Museum Collection
Solidarity in Style: Celebrating Women's Suffrage
Mrs. Tye Leung Schulze Suffragette Hat
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Mrs. Tye Leung Schulze
San Francisco, California
1887-1972
Hidden behind the iconic San Francisco fog rest the silhouettes of the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island while a plum blossom branch emerges from behind silk poppies, representing China and the State of California respectively. Like golden rays emitting from under the flowers the embroidered lines on the brim represent Mrs. Schulze's spirit of her brightness and underlying power. It shows the lines she crossed and boundaries she pushed as a woman ahead of her time.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Mrs. Tye Leung Schulze was the first Asian American woman to vote in San Francisco and was the first Chinese American woman to hold a U.S. government job as a translator on Angel Island Immigration Station (often referred to as the Ellis Island of the West Coast). Separated by a century, but united as Asian-American women and native San Franciscans, Mrs. Schulze's suffragette experience resonates the most with me and she is the inspiration for this boater hat.
San Francisco, California
1887-1972
Hidden behind the iconic San Francisco fog rest the silhouettes of the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island while a plum blossom branch emerges from behind silk poppies, representing China and the State of California respectively. Like golden rays emitting from under the flowers the embroidered lines on the brim represent Mrs. Schulze's spirit of her brightness and underlying power. It shows the lines she crossed and boundaries she pushed as a woman ahead of her time.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Mrs. Tye Leung Schulze was the first Asian American woman to vote in San Francisco and was the first Chinese American woman to hold a U.S. government job as a translator on Angel Island Immigration Station (often referred to as the Ellis Island of the West Coast). Separated by a century, but united as Asian-American women and native San Franciscans, Mrs. Schulze's suffragette experience resonates the most with me and she is the inspiration for this boater hat.
This piece was created for the Milliners Guild for the 2020 online exhibition: Solidarity in Style: Celebrating Women's Suffrage.
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Tye Leung Schulze was born in San Francisco, CA in 1887. In her teens she was saved from an arranged marriage, and instead helped rescue abused women who were being trafficked in Chinatown brothels. As she could speak English and straddle the divide, Tye was the first Chinese American woman hired by the U.S. Government to be an interpreter on the Angel Island Immigration Station. She continued to serve her community, city and women during her lifetime, and Tye was the first Chinese American woman on record to vote in the 1912 presidential election. She was absolutely incredible and I am in awe of her life and experiences. She broke ground not only for Chinatown and Asian Americans, but women in general. I feel like she was so resilient to have been able to stand her ground to her family and the cultural, government, and even social norms of the time. I feel so happy to have been able to hear her story and am so proud to have made a hat that represents her life's experiences, and to tell her story.
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"I wanted to KNOW what was right, not to act blindly...I think it right we should all try to learn, not to vote blindly, since we have been given this right..."
- Tye Leung Schulze 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote country-wide.
In honor of this monumental anniversary, the Milliners Guild launched an online exhibit of hats inspired by American suffragettes. It is a powerful statement and a beautiful way to honor the women who helped pave the way for us. 
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Photo Credits:
Portrait of Tye Leung Schulze. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library
Photos of Mrs. Schulze, Courtesy of the Louise Lee Collection
Portraits of Sarah Fedaie, SF Millinery
Portrait of Tye Leung Schulze. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library
Photos of Mrs. Schulze, Courtesy of the Louise Lee Collection
Portraits of Sarah Fedaie, SF Millinery