Yu, Alice Fong

Biographical/Historical Sketch

Alice Fong Yu (1905-2000) was recruited as the first Chinese American teacher in San Francisco by Commodore Stockton Elementary upon completion of her studies at San Francisco Teachers College in 1926. Inspired by her experiences with her son who was born with cerebral palsy, Yu returned to school in the 1950s and obtained a credential in special education and speech therapy from U.C. Berkeley. With her certification, Yu worked as a speech therapist throughout San Francisco schools until her retirement in 1970. In 1996 San Francisco renamed the nation’s first Chinese-immersion program the Alice Fong Yu School in her honor. In addition to her work as an educator, Yu was very active in many Chinatown organizations. She was a founding member of both the Square and Circle Club and the Chinese Historical Society of America.