Committee of 100 Newsletter

Chinese American Hall of Fame

October-November 2010 | By Jane Leung Larson

C-100 members aren’t the only prominent Americans of Chinese descent breaking barriers and making headlines.

In this column, we salute other extraordinary Chinese Americans.

Jean Quan campaigning for Mayor of Oakland this fall.

The mid-term elections brought the first female Asian American mayor of a major city, Mayor-Elect of Oakland, Jean Quan, 61.

Chinese American Hall of Fame

September 2010 | By Jane Leung Larson

  C-100 members aren’t the only prominent Americans of Chinese descent breaking barriers and making headlines.

In this column, we salute other extraordinary Chinese Americans—

Dolly M. Gee, First Chinese American Woman Federal Judge

February 2010 | By Jane Leung Larson

C-100 members aren’t the only prominent Americans of Chinese descent breaking barriers and making headlines.

In this column, we salute other extraordinary Chinese Americans—

The first Chinese American woman federal judge is Dolly M. Gee, whose Senate confirmation as U.S. District Court Judge on Christmas Eve made history. Nominated by President Obama on the recommendation of Senator Barbara Boxer, Gee is serving in the Central District of California, the largest district by population of the 94 U.S. District Courts. Gee was born in California, educated at UCLA, and is a specialist in labor law and workplace harassment and discrimination cases. When nominated, Gee was a partner at Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers LLP in Los Angeles, where she has been since 1986.

For a biography of Gee, go to http://www.lalaborlaw.com/attorneys/dmgee.html

Chinese American Hall of Fame: Judy Chu and Franklin Chang-Diaz

August 2009 | By Jane Leung Larson

C-100 members aren’t the only prominent Americans of Chinese descent breaking barriers and making headlines. 

We salute these extraordinary Chinese Americans—

Judy Chu has become the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, filling the position in California’s District 32 (El Monte) of Rep. Hilda Solis, who was appointed Secretary of Labor. Joining the House Education and Labor Committee, Chu is a well-known Democratic politician in Southern California who has served on school boards, the Monterey Park City Council, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization. Although Chu won 62% of the vote, it turns out that the special election race was between two Chinese American women named Chu, with the Republican candidate Betty Chu, Judy Chu’s cousin by marriage. Chu’s biography can be found here. And listen to a July 22 interview with Chu on NPR’s “Tell Me More.”