By Russell Low, Guest Speaker

The 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote nationwide, would not be ratified until 1920. But in California, the tide of change came earlier. On October 11, 1911, voters narrowly approved Proposition 4—the Women’s Suffrage Amendment—by a margin of just 3,587 votes, 125,037 to 121,450. With that decision, California became the sixth state in the nation to grant women the right to vote. The following spring, Tye Leung Schulze made history when she cast her ballot in the Presidential Primary election, becoming the first Chinese woman to vote in the United States.

The Saratoga Public Library, in partnership with the League of Women Voters and the Chinese Historical & Cultural Project, hosted my book talk honoring Tye Leung Schulze and her remarkable role in the fight for women’s suffrage. Adding a personal touch, Ted Schulze, Tye’s grandson, joined us to share family stories that brought history to life.

Together, we educated and inspired the audience about this momentous chapter in history—and the extraordinary impact of 4’10” Tye Leung, the first Chinese woman to vote in the United States. Even better, we raised funds for the CSUSM Nursing Scholarships!