Midtown in Sacramento in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

19th Amendment Outdoors Museum

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 20, 2021

1. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Marker

Inscription. The first woman to receive a PhD. from Columbia University. Even after the passage of the 19th amendment, Lee was unable to vote because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 until it was repealed years later. She became a well-known figure in the women's suffrage movement and rode horseback in the 1912 New York pro-suffrage parade.

She said in an article she authored, "We believe in the idea of democracy; woman suffrage or the feminist movement (of which woman suffrage is a fourth part) is the application of democracy to women... The fundamental principle of democracy is equality of opportunity... It means an equal chance for each man to show what his merits are... the feminists want nothing more than the equality of opportunity for women to prove their merits and what they are best suited to do."

Erected 2020 by Maren Conrad.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Civil Rights • Women.

Location. 38° 34.541′ N, 121° 28.899′ W. Marker is in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. It is in Midtown. It is at the intersection of 19th Street and K Street, on the right when traveling north on 19th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1900 K Street, Sacramento CA 95811, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Sacramento Valley and specifically in the Central Valley. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez (here, next to this marker); Laura de Force Gordon (here, next to this marker); Dr. Margaret 'Mike' Chung (here, next to this marker); Naomi Anderson (here, next to this marker); Sara Plummer Lemmon (a few steps from this marker); Gertrude Weil (a few steps from this marker); Julie Soderlund (a few steps from this marker); Jeannette Rankin (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sacramento.

More about this marker. This is one of nineteen markers that comprise the 19th Amendment Outdoor museum, erected in 2020 as part of the "I Vote" project, honoring suffragettes and their work.

Also see . . .
1. Chinese Girl Wants Vote (YouTube, 12 min.). 2020-produced Chinese-language mini-documentary (Chinese title: 她为美国妇女争取选举权自己却没有选举权(这故事不在史书上)) depicting Ms. Lee's efforts to extend the right to vote. (No subtitles) (Submitted on April 21, 2021.)

2. Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (U.S. National Park Service). "Women won the right to vote in New York State in 1917. In 1920, the 19th

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 20, 2021

2. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Marker - wide view

The subject marker is the second from the right.

Amendment gave women throughout the country the right to vote. But not all women in the US benefitted. Chinese women, like Mabel Lee, could not vote until 1943. This was because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a Federal law in place from 1882 to 1943. The Chinese Exclusion Act limited Chinese immigration and prevented Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens. Without US citizenship, Mabel Lee could not vote. Yet, she and other Chinese suffragists advocated for women’s voting rights, even though they did not benefit from the legislation." (Submitted on April 21, 2021.)

3. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee: How Chinese-American Women Helped Shape the Suffrage Movement (US NPS). "Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was a feminist pioneer. She was the first Chinese woman in the United States to earn her doctorate and an advocate for the rights of women and the Chinese community in America. However, due to discriminatory immigration laws, she was unable to become a citizen of the United States. Despite this injustice, she played an important part in the fight for voting rights both in the United States and in China." (Submitted on April 21, 2021.)

<i>Dr. Mabel P. Lee</i> image. Click for full size.

Bain News Service (courtesy of the Library of Congress), circa 1922

3. Dr. Mabel P. Lee

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 554 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.