Women | CN | China

1850s

Emily Susan Hartwell (16 apr 1859 – 02 oct 1951 | Foochow, China – Oberlin OH) philanthropist, relief worker, orphanage founder, educational missionary, founder / teacher of girls’ school at Ponasang


1860s

Emma Eames (13 aug 1865 – 13 jun 1952 | Shanghai, China – New York NY) operatic soprano, autobiographical author


1870s

Mary Stone (01 may 1873 – 29 dec 1954 | China – Pasadena CA) Chinese-American physician, missionary, Red Cross organizer, nursing school founder, Chinese Communist resistor, Chinese Women’s Christian Temperance Union founder


1880s


1890s

Agnes Mary White Sanford (04 nov 1897 – 21 feb 1982 | China – Monrovia, CA) Christian author, missionary, founded Inner Healing Movement, charismatic speaker in Renewal Movement


1900s

Isabel Myrtle Ingram Mayer (07 mar 1902 – 29 apr 1988 | Peking, China – Arlington VA) author, Japanese royal family tutor

Jane Lee (24 apr 1902 – 01 apr 1989 | China – California US) activist, journalist, translator, Chinese women’s work advocate


1910s

Mary Alexander [Molly] Yard (06 jul 1912 – 21 sep 2005 | Chengdu, China – Pittsburgh PA) feminist, social activist, assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt, president of NOW (National Organization of Women)

Chang Ch’ung-ho Frankel (17 may 1914 – 17 jun 2015 | Shanghai, Republic of China – New Haven CT) Chinese-American poet, educator, calligrapher, Kunqu opera singer

Jean Guttery Fritz (16 nov 1915 – 14 may 2017 | Hankow, China – Sleepy Hollow NY) memoirist, autobiographical author, historical / biographical children’s book writer

Jayne Meadows (27 sep 1919 – 26 apr 2015 | Wuchang, China – Encino  CA) author, lecturer, stage / film / television actress


1920s

Ruth McCue Bell Graham (10 jun 1920 – 14 jun 2007 | Qingjiang, China – Montreat NC) poet, author, painter, essayist, philanthropist

Cecelia Sun Yung Chiang (18 sep 1920 – Wuxi, China) chef, restaurateur, Chinese-American, instrumental in introducing Mandarin cuisine to the US

Barbara Brooks Wallace (03 dec 1922 – 27 nov 2018 | Suzhou, China – Arlington VA) American children’s / young adult novelist

Anna Chen Xiangmei Chennault (23 jun 1925 – 30 mar 2018 | Peking, China – Washington DC) Chinese-American author, journalist, informal US diplomat

Marion Naifeh (11 apr 1928 | Wuhu, China) author, educator, US Diplomat

Lensey Chao Namioka (14 jun 1929 – Beijing, China) Chinese-born American mathematician, children’s author


1930s

Ru Chih Huang (02 apr 1932 – Nanking, China) biochemist, Chinese-American, made discoveries about molecular biology of cancer and viral gene regulation

Nora Neng Yee Sung Lam (04 sep 1932 – 02 feb 2004 | Beijing, China – San Jose CA) author, memoirist, Chinese-American Christian minister, founded Nora Lam Ministries International [now World Children’s Fund]

Mary Previte (07 sep 1932 – Kaifeng, China) author, politician

Katherine Womeldorf Paterson (31 oct 1932 – Jiangsu, China) Chinese-born American children’s novelist

Sophia Ming Ren Leung (25 jul 1933 – Wuxi, China) Chinese-Canadian politician, former social worker, volunteerism activist and advocate

Adeline Yen Mah (30 nov 1937 – Tientsin, China) author, physician, Chinese-American, young adult novelist, autobiographical author

Elisa T. Lee (01 may 1939 – Yungsing, China) professor, statistician, Chinese-American, director of Center for American Indian Health Research


1940s

Linda Yu (01 dec 1946 – Xian, China) author, former tv news anchor, first Asian–American broadcast journalist in Chicago

Lily Jan (20 jan 1947 – Fu-Chow, China) neuroscientist, professor of molecular physiology

Kaity Tong (23 jul 1947 – Qingdao, China) Chinese-American news anchor / broadcast journalist

Mei-mei Berssenbrugge (05 oct 1947 – Beijing, China) Chinese-American poet, visual artist, prose writer

Hung Liu (17 feb 1948 – Changchun, China) Chinese-born American contemporary artist

Elizabeth J. Perry (09 sep 1948 – China) author, Harvard professor, US scholar of Chinese politics and history

Judy Fong Bates (22 dec 1949 – Kaiping, China) author, novelist, teacher, Chinese-Canadian, creative writing professor


1950s

Rae Yang (01 dec 1950 – People’s Republic of China) author, memoirist, professor of Chinese Language and Literature

Zhou Long (08 jul 1953 – Beijing, China) Chinese-American composer

Li Liu (12 dec 1953 – China) author, translator, archaeologist, Chinese-American, research focus on Neolithic / Bronze Age Chinese archaeology, professor of Chinese Archaeology

Ji-li Jiang (02 feb 1954 – Shanghai, China) Chinese-American writer, memoirist, science teacher

Anchee Min (14 jan 1957 – Shanghia, China) Chinese-American novelist

Wang Ping (14 aug 1957 – Shangai, China) Chinese-American poet, writer, singer, dancer, installation artist, professor of English

Junying Yuan (03 oct 1958 – Shanghai, China) essayist, research focus on cell death, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School