Childhood in China

Lily entered the world on May 27, 1936, on the cusp of war and other world-changing events. She was the second daughter of a family in the port city of Tianjin, China.

As the second of the three daughters, Lily experienced middle child syndrome. Additionally, she suffered from a lack of confidence and underwhelming self-esteem. This was only exacerbated by family friends’ remarks. They’d often say, “Lily’s older sister is beautiful. Lily’s younger sister is so cute. Lily, well,”—and here they would give a sigh accompanied by a shake of the head—“she’s just not quite there.” 

Lily’s father, Li Yaolin (李曜林) was an elected official for the Tianjin government Legislative Assembly (立法委员). and her mother Zhang Shuzhen (张淑眞) stayed at home and took care of the family. Their arranged marriage became very abusive, especially because of her “inability” to produce a male heir.

In 1945, the war between China and Japan ended. However, the Chinese Civil War continued with the tides quickly turning in favor of the Communist Party of China (PRC). China’s political climate forced Lily’s family to leave the country due to their connections to the Kuomintang (KMT). Lily’s family secured passage on a wooden cargo vessel called the Meixin (美信轮). On January 15, 1949 the Communist Party of China took over Tianjin.

The Journey to Taiwan

The boat journey from Tianjin to Taiwan took two weeks. Those fleeing to Taiwan just before the Communist Party’s victory were mostly civilians with ties to the KMT or highly wealthy or influential families targeted by the Communists. 

Masses of people huddled together, shoulder-to-shoulder on the crowded boat. The atmosphere of fear and uncertainty whipped the passengers into a state of paranoia. Passengers were desperate to live. One baby, coughing and burning with rash from Measles, was thrown overboard alive in the attempt to preserve the rest of the crew.

Lily went through the voyage in a haze. She already understood that there were no victors in war; it was always the common people who suffered.

Growing up in Taiwan

Two dark weeks later, Lily and her family arrived in the city of Jilong. Li Yaolin continued representing the municipality of Tianjin with other members who managed to escape. In 1955 Lily continued her middle and high school education at Taipei’s prestigious First and Second All-Girls School, and Taipei University.

School activities such as public speaking excited Lily. She loves making speeches; her talent showed itself from a young age. Li Yaolin, Lily’s father, seized upon this love. A gifted speaker himself, he was delighted to discover that at least one daughter had inherited his talent. He coached her for years in which he groomed her stance, cadence, and tone until he was satisfied. One year, her birthday present was a mirror to practice speaking in front of. Only when she reached a certain level of expertise could she practice in front of him.

One of Lily’s earliest achievements was her victory at her school’s speech contest. Lily picked the topic, “Service to help people is the source of happiness” (服务为快乐之本), which unknowingly foreshadowed her career in social work. She placed first and accepted an award of 300 yuan from Madame Chiang, who famously delivered a speech in the U.S. Congress in 1943.