Rep Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and the US Postal Service held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the naming of the Manhattan, Chinatown Post Office after Mabel Lee, a Chinatown community advocate and leader in the women’s suffrage movement.
The ceremony was held today at the First Chinese Baptist Church on 21 Pell Street, founded by Dr. Lee’s father, Reverend Lee Towe. The church initially started on 13 Doyers Street, just across the street from the newly named Mabel Lee Memorial Post Office. (pictured right)
After her father’s death, Dr. Lee turned the church into an active community center, serving Chinese Americans in the Chinatown community. The center provided child care, training in carpentry, typing and English language skills so that many would be able to build their lives in America.
Dr. Lee was a pioneer in providing services for her Chinatown community, but was also an advocate for all women’s suffrage. In 1916, she was the first Chinese American woman to graduate from Barnard College and later received her PhD in Economics from Columbia University in 1921. In 1917, when she was just 22 years old, she lead a pro-suffragist parade in New York City on horseback. Although the 14th Amendment was passed giving the women the right to vote, Dr. Lee was denied that right as a Chinese American due to the Chinese Exclusion Act during at that time.
“It is a problem that we do not know our heroes,” said Velazquez. “We have been denied that when you go to public school and you look at the curriculum, so many times we are denied our place in the history books.”
She went on to also say that it is because of Dr. Lee and other women that she is able to be the first Puerto Rican women in the House of Representatives and she stands on their shoulders.
She hopes that the plaque would serve to inspire Asian American students when they see it in the post office.
“When Asian American students go to school or pass by the post office, it’s important (for them) to see that there is a role for the Asian American community to play in and the contributions the Asian Americans has made to this country, “ Velazquez said (pictured right).
“If it was not because of Dr. Lee, my family and many other families would not be as blessed or disciplined in our values that are instilled in us. That’s why we are so passionate and helping the Chinatown community,” said Deacon Robert Gee.
Other speakers included the Senior Associate Dean of Studies of Barnard College, Christina Kuan Tus, and Virginia Kee, who attended Dr. Lee’s nursery school. Kee appears to be in her late 80’s .
The plaque will be placed inside the post office later this month, but there are efforts to try to have the plaque posted outside so it is more visible to the public.
Allan Tanko, USPS Marketing Manager, was at the ceremony and said he will see if that can get the plaque moved.
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RE: Post Office Named for Chinese American Leader in Suffrage Movement: Awesome! Thank you!! I love it when those younger generations acknowledge and appreciate who came before them so that they have the privileges they enjoy now. Not many do that. I and my many colleagues paved the way in the arts for Asian Americans to be able to have a place at the table and begin to do work that reflected our own history and issues. We find that the young Asian American artists don’t have a clue and even if they did, they don’t really acknowledge any of us. So, Thank you thank you Rep. Velazquez!