Hazel Ying Lee
| Hazel Ying Lee 李月英 |
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|---|---|
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| Born | August 24, 1912 Portland, Oregon |
| Died | November 25, 1944 (aged 32) Montana |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Unit | Women Airforce Service Pilots |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Hazel Ying Lee (Chinese: 李月英; pinyin: Lǐ Yuèyīng; August 24, 1912 – November 25, 1944) was a Chinese-American pilot who flew for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
Lee was born in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were Yuet Lee and Ssiu Lan Wong. Her father was a merchant. Her mother devoted her energy to raising eight children and helping with the family business. Despite the widespread anti-Chinese bias of her time, Lee led a full and active life. Lee swam, played handball, loved to play cards and, in her teenage years, learned how to drive.
Following graduation from high school in 1929, Lee found a job as an elevator operator at Liebes Department Store in downtown Portland. It was one of the few jobs that a Chinese-American woman could hold during this time.
In 1932, Lee took her first airplane ride. At a time when less than 1% of pilots in the U.S. were women, Lee joined the Chinese Flying Club of Portland and took flying lessons with famed aviator Al Greenwood. Despite opposition from her mother, Lee "had to fly." In discussing Lee's love of flying, her sister Frances said, "It was the thought of doing something she loved. Lee enjoyed the danger and doing something that was new to Chinese girls."
In October 1932, Lee became one of the first Chinese-American women to earn a pilot's license. In speaking of Lee and the handful of other Chinese-American women pilots of that time, author Judy Yung has written "Although few in number, these first Chinese American aviators, in their attempt to participate in a daring sport, broke the stereotype of the passive Chinese women and demonstrated the ability of Chinese American women to compete in a male dominated field." While in Portland, Lee met her future husband "Clifford" Louie Yim-qun.
In response to Japanese incursions into China in 1933, Lee journeyed to China with the goal of joining the Chinese Air Force. Despite the need for pilots, the Chinese Air Force would not accept a woman pilot. Frustrated, Lee instead settled in Canton and spent the next few years flying for a private airline. She was one of a very small number of women pilots in China.
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