Mary Paik Lee
Encyclopedia
Mary Paik Lee was a Korean American
writer. She was born Paik Kuang-Sun in Pyongyang
, now the capital of North Korea
. She left Korea
with her family in 1905, arriving in Hawaii
in May that year. In December 1906, after experiencing extreme discrimination in Hawaii
, the family moved to California
, where Lee would live the rest of her life. Despite her father's educated status in Korea, once in California, both her parents took on a variety of menial jobs, mainly involving physical labour.
Over the course of her life, Lee, her parents, and her husband would suffer many hardships. Her memoir, Quiet Odyssey, published in 1990, is noted for being one one of the few memoirs by an Asian American woman, and the only memoir by a Korean American woman that covers the majority of the twentieth century, providing an important cultural viewpoint on the last century, from the perspective of one of America's first Korean pioneers.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
writer. She was born Paik Kuang-Sun in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, now the capital of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. She left Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
with her family in 1905, arriving in Hawaii
Korean immigration to Hawaii
Koreans in Hawaii came in two distinct waves have occurred in the last century. The first cohort arrived in Hawaii between 1903 and 1924; the second wave began in 1965. On January 13, 2003, President George W...
in May that year. In December 1906, after experiencing extreme discrimination in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, the family moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where Lee would live the rest of her life. Despite her father's educated status in Korea, once in California, both her parents took on a variety of menial jobs, mainly involving physical labour.
Over the course of her life, Lee, her parents, and her husband would suffer many hardships. Her memoir, Quiet Odyssey, published in 1990, is noted for being one one of the few memoirs by an Asian American woman, and the only memoir by a Korean American woman that covers the majority of the twentieth century, providing an important cultural viewpoint on the last century, from the perspective of one of America's first Korean pioneers.