[2][4] During World War II, she was forced to flee the Japanese occupation, settling in Chongqing for three years.
[2] On arriving the United States, she studied at Columbia University in New York, graduating with a master's degree in music education in 1947.
There, she worked at the United States Army Map Service for 30 years, where she would eventually serve as Federal Women's Program manager.
[2][6][7] The organization, which was also co-founded by the diplomat Julia Chang Bloch, aimed to offer education and training programs that would empower Chinese American women.
[2][7] It was initially affiliated with the Organization of Chinese Americans, but they eventually disaffiliated due to differing priorities.