throughout the immigra- tion interview process, greater credence was given to non-Chinese (Caucasian) witness testimonies. It was not until 1943, when the Chinese Exclusion Act was ultimately over- turned, that Chinese American women were enfranchised and able to vote. Immigration from China was still limited to a quota of 105 people per year, and quotas remained until Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1965. There are no records, however, that confirm that Mabel Lee pursued that right and naturalized.
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