Margaret Chung was the first American-born Chinese physician in the
United States, a designator that did not come easy over time. Margaret’s
parents both struggled in working class jobs, her mom actually worked
at a brothel, before eventually quitting due to illness. Both parents
became invalids when Chung was only ten years old, so she took the lead
in caring for her family.
She took jobs driving a horse-drawn carriage and working 12-hour
shifts at a Chinese restaurant. She won scholarships and lectured at
local colleges and think tanks about the state of China, which gave her
enough money to pursue a college education for herself.
She graduated from the University of Southern California’s College of
Physicians and Surgeons in 1916. She did a brief stint in Illinois
before transferring to the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital in California. She
managed to gain some clientele from the Hollywood elite, which
sustained her until she moved to San Francisco in 1922. There, she
settled in Chinatown and worked as a staff physician for a local hotel
until she was able to afford the costs to open her own practice.
World War II saw Chung become an activist. When Japan attacked China,
she became an outspoken critic and rallied to send medical supplies to
both China and Pearl Harbor after the attack. She routinely held Sunday
dinners for servicemen, including Admiral Chester Nimitz (who is rumored
to have mopped her floor and washed dishes, per her house rules, during
his visits).
Chung became affectionately known as “Mom” to service members, and
she adopted some 1500 different sons during her lifetime. She died in
1959, a celebrated figure of World War II era America.
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