In the late 1920s, professional Chinese- American women were hard to find. However, Louise Leung Larson graduated from the University of Southern California with majors in English and Journalism in 1926. With a great desire to become a writer, at age 21 she become the first Asian-Americam reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, the Los Angeles Record, on July15,1926. Leung Larson was assigned to cover the Hall of Justice, the various courts, and county, state and federal offices. Her first big story was the Charlie Chaplin divorce case. She left the Record in 1929, and her newspaper career continued into the 1940s with stints at the San Francisco News, the Chicago Daily News, the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine and the Los Angeles Daily News. Some of her most prominant stories included events such as the tax-evasion trial of Al Capone, Albert Einstein's national crusade for disarmament and Madame Chiang Kai Shek's U.S. visit.
Caroline Chan, a pioneering educator, was another rare example of a successful professional Chinese -American women. During the 1920s,professional and lifestyle choices still were limited for the Chinese. However, Caroline Chan was fortunate to be educated at the University of Southern California. Her father encouraged her to select the teaching profession. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and receiving a secondary education credential,Chan was qualified to teach English at the high school level. Chan broke the racial barrier and was hired as an English teacher at the Ninth Street School educating the newly arrived immigrants. Chan excelled in her career until she retired in the 1950s.
By Sharad Chandra Shukla
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