Jean Lee

Who is Jean Lee?

Jean Suey Zee Lew is a Canadian veteran of World War II who was the only woman of Chinese-Canadian descent to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force. As a member of the RCAF Women's Division, Lee was stationed from 1942 to 1945 at the Royal Canadian Air Force Depot, Eastern Air Command, at Rockcliffe, Ontario.

Lee was born on July 26, 1924 in Cranbrook, British Columbia to Lee Look and Huey Shee Lee. She had two brothers who also served in the military - Wilson John Lee who served with training command at Fort Macleod, and William, who served in the Korean War. She was awarded her Canadian Citizenship Certificate in a ceremony in February 1947, along with 6 other veterans. She was one of the first women of Chinese descent to become a Canadian citizen. Since 1874, Chinese Canadians had been restricted from Canadian Citizenship.