Hundreds of Lees from Boston, Oakland, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, and other places, marched down Broadway in Los Angeles Sunday, August 19, to officially commence the 19th national convention of the Lee Family Association. There are 100,000 Lees living in nthe United States. The national convention takes place every three years.
Formed nearly a century and a half ago in San Francisco, the group flourished for more than 100 years, by providing members a place of refuge in a country that long shunned and discriminated against the Chinese. They offer members loans, securing burial plots and helping settle business disputes for a community denied access to most mainstream institutions. When combined nationally, the Lee Federal Credit Union is said to have $30 million in funds. The San Francisco branch alone takes in $30,000 a month.
But in modern times, with their aging ranks and challenges from newer and more prosperous Chinese communities in the suburbs, family associations such as the Lees face an uncertain future. Almost all the attendees Sunday were senior citizens uniformly dressed in dark suits and red ties. (Source: David Pierson, Los Angeles Times, Aug 20, 2007).