Lee, Loretta
Loretta Lee’s family history in Canada dates back more than a century. Both her paternal and maternal grandmothers arrived in Calgary, Alberta, in the early 1900s as two of the first Chinese women to arrive in the city. Loretta’s mother, Nellie Ho Lem, was very active in her community as a member of the United Church and the Lady Laurier Club, a women’s organization for the Liberal Party. Loretta grew up in Calgary and in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where the family lived for a number of years. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Loretta has actively pursued community work and has been a volunteer with the Sien Lok Society in Calgary since its inception.
In part one of a seven-part interview, Loretta Lee discusses her family immigration history, and the lives of her grandparents and parents. Loretta speaks about her parents’ childhoods, courtship and early married life. She concludes by talking about her father’s dry cleaning business, and her mother’s many social, cultural and political activities.
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