Mom, Daughter a Dynamic Duo

I’ve always thought the only honor that could beat getting rewarded by your peers would be to see your children rewarded by theirs. But when mother and daughter are honored together, now there is a combination that grabs your attention.

Ellen K. Lee and her daughter, Jennifer Lee Anderson, both of Irvine, will be among those honored Thursday by Women For: Orange County at its annual Suffrage Day Luncheon at the Balboa Bay Club. The organization is a political action group known for its letter-writing campaigns to Congress.

This mother-daughter duo is not only active in Women For events. They’ve also been singled out for their community volunteerism. Ellen Lee, who teaches nursing at the college level and through regional occupational programs, has a list of volunteer efforts that runs off the page.

To name just a few: She’s active in the Orange County Community Foundation, Soroptimist International, the National Charity League of Irvine--all service groups--and her own pet project in preventive health education she calls TEDDY (Teach, Educate, Discuss & Develop Young). It helps educate parents about health issues such as nutrition, dental care and head lice. Right now she’s excited about a walk-in health education resource center she’s trying to develop.

In recent years, Lee has taken on work for the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Assn., the American Heart Assn., the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Orange County, and the United Way Health Care Task Force. And that’s less than half her volunteer list.

Jennifer Lee Anderson has worked with her mother on many projects, but is also active in numerous local Asian American causes. Right now, she has reduced her volunteer work because she is newly married and enrolled in UCLA’s graduate program in Asian American studies.

Their calendars are so filled, they told me, laughing, that they have to schedule an appointment just to have lunch with each other.

“Volunteering can be rewarding in an altruistic sense,” Ellen Lee said. “But what people don’t realize is that you make valuable contacts for your own career.”

This mother-daughter relationship has had to overcome a few obstacles you don’t see in most families. Ellen Lee is Caucasian, her husband, pharmacist Albert Lee, is Chinese. It wouldn’t be important to mention except that Anderson’s mixed ethnic background was an issue as she grew up in Irvine, and helped lead to her decision to pursue Asian American studies.

Just imagine your own reaction if a child you loved so dearly came home from school and told you she’d been called “eggroll” by the other students. Or “slant eyes” or “sushi breath.” Anderson faced all those barbs during her earlier school days.

“The students who said those things could never distinguish between Japanese and Chinese students,” she said. “I was ‘sushi-breath’ even though I wasn’t Japanese.”

Lee said she was horrified and outraged when she learned of these slights directed at her daughter, her only child. It was Anderson’s father who had the stronger influence on how his daughter should deal with such bigotry. He taught her the best offense was to ignore such ignorance and concentrate on her many positive relationships at school. Anderson told me the more blatant prejudices in school died out as she got older and the minority population in Irvine increased. Mother and daughter drew even closer during the difficult times.

Anderson is delighted to be honored by Women For, but was especially pleased to see her mother’s volunteerism recognized. “She has been such a special influence on me with how she has lived her life,” Anderson said.

Lee smiled at her daughter’s words. Seems to me hearing your child say that about you is pretty rewarding by itself.

Court Tutoring: Remember Damian Carter of Aliso Viejo, who was facing prison on drug-related charges when South County Municipal Judge Wendy S. Lindley sentenced him to college instead?

Saddleback College spokeswoman Susan Lemkin tells me that Lindley has now sentenced 15 people to attend Saddleback the next semester, which begins Aug. 25. Carter, who became a star pupil, is returning to Saddleback on a scholarship, free of court order.

Lindley is part of the county’s new Drug Court operation. She requires some who come before her to attend specific courses, usually in human development or drug and alcohol studies, and report back to her on their progress. Here is one time where skipping class can land you in jail.

Graduation Day: While some Drug Court defendants wind up in college, others can have their charges dismissed if they follow a strict three-phase treatment program. It includes counseling and frequent visits to both a probation officer and the judge.

Thursday is a big day for the first group to enter that program. Eight of them will graduate after one year of testing drug free, in ceremonies at the Santa Ana Police Department headquarters. Handing them their certificates will be U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), who has been a big supporter of Drug Court as an alternative to filling the jails with drug abusers.

Sanchez II: Sanchez’s busy schedule for the week includes a news conference Friday morning at the HRAP (Health Reform Action Project) clinic at 2209 S. Main St. in Santa Ana. It’s one of two clinics with a high Latino walk-in clientele facing closure at the end of this year unless the HRAP board can come up with new funding.

Wrap-Up: Thursday’s Women For luncheon commemorates 77 years of women’s right to vote. Other local residents being honored include Mary Leigh Blek, chairwoman of Orange County Citizens for the Prevention of Gun Violence; Kathy Gallardo, a volunteer for the Exchange Club Drug Exposed Infant Program; Janet Remington, an environmental activist; and Marti Schrank, an active supporter of the United Farm Workers.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling The Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to [email protected]