Shui Mak Ka

Shui Mak Ka immigrated to America in 1973 from Hong Kong. Born and raised in a farming village in Guangdong, China, from the age of 14 she was a natural organizer and fighter for women’s rights; she worked as a midwife and daycare teacher before coming to America. She was a garment worker for many years in Chicago and New York, and played a leading role in the 1982 Chinatown strike. After the strike, she worked with (ILGWU) Local 23–25’s Education Department until her retirement in 1999, and continues to be very active in the Chinese community on women’s rights, voting and political advocacy, and health care issues.