Hazel Ying Lee - Biography

Biography

Lee was born in Portland, Oregon. Her father was a merchant. Her mother devoted her energy to raising 8 children and helping with the family business. Despite the widespread Anti-Chinese bias of her time, Lee led a full and active life. Lee swam, played handball, loved to play cards and in her teenage years, learned how to drive.

Following graduation from high school in 1929, Lee found a job as an elevator operator at Liebes Department Store in downtown Portland. This was one of the few jobs that a Chinese American woman could hold during this time period.

In 1932, Lee took her first airplane ride. At a time when less than 1% of pilots in the US were women, Lee joined the Chinese Flying Club of Portland and took flying lessons with famed aviator Al Greenwood. Despite opposition from her mother, Lee “had to fly.” In discussing Lee’s love of flying, her sister Frances said, “It was the thought of doing something she loved. Lee enjoyed the danger and doing something that was new to Chinese girls.”

In October 1932, Lee became one of the first Chinese American women to earn a pilot’s license. In speaking of Lee and the handful of other Chinese American women pilots of that time, author Judy Yung has written “Although few in number, these first Chinese American aviators, in their attempt to participate in a daring sport, broke the stereotype of the passive Chinese women and demonstrated the ability of Chinese American women to compete in a male dominated field.” While in Portland Lee met her future husband 'Clifford' Louie Yim-Qun.