Lisa See
A novelist who excavates the hidden histories and fierce bonds of Chinese and Chinese American women, giving voice to forgotten stories.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American writer·Birthday: February 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Lisa See's writing is deeply rooted in her own unique heritage. Born in Paris but raised in Los Angeles, she grew up immersed in Chinatown through her family, though she herself is predominantly of Caucasian descent. This perspective—inside yet outside—informs her meticulous research and empathetic storytelling. See doesn't write quick novels; she plunges into historical periods, from 19th-century China in 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' to the Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871 in 'The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.' Her books are known for their emotional depth and for spotlighting the often-overlooked relationships between women—their secret languages, their shared suffering, and their formidable strength. Through her work, she has become a crucial bridge, connecting Western readers to the intricate tapestry of Chinese and Chinese American female experience.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lisa was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lisa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Lisa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her 2005 novel 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' became an international bestseller and was adapted into a feature film.
- Served as the Los Angeles City Commissioner on the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.
- Her book 'The Island of Sea Women' explores the matriarchal diving culture of Korea's Jeju Island.
- Received the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California for her historical contributions.
Did You Know?
Her great-grandfather, Fong See, was a prominent figure in Los Angeles's Chinatown and the subject of her first book, 'On Gold Mountain.'
She is of predominantly English and Scottish descent, with only one-eighth Chinese ancestry.
She wrote the libretto for the opera based on her book 'The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.'
She often travels to the remote locations featured in her novels to conduct firsthand research.
“If you listen closely, you can hear the voices of the women who have been forgotten by history.”
