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, Lily’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 teenager, Lily notably delivered a speech on behalf of Taiwan’s youth. In 1957, Lily came to the United States to study at San Francisco State University. Subsequently, she earned her master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Washington, while also starting a family with her late husband, Paul.

After earning her degree, Lily began her government career at LA County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). Lily spent a total of 27 years working for DPSS.

While there, she established the first API outreach program by making government services accessible to the API communities throughout Los Angeles County. The program was incredibly successful, as it was later used as a prototype by the Department of Health and Human Services to implement similar programs in other counties.

Eventually, Lily 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, Lily contributed to the development of CRIB (Community Resource Information Bank). Prior to her retirement, she moved to the LA County Department of Children and Family Services serving as one of the department’s executive managers.

After moving her family to Monterey Park in 1969, Lily was a first-hand witness to 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. Lily became actively involved in the local PTA and the Neighborhood Watch program, which 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, Lily ran for a seat in 1981. Though she lost the election by 28 votes, she declined a recount; ultimately, her enthusiasm to help her community was not deterred. Lily continued to devote her time to building strong relationships with Monterey Park’s Asian American community, continuously advocating for their rights. She worked with Caesar Chavez, Mrs. Martin Luther King, and other community leaders. Lily also launched a major Voter Registration Drive and published a bilingual voters’ handbook to encourage Asian American voter participation. 

Between the time of Lily’s loss and her second campaign, she had established herself as a well-known advocate among Monterey Park’s citizens. Lily claimed a victorious win in the 1983 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.

Lily’s mayorship in Monterey Park soon became worldwide news as she was recognized as the first female Chinese American mayor. Lily 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 Lily’s 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 auditorium at Monterey-Highland Elementary School.

She also lobbied for Monterey Park to become an Olympic City. The city hosted the 1984 Olympic games field hockey event, as well as the victory celebration for the Chinese women’s national basketball team and the Chinese gold-medalist gymnast. It is significant to note that the 1984 Olympic games marked the first time that China participated in the world games, symbolizing their global resistance to outdated racist stereotypes.

Lily’s work 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 Lily’s most notable achievements was her lobbying for English as a Second Language Programs (ESL). After being appointed as a member of the National Advisory Council on Adult Education by Jimmy Carter in 1980, Lily vigorously lobbied for Federal Funding to help low-income minorities and immigrants learn English. Collectively, Lily’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 Los Angeles County’s bicentennial celebration, the Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Kenneth Hahn, honored Lily 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 Los Angeles Times named her as one of the “8 Los Angeles Women You Should Know” alongside the first female astronaut, Sally Ride. 

Though Lily’s work took her places far beyond LA County, she has always remained a social worker at heart.

Today, Lily has two children: Helen and Arthur. Helen K. Chen M.D. is the medical director of radiation oncology at City of Hope. Arthur K. Chen is a supplier program manager at the Boeing Aerospace company. She also has three granddaughters.

This website follows the life and legacy of Lily Lee Chen—a passionate fighter for the rights of the underrepresented, a leader who has stood up against violence and racism, and a mentor to the next generation who exemplifies what any woman, immigrant or otherwise, can achieve in this country by giving it their all.