AAPI Contributions: Meet Lily Lee Chen
Written by Joanna De La Cuesta
Lily Lee Chen is most famously known for becoming the nation’s first Chinese American female mayor in 1983. Born in Tianjin, China in 1936, Chen’s passion for advocacy and coalition building began during her early school years when her family moved to Taiwan due to the civil war. As a young teenager, Chen notably delivered a speech on behalf of Taiwan’s youth. In 1957, Chen came to the US to study at San Francisco State University and subsequently, earned a master’s degree at the University of Washington, while also starting a family with her late husband, Paul. Chen’s degree in Social Work allowed for the beginning of her government career at LA County Dept. of Public Social Services where she served for 27 years. She established the first Asian Pacific Outreach program by making government services accessible to the AAPI community throughout LA County. The program was incredibly successful as it was later used as a prototype by the Dept. of Health and Human Services to implement similar programs in other counties. Eventually she was promoted to Director of the Social Services Planning and Resource Development Office. During her role as Director, she was responsible for the planning and distribution of Title XX General Revenue Sharing funding of $70 million to the United Way and other Social service Agencies. Additionally, Chen contributed to the development of Community Resource Information Bank (CRIB). Prior to her retirement, she moved to the LA County Dept. of Children and Family Services serving as one of the department’s executive managers.
As a resident of Monterey Park, Chen witnessed the city’s emerging issues in the early ‘80s, including the potential construction of casinos, and the influx of racist responses to the growing immigrant community. Additionally, Chen was actively involved in the local PTA and the Neighborhood Watch program which also provided an opportunity for her to observe and voice community concerns. In response to the city’s increasing problems, her fellow community members urged her to run for City Council. With the support of family and friends, Chen ran for the seat in 1981. Though she lost the election by 28 votes, her enthusiasm to help her community was not deterred. Chen continued to devote her time to building strong relationships with AAPI community, continuously advocating for their rights. She worked with Cesar Chavez, Mrs. Martin Luther King, and other community leaders. Lily launched a major Voter Registration Drive and published a bilingual voters’ handbook to encourage AAPI voter participation. In 1983, Chen claimed a victorious election, receiving the largest number of votes for any candidate for municipal office in the history of Monterey Park. She was the first of three new council members to serve as mayor.
Chen’s mayorship in Monterey Park soon became worldwide news as she was recognized for being the first female Chinese American mayor. Chen leveraged her international recognition to benefit the city, paving the way for Monterey Park to become a recipient of USA Today’s “All-American City Award.” The accolade was an esteemed response to Chen’s countless contributions to the city, including its successful “ethnic mix,” its shutdown of casinos and gambling proposals, as well as its acquisition of a $1.7 million State grant to build a new cafeteria and auditorium at Monterey-Highland Elementary School. Chen also lobbied for Monterey Park to become an Olympic City. The city hosted the 1984 Olympic games.
Chen’s altruistic contributions also extended to a national level throughout the 80s’ and 90s’. Her roles included the Chairperson of Peace and Security Taskforce of the Platform Committee at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, as well as the Chair of the Asian Pacific Leadership Council at the 2000 convention. She also served on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in Armed Services (DACOWITS), allowing her to continue advocating for women’s rights. One of Chen’s most notable achievements was her lobbying for English and Second Language Programs (ESL). After being appointed as a member of the National Advisory Council on Adult Education by Jimmy Carter in 1980, Chen vigorously lobbied for Federal Funding to help low-income minorities and immigrants learn English. Collectively, Chen’s unyielding efforts and political accomplishments are still significant to this day, and for generations to come.
Lily has earned a variety of recognitions. At the LA County’s bicentennial celebration, the Chairman of the LA County Board of Supervisors, Kenneth Hahn, honored Chen as the symbol of immigrants’ contribution to America. Most recently, in 2016 former President Obama awarded her the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year; and in 2017 in celebration of International Women’s Day, the LA Times named her as one of the “8 LA Women You Should Know” alongside the first female astronaut, Sally Ride.
Lily Lee Chen has two children Helen and Arthur. Helen Chen MD is the medical director of radiation oncology at City of Hope. Arthur Chen is a supplier program manager at the Boeing Aerospace company. She also has three granddaughters.
