Illustrations by Berat Pekmezci; Shutterstock.com (background)

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

April 29, 2024

In the early 1900s, most women in the U.S. weren’t allowed to vote. So they had no say in how our country was run.

A 16-year-old named Mabel Ping-Hua Lee wanted to change that. In 1912, she helped lead about 10,000 marchers in New York City. Lee and the marchers were part of the suffrage movement. They believed everyone should have the right to vote. And they were willing to fight to make that happen.

Unfair Rules

Lee was born around 1896 in China. When she was a kid, her family moved to the U.S. At the time, that was rare for Chinese immigrants to do.

In 1882, the U.S. government passed a law banning most Chinese people from entering the country. Why? Many people blamed Chinese immigrants for a lack of jobs. Those who were allowed into the U.S. were not allowed to vote.

Lee thought this was unfair. As a teenager, she began giving speeches about suffrage for women—and for Chinese immigrants.

Change for the Better

Lee knew giving all Americans this right would take an amendment, or change, to the U.S. Constitution. That’s the document that says how the U.S. government works.

In 1920, that change finally came. The 19th Amendment gave women in the U.S. the right to vote. But most Chinese immigrants, including Lee, were not allowed to vote for several decades.

Lee carried on her fight for the rights of Chinese immigrants and all women until she died in 1966.

Let Us Vote!

It took decades of struggle for women in the U.S. to gain the right to vote.

In the 1800s and early 1900s, voting was against the law for most women. Some were arrested for even trying.

Many women were angry. Teenager Mabel Ping-Hua Lee and others spoke out.

In May 1912, they organized a suffrage parade in New York City.

Lee led the way. Protests like this one helped women across the U.S. finally gain the right to vote.

Based on the article, what was the suffrage movement? What details help you understand the meaning of this phrase?
Why does the article mention the U.S. Constitution?
What do you know about suffrage parades from studying the illustrations in the article?

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

A principios de los 1900, a la mayoría de mujeres en EE. UU. no se les permitía votar. Así que no podían opinar sobre cómo se gobernaba nuestro país.

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, de 16 años, quería cambiar esto. En 1912, lideró una marcha de unos 10,000 manifestantes en la Ciudad de Nueva York. Lee y los manifestantes formaban parte del movimiento sufragista. Creían que todos deberían tener derecho al voto. Y estaban dispuestas a luchar para conseguirlo.

Reglas injustas

Lee nació por el 1896 en China. De niña, su familia se mudó a EE. UU. Por entonces, era inusual que hubiera inmigrantes chinos.

En 1882, el gobierno de EE. UU. aprobó una ley que prohibía entrar en el país a la mayoría de las personas chinas. ¿Por qué? Mucha gente culpaba a los inmigrantes chinos por la falta de trabajo. A los que se les permitía entrar en EE. UU. no se les dejaba votar.

Lee pensaba que era injusto. Siendo adolescente, empezó a dar discursos sobre el sufragio femenino y el de los inmigrantes chinos.

Cambio a mejor

Lee sabía que para dar este derecho a todos los estadounidenses sería necesaria una enmienda, o cambio, a la Constitución de EE. UU. Es el documento en que se dice cómo funciona el gobierno de EE. UU.

En 1920, por fin llegó ese cambio. La 19ª Enmienda dio a las mujeres de EE. UU. el derecho al voto. Pero la mayoría de los inmigrantes chinos, entre ellos Lee, no pudieron votar hasta décadas más tarde.

Lee siguió luchando por los derechos de los inmigrantes chinos y de todas las mujeres hasta su muerte en 1966.