6/2/2023 0 Comments The Capital by A.H. Lee![]() The Chinese military needed pilots, and many Chinese Americans and Chinese citizens in the United States went to China to fly. In 1931, Japanese forces invaded Manchuria, and began military operations which expanded throughout China and continued throughout World War II. ![]() In October 1932, she earned her pilot’s license, becoming one of the first Chinese American women to do so. Lee began flying lessons and enrolled in a flying program supported by the Portland Chinese Benevolent Society. After visiting an airstrip with some friends and taking a short flight, like many in the 1930s, Lee was instantly hooked on flying and began saving money for lessons. For Lee, the job was a stepping stone to a passion she had recently developed-flying. ![]() After graduating high school Lee took a job as an elevator operator at a department store in Portland. She played several sports and even learned to drive. ![]() Hazel Ah Ying Lee, one of eight children in the Lee family, was born in 1912 to parents who had immigrated from China.ĭescribed as vibrant and funny, Lee was also athletic and adventuresome. An increase in Chinese immigration in the 1800s led to legislation which limited immigration and naturalization, and although anti-Chinese sentiment began to wane as World War II began, Chinese Americans still experienced racism. In the early 1900s, life in the United States, especially on the West Coast, was not easy for Chinese Americans like the Lee family in Portland, Oregon. Top Image: Hazel Ah Ying Lee, wearing her WASP uniform. ![]()
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